How can I write Hebrew on the Computer with masoretic interpunctation?

[Ulli]

I have a problem.

Is there a special trick to write Hebrew letters with masoretic interpunctation on the computer?

Here is a sample text I want to type:



The best would be a template for my keyboard.

And it should be freeware 

Thank you very much in advance 

[Zelhar]

In Windows OS:

Write the Hebrew letter
Press the CapsLock key to on.
Place the cursor just pass letter (that is- to the left of the letter)
Press SHIFT + 1 ... SHIFT+ = (SHIFT + any key of the top line), and also SHIFT+;, SHIFT+\

The resault- for example- SHIFT+8,SHIFT+= :
בָּ

ps- I think you meant to punctuation marks. The masoratic marks is only used for the Tanach.

pps: here's a useful table: http://hofshi.blogspot.com/2007/08/blog-post_15.html

[Ulli]

In Windows OS:

Write the Hebrew letter
Press the CapsLock key to on.
Place the cursor just pass letter (that is- to the left of the letter)
Press SHIFT + 1 ... SHIFT+ = (SHIFT + any key of the top line), and also SHIFT+;, SHIFT+\

The resault- for example- SHIFT+8,SHIFT+= :
בָּ

ps- I think you meant to punctuation marks. The masoratic marks is only used for the Tanach.

pps: here's a useful table: http://hofshi.blogspot.com/2007/08/blog-post_15.html

You are too fast 

How can I write the letter? Are there Hebrew fonts to download on the web?

[Ulli]

P.S.: I want to write with open office Writer 2.4 

[Zelhar]

I think you need to install Hebrew language in your OS for this to work. In winXP you need to open the language menu (If you have language bar just right click and choses settings) and then "Add language" an then install Hebrew, you might need the installation disc. You already have the fonts because windows comes with many Unicode fonts but you need Hebrew keyboard settings in order to type Hebrew. I think it would work with OO just as well (on a windows OS) it works on my firefox browser for example so I think it is a system-wide property.

If you only need individual letters you may find this link useful: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/searchfh.htm

[Ulli]

I think you need to install Hebrew language in your OS for this to work. In winXP you need to open the language menu (If you have language bar just right click and choses settings) and then "Add language" an then install Hebrew, you might need the installation disc. You already have the fonts because windows comes with many Unicode fonts but you need Hebrew keyboard settings in order to type Hebrew. I think it would work with OO just as well (on a windows OS) it works on my firefox browser for example so I think it is a system-wide property.

If you only need individual letters you may find this link useful: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/searchfh.htm

It is working:

דגעכדשגכ

only a few consonants 

Thank you Zelhar!

[Zelhar]

Great, is the punctuation also working ?

[Ulli]

Great, is the punctuation also working ?

Yes but I have to test it a little bit before beeing productive   

Thank you very much 

עֱ

[Ulli]

I think I got it 

גֹׂלךֱו ףֶסֶנט

[Zelhar]

Good, and be aware that you can apply this thing successively on the same letter for example to add both a dagesh and a kamatz to a letter as I did in my example.
Golden Pheasant in Hebrew:
פַּסְיוֹן זָהוֹב

[Ulli]

Good, and be aware that you can apply this thing successively on the same letter for example to add both a dagesh and a kamatz to a letter as I did in my example.

Ok I will try it with more than one sign. 

And you are right. The book I want to translate is really not up to date - it has only nine helping-vocals:

Pathach
Kamez
Chirik
Zere
Segol
Cholem
Komez
Schurek
Kibbuz

My modern book has 17 different punctuation marks 

[Zelhar]

The old book is right, this are all the punctuations for vowels.
The Other marks are the Shva, Chataf-Patach, Chataf-Kamaz, Chataf-Segol - which are not real vowels. The modern book might count twice Cholem and Chiric (Male- with vav, Chaser-without) and Zere (Male with yod, chaser).

And there are more marks: mapic, dagesh, and the point that indicates Shin/Sin ...

But all these marks are way older than your book so they should be in it.

[Ulli]

The old book is right, this are all the punctuations for vowels.
The Other marks are the Shva, Chataf-Patach, Chataf-Kamaz, Chataf-Segol - which are not real vowels. The modern book might count twice Cholem and Chiric (Male- with vav, Chaser-without) and Zere (Male with yod, chaser).

And there are more marks: mapic, dagesh, and the point that indicates Shin/Sin ...

But all these marks are way older than your book so they should be in it.

OK I will look for it, perhaps they are in another chapter 

[q_q_]

Well described Zelhar,
But
for goodness sake Zelhar, it's not called punctuation. Punctuation involves such things as commars and full stops.

THESE THINGS ARE CALLED VOWELS (as you said correctly)
But not punctuation.

If you really had no clue what they were called and wanted to call them something other than vowels, then call them marks!

The word punctuation no doubt comes from the word punctuate, which means to interrupt. As in,

"The unlettered youth peppered and punctuated his verbal tirade with an array of fowel language."

[q_q_]

And Golden, what the heck is "interpunctation".  That's even worse.., it's wrong on at least 3 counts!

There is no such word, they are vowels and not punctuation, and it is misspelt.

I am not sure if one or two of the marks are punctuation.. but I suspect that none of them are.
Certainly 9 of the 9 that you listed (and misspelt), are not punctuation marks.



 

[q_q_]

I was a bit bothered by the fact that you have to do
CAPS, then SHIFT, and a number..
Holding shift for each vowel was annoying.

So

I wrote a new hebrew layout with MSKLC.  (I did it for myself about a month ago and will share it with you)

You can download the layout here, and run the MSI file.

You can download this layout
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A9H52BL8
Run the MSI file.
That should install the new layout.
Or rather, that will add the layout to the list of layouts available for installation.

A picture of a hebrew keyboard
http://www.qsm.co.il/Hebrew/wniqud.htm

You can add the layout in windows just like any other layout.
start..ctrl..regional and language settings...
I think the layout is called "hebitisv", so you'll see it in the list, it sticks out

[Ulli]

And Golden, what the heck is "interpunctation".  That's even worse.., it's wrong on at least 3 counts!

There is no such word, they are vowels and not punctuation, and it is misspelt.

I am not sure if one or two of the marks are punctuation.. but I suspect that none of them are.
Certainly 9 of the 9 that you listed (and misspelt), are not punctuation marks.



 

Sorry, I have translated it directly - for shure wrong - from the term "Masoretische Interpunktion" for the systems of vocalisations of the Rabbis of Tiberias.

I think the first time I have read this term in a Hebrew learning book. Now I don't find it.

But it is all over the internet:
http://www.google.de/search?q=masoretische+interpunktion&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&client=firefox-a

[Ulli]

I was a bit bothered by the fact that you have to do
CAPS, then SHIFT, and a number..
Holding shift for each vowel was annoying.

So

I wrote a new hebrew layout with MSKLC.  (I did it for myself about a month ago and will share it with you)

You can download the layout here, and run the MSI file.

You can download this layout
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A9H52BL8
Run the MSI file.
That should install the new layout.
Or rather, that will add the layout to the list of layouts available for installation.

A picture of a hebrew keyboard
http://www.qsm.co.il/Hebrew/wniqud.htm

You can add the layout in windows just like any other layout.
start..ctrl..regional and language settings...
I think the layout is called "hebitisv", so you'll see it in the list, it sticks out

I have now installed both layouts yours and those of Zelhar. Tomorrow I will look into it in depth. 

[q_q_]

what is zelhar's one?

you mean the standard hebrew one, or did he write one too? From what he posted in the forum, he meant the standard hebrew one.

Whether using the standard one - which he suggested, or if using my one(which is an amendment to the standard one),
 it is easiest to have hebrew language stickers on your keyboard - or a hebrew keyboard e.g. plug in a hebrew usb keyboard.

If you don't have that, then it may be easier to use charmap
start...run...charmap <ENTER>
that will bring it open.
it's called Character map.  (you might find it somewhere in the start menu under programs..accessories)

with that you can copy n paste character by character.
time consuming, but may be easier than remembering or knowing which key is which on a keyboard.

[Zelhar]

Right it's not 'zelhar's layer' this is the standard one.

Hebrew Nikud is not only used for vowels, for example Mapic and Dagesh are not vowels. Incidentally 'Nikud' comes from Nekuda, a point in Hebrew. Punctuation also comes from the same word- punkt is point in German. Anyway I am not sure that there is an native English word for Nikud so we can just use nikud.

[Zelhar]

BTW there are also old Hebrew learning books available from Google Books, in English, for example:
http://books.google.com/books?id=fN1GAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew&as_brr=1&rview=1#PPA12,M1

[Ulli]

BTW there are also old Hebrew learning books available from Google Books, in English, for example:
http://books.google.com/books?id=fN1GAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew&as_brr=1&rview=1#PPA12,M1

Super!

Perhaps we can link some of them to the Hebrew learning section here on this forum 

[Zelhar]

BTW there are also old Hebrew learning books available from Google Books, in English, for example:
http://books.google.com/books?id=fN1GAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew&as_brr=1&rview=1#PPA12,M1

Super!

Perhaps we can link some of them to the Hebrew learning section here on this forum 

Here is another good book: http://books.google.com/books?id=uusAEMUJuWgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew+subject:%22Hebrew+language%22&as_brr=1&rview=1&sig=KqK3mhKGHdgVppv-R3cAKegTMYM#PPP1,M1

and there is a google book search  result for all free books for the search-key 'Hebrew Language':
http://books.google.com/books?q=Hebrew+subject:%22Hebrew+language%22&rview=1&lr=&as_brr=1&sa=N&start=0

I will also post it in the Hebrew section.

[Ulli]

BTW there are also old Hebrew learning books available from Google Books, in English, for example:
http://books.google.com/books?id=fN1GAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew&as_brr=1&rview=1#PPA12,M1

Super!

Perhaps we can link some of them to the Hebrew learning section here on this forum 

Here is another good book: http://books.google.com/books?id=uusAEMUJuWgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew+subject:%22Hebrew+language%22&as_brr=1&rview=1&sig=KqK3mhKGHdgVppv-R3cAKegTMYM#PPP1,M1

and there is a google book search  result for all free books for the search-key 'Hebrew Language':
http://books.google.com/books?q=Hebrew+subject:%22Hebrew+language%22&rview=1&lr=&as_brr=1&sa=N&start=0

I will also post it in the Hebrew section.

This book is very good to learn some basic words.