[QUOTE=Polycarp]
The meanings of Hebrew words (and several other Semitic languages’ words) are based on the root meanings of consonant sets, usually three to a root but that varies. Say ChRB is your root. ChaRiB might have one meaning, CheRuB another, ChoRaBai yet another, all related to a base meaning of “burn” (before being baby angels, cherubim were angelic figures characterized by flame). To give an English parallel, consider the related meanings of sheen, shine(n), shine (v), shone, shining, etc. All related in meaning yet all somewhat different words.
O.K., I’m really trying to understand this, so please be patient with me. If I understand you correctly, if I am reading along in a Hebrew text and I come across ChRB, it could mean ChaRiB, CheRuB, ChoRaBai. and perhaps some other things. Will it always be clear from the context which it is? To take you English example, if I say “I like the shn on that car”, would you think I meant “shine” or that I meant “sheen”? (Even accepting the idea that Hebrew was developed as a sort of shorthand, I can’t understand anyone deciding to leave out the vowels. Perhaps it’s just a different mindset.)