Sixth, from the omission of the vowel points in today’s writings of the Hebrews.
Sixth, from the omission of the vowel points in today’s writings of the Hebrews.
§ 350. (VI) From the omission of the vowel points in today’s writings of the Hebrews. “The Hebrews, Chaldeans, Arabs, and Syrians generally make their writing without points. Points, therefore, are not an essential part of Hebrew writing.” We respond. (1) They omit the vowel points because of their hurried writing; yet they are absolutely necessary for reading, whether they are added in the writing or omitted. (2) As a result, they are an essential part of speaking, as we have shown earlier. (3) Anyone recognizes that whatever has been written without vowel points produces a different meaning when one or another pointing has been substituted. Therefore even if the points did not pertain to the essence of writing, nevertheless the vowel points are most especially necessary for certainty of reading and for conformity of the meaning that is to be sought from what is written. (4) One can proceed more fruitfully in the Syriac and Arabic languages without the aid of vowel points than one can in Hebrew. (5) Baumbach, in his aforementioned treatise De ling. orient., responds by inversion: “Because two languages, namely, Syriac and Arabic, which stemmed from Hebrew, have vowels, as is apparent from their handwritten and printed books, it is not likely that their mother, that is, Hebrew, lacked them.”