Re: Sukhotin's Algorithm

[Mark Perakh <perakh@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Dennis: the term mater lectiones is applied to only two letters in Hebrew,
namely alef and ayin.  The do not denote vowels, as is often wrongly assumed.
However, according to the bizarre rules of the Hebrew orthography, they are
inserted here and there and can be associated with any of the vowels as
appropriate, or with no vowels at all . For example, the word Resh-ALEF-Shin,
meaning HEAD reads rOsh. However the word Resh-ALEF-Shin-Vav-Nun meaning
FIRST  reads rIshon. If alef is at the beginning of a word it most often means
no sound at all. For example, the name Irene is spelled alef-yud-resh-nun-hey,
and the alef is simply not pronouinced at all. Cheers, Mark

Dennis wrote:

> Mark Perakh wrote:
> >
> > Why would anybody try Sukhotin's algoritm on Hebrew which has no letters
> > for vowels at all?
>
>         As I recall, some letters in Hebrew are used as vowels
> in some contexts; these are called "matres lectionis"
> (reading aids).
>
>         There has long been another vowel detection
> algorithm.  I believe it's
> called "the consonant line" method; one can find it in
> Helen FouchИ Gaines'
> *[Elementary] Cryptanalysis*.
>
> Dennis