Found in old notebook: THE DANCING COMPOUND SH'VA
This short song was written while bored in Biblical Hebrew class, and is likely incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't studied Hebrew grammar.
But since I'm a geek who loves to share: The compound sh'va is a Hebrew sorta-vowel. It's not really one. In Biblical Hebrew words, you can divide them up by syllables (which is rather useful for a number of reasons into which I shall not herein venture). Every syllable has exactly one vowel. You cannot count a compound sh'va as that one vowel; there is always a real vowel in the syllable, as well.
In ancient days, there was no sh'va, probably. Instead, there was some vowel (one of any number of them, depending on the situation and word) which has been lost, for which the sh'va has been put into its place. The sh'va is a silent vowel. The compound sh'va is the mixture of a sh'va and another vowel, which looks like a regular vowel, but for the sh'va tucked in, which negates its VOWELICITY (made-up word of the day). The compound sh'va should have just been a regular sh'va, and stay silent, but for the people who were pronouncing it, who decided that NO, they wanted to have a vowel sound there rather than silence, for it was much easier to pronounce! And of course, this was after the original vowel (which might or might have not been a real vowel, syllable-wise) had already been lost for centuries.
Nutshell: The sh'va is a linguistic raincheck which will never be redeemed. The compound sh'va is a raincheck with a new sound imposed upon it which isn't its actual sound, but still is easier to say than leaving it silent. It's masquerading as a real vowel, but it's a step-child that will never be loved as much as the blood-relation children.
And with that, I give you:
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THE DANCING COMPOUND SH'VA
by Suzanne Musin
[Under the title, I drew pictures of cartoon compound sh'vas and music notes.]
Compound Sh'va:
I wanna be a REAL Vowel, baby!
Background Singers:
You'll never be a REEAL Vowel, baby.
Compound Shva:
I wanna be a REAL Vowel, baby -
Have a Syl - la - ble
of my ooooooown...
Background Singers:
You'll never be a reeeeeal vowel...
Ba - a - by!
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- This has been a public broadcasting, brought to you by the Strip Suzanne of All Her Dignity Campaign.
~ We take donations. ~
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But since I'm a geek who loves to share: The compound sh'va is a Hebrew sorta-vowel. It's not really one. In Biblical Hebrew words, you can divide them up by syllables (which is rather useful for a number of reasons into which I shall not herein venture). Every syllable has exactly one vowel. You cannot count a compound sh'va as that one vowel; there is always a real vowel in the syllable, as well.
In ancient days, there was no sh'va, probably. Instead, there was some vowel (one of any number of them, depending on the situation and word) which has been lost, for which the sh'va has been put into its place. The sh'va is a silent vowel. The compound sh'va is the mixture of a sh'va and another vowel, which looks like a regular vowel, but for the sh'va tucked in, which negates its VOWELICITY (made-up word of the day). The compound sh'va should have just been a regular sh'va, and stay silent, but for the people who were pronouncing it, who decided that NO, they wanted to have a vowel sound there rather than silence, for it was much easier to pronounce! And of course, this was after the original vowel (which might or might have not been a real vowel, syllable-wise) had already been lost for centuries.
Nutshell: The sh'va is a linguistic raincheck which will never be redeemed. The compound sh'va is a raincheck with a new sound imposed upon it which isn't its actual sound, but still is easier to say than leaving it silent. It's masquerading as a real vowel, but it's a step-child that will never be loved as much as the blood-relation children.
And with that, I give you:
---------------------------------------------
THE DANCING COMPOUND SH'VA
by Suzanne Musin
[Under the title, I drew pictures of cartoon compound sh'vas and music notes.]
Compound Sh'va:
I wanna be a REAL Vowel, baby!
Background Singers:
You'll never be a REEAL Vowel, baby.
Compound Shva:
I wanna be a REAL Vowel, baby -
Have a Syl - la - ble
of my ooooooown...
Background Singers:
You'll never be a reeeeeal vowel...
Ba - a - by!
-----
- This has been a public broadcasting, brought to you by the Strip Suzanne of All Her Dignity Campaign.
~ We take donations. ~
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