On 22/12/2003 18:15, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
.
Quoting from:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1308&letter=A
<quote>
... In the letter × the original bent stem was curved upward still
more until it reached the upper horizontal stroke, so that the
final Mem to-day has the form ×. The Palmyrene script possesses
a final Nun with a lengthened stem; the Nabatean contains similarly
final Kaph, Nun, áade, and Shin, and further a closed final Mem
and final He. ...
<end quote>
So, apparently we have contextual forms which differ a bit between
scripts. (Hebrew has final KAF, MEM, NUN, PE, and TSADI.)
Note also that "the Palmyrene script ... in essence is the same as the
Hebrew square script". But this article dates from 1901, and huge
quantities of relevant texts have been discovered in the intervening
century.
--
Peter Kirk
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (personal)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (work)
http://www.qaya.org/
