The Omission of Function Words from Early Hebrew and Latin Concordances vs. the Prominence of Function Words in Masoretic Notes

The first concordance to the Hebrew Bible, Me`ir Nativ, included a stoplist, a list of the words not indexed--primarily function words, such as prepositions. Information scientists thought the stoplist was invented in 1958, with the beginning of automatic indexing. Me`ir Nativ was compiled in the mid-1400s, and published in 1523. Latin Biblical concordances were prepared two centuries before Meir Nativ. These concordances also omitted function words--but without including a stoplist.

The compiler of Me`ir Nativ omitted function words because of their frequency and their lack of meaning. The meanings of certain Hebrew function words were discussed in the Talmud and by Biblical commentators. Because the meaning of some Latin function words was controversial, concordances of them were published in the early centuries of printing.

Function words are prominent in Masoretic notes and lists. The pronouns hu (he) and hi (she) often get the notes keri and ketiv as the vowels vav and yod are interchanged. More often, Masoretic notes focus on expressions containing a function word and a content word.

Many Masoretic notes contrast a word with and without attached particles, including the vav meaning `and` or the letters bakhlam. The Masoretes also commented on suffixes, such as kamets he indicating `to.` Function words that begin a verse, multiple occurrences of function words within one verse, and the number of content words between function words are also noted.

Masoretic notes on function words are primarily oriented to ensuring the accuracy of the consonantal text of the Hebrew Bible.