[Avodah] Changing Havarah

[Arie Folger]

RDC wrote:
> The Yemenite kamatz sounds much like the Ashkenazi kamatz with which
> we are familiar.  Given the assertion that the current Ashkenazi
> kamatz is a recent development (in relative terms), is this just a
> coincidence, rather than a reflection of a common origin?

IIUC, what RPhEM was saying was that the Ashkenazi pronounciation of the 
qomatz (ven shoin, denn shoin) has been lost in early European communities 
and was reintroduced from Teverya, where the famous masoretes - who used and 
spread our niqud system - lived. Thus, a 
kind-of-like-the-Latin-"O"-pronounciation of qomatz is correct, 
Teverianically speaking.

Of course, that leaves the question open as to how that "O" should be sounded, 
long or short, like "oa" in "board" or like "u" in bus (but definitely not 
like Brooklynites and Israelis, who pronouce that "bas").

> Also, I don't recall hearing this before from other Yemenites, but
> there is one person whom I hear lain frequently according to his
> Yemenite tradition, and he pronounces the cholam in a way that
> strongly resembles the Polish "oy."  Could there be anything to this?

There are three different Yemenite major 'edot, and each pronounces the 'holam 
differently. There is even support for the Lithuanian/'Habad 'heilem.

BTW, the Polish "oy" is quite surely an unintentional reform that developed in 
the 15th-16th century. Please see Rav Hamburger's Shorashei Minhag Ashkenaz, 
Vol. I.

However, since I am a student of this whole matter, and no expert, I wonder if 
RSMandel is still on-list and whether he would give us some more info. RPhEM 
(CCed) should also chime in, as he seems to know quite a lot about this.

Kol tuv,
-- 
Arie Folger
http://www.ariefolger.googlepages.com