Hebrew Vowels Chapter 2

Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Vowels (Niqqud) added by the Masoretes (500-1000 AD) Earlier: vowel letters added, matres lectionis (mothers of reading) א and ה = a-class vowels י for e-class and i-class vowels ו for o-class and u-class vowels Short, Long and half-vowels Ketiv (כְּתִיב) –what is written; Qere (קְרֵי) – what is read

Vowels -- a-class a אָ אַ אֲ Long Short Half (reducible) Qāmeṣ Pataḥ Ḥatēf-pataḥ ā in far a in far ă in attach

Vowels -- e-class e אֵ אֶ אֱ Long Short Half (reducible) e אֵ אֶ אֱ Ṣerê Seghôl Ḥatēf-Seghôl ē in they e in set ĕ in empire

Vowels -- i-class Long Short Half (reducible) i אִ Ḥîreq i in fit

Vowels -- o-class o אֹ אָ אֳ Long Short Half (reducible) o אֹ אָ אֳ Ḥolem Qāmeṣ Ḥatuf Ḥatēf-Qāmeṣ ō in so o in so ŏ in commit

Vowels -- u-class u אֻ פְּ ševā’ Long Short Half (reducible) Qibbûṣ u in rule פְּ ševā’

Vowel Pointing with vowel letters ה, ו, and י ה אָה אֵה / אֶה אֹה Qāmeṣ Hê Seghôl / Ṣerê Hê Ḥôlem Hê â in far ê in set / ê in they ô in so

Vowel Pointing with vowel letters ה, ו, and י י אֵי / אֶי אִי Seghôl Yôd / Ṣere Yôd Ḥireq Yôd ê in set ê in they î in Marine

Vowel Pointing with vowel letters ה, ו, and י ו אוֹ אוּ Ḥôlem Vav Šûreq ô in so û in rule

Vowel List 1. Qāmeṣ ָ “a” as in far ā אָ (Long) 2. Qāmeṣ hê ָה “a” as in far â אָה (Long) 3. Pataḥ ַ “a” as in far a אַ (short) 4. Ḥatēf-pataḥ ֲֲ “a” as in attach xă אֲ (half vowel)

Vowel List 5. Ṣerê ֵ “e” as in they ē אֵ (long) 6. Ṣerê Yôd ֵי “e” as in they ê אֵי (vowel let.) 7. Seghôl ֶ “e” as in set e אֶ (short) 8. Seghôl Yôd ֶי “e” as in set ê אֶי (vowel let.) 9. Ḥatēf-Seghôl ֱ “e” as in set xĕ אֱ (half vowel)

Vowel List 10. Ḥîreq ִ “i” as in fit i אִ (short) 11. Ḥîreq Yôd ִי “i” as in ski î אִי (vowel let.) 12. Ḥôlem ֹ “o” as in so ō אֹ (long) 13. Ḥôlem Vāv וֹ “o” as in so ô אוֹ (vowel let.))

Vowel List 14. Qibbûṣ ֻ “u” as in rule u אֻ (short) 15. Šûreq וּ “u” as in rule û אוּ (vowel let.) 16. Qāmeṣ Ḥatûf ָ “o” as in so o אָ (short) 17. Ḥatēf Qāmeṣ ֳ “o” as in commit xŏ אֳ (half vowel) 18. Ševā’ ְ “e” as in met xe אְ (half vowel)

Hevenu Shalom Aleichem https://youtu.be/JB4RMIWroMY to you peace we bring הֵבֵאנוּ שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם

Practice with Vowel Identification אֶ֫רֶץ אִישׁ אִשָּׁה דָּבָר הָלַךְ יְהוָה יוֺם יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא מֶ֫לֶךְ בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָֽרֶץ וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְה֑וֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּֽיִם׃

Open and Closed Syllables 1) Open syllable (begins with a consonant and finishes with a vowel, [CV =consonant vowel pattern] שָׁ in שָׁלוֹם ) 2) Closed syllable (begins and ends with a consonant [CVC=consonant vowel consonant pattern] לוֹם in שָׁלוֹם ). Tonic syllable is the syllable that is accented

Distinguish Qāmeṣ (a-class) and Qāmeṣ Ḥatûf (o-class) Qāmeṣ is an a-class long vowel (שָׁלוֹם —šālôm) In contrast to Qāmeṣ Ḥatûf which is an o-class short vowel (חָכְמָה --ḥokmāh). The general rule is if it is in a closed unaccented syllable it is a Qāmeṣ Ḥatûf (short o-class). Meteg (מֶ֫תֶג ) which is a little vertical line to the left of the Qāmeṣ E.g. בָּֽתִּים [bā] where the בָּֽ meteg indicates a Qāmeṣ is present not a Qāmeṣ Ḥatûf [bo]).

Dagesh Lene and Dagesh Forte A dagesh lene occurs in the begad kefat (בגדכפת  בּגּדּכּפּתּ) letters A dagesh forte is used in letters as a doubling dot for letters other than the begad kefat letters. If, however, the begad kefat letter is preceded by a vowel then the dagesh in the begad kefat letter is a dagesh forte or doubling dagesh E.g.דִּבֵּר בֵּ follows a ḥîreq vowel (in דִּ ) so the dagesh in בֵּ is a dagesh fore; transliterated dib|bēr).

Two Marks Mappîq (literally “causing to go out”) So תָּמַהּ is transliterated with an “ah” (tāmah) whereas without the mappiq it is “â” as in חָכְמָה (ḥokmâ). Maqqēf (literally “binder” )as in מִן־מֶלֶךְ meaning “from a king”).

Silent and Vocal Ševā’ Silent ševā’s (not pronounced or transliterated) and Vocal ševā’s (pronounced like the “e” in “met,” transliterated “e”). Rule: If the consonant to the right has a short vowel the ševā’ is silent (acts as a closed syllable [CVC] closer). If the vowel is long the ševā’ is vocal. If, for example in לַיְלָה (night), the initial pataḥ is short so the syllable is divided to the left of the silent ševā’ לַיְלָהלַיְ׀לָה

Silent and Vocal Ševā’ If there are two ševā’s in a row inside a word the first is always silent and the second always vocal ( יִשְׁמְרוּ  יִשְׁ׀מְ׀רוּ they guarded or kept). If there is a ševā’ at the end of a word it is always silent שְׁמַרְתְּ While gutturals ( א ה ח ע ר) cannot take simple ševā’s, they do take composite ševā’s ( אֲ אֱ אֳ ) and seem to prefer pataḥ as their vowel of choice.

Defective Writing of Vowels The vowel letters (י ה ו ) are accompanied by a vowel as seen in the vowel chart (וֹ וּ ִי ֵי ) but rather frequently the vowel letter is dropped. This is called defective writing. לִי (full)  לִ (defective) לוֹ (full)  לֹ (defective) לוּ (full)  לֻ (defective)

Gutturals and Furtive (stealthy Pataḥ) A pataḥ furtive is a hurried non-full pataḥ vowel may be placed on the guttural ע or ח that end a word. While the pataḥ furtive comes under the guttural it is transliterated before the consonant and superscripted like a Ḥatēf-pataḥ רוּחַ (transliterated rûaḥ, = wind, spirit)

Quiescent letters: א and ה Both of these when they start a syllable are taken as consonants. However, when א has no vowel it becomes quiescent (silent) and is not considered a consonant. When ה ends a word having no vowel after it, it becomes quiescent. הָאָרֶץ הָ׀אָ׀רֶץ – note the consonantal ה and א לַיְלָה  לַיְ׀לָה – note the final quiescentה בְּרֵאשִׁית  בְּ׀רֵא׀שִׁית – note the א quiescent

2.N. Speak and write Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם בּוֹקֶר טוֹב Hello, good morning good morning Hello שָׁלוֹם עֶרֶב טוֹב Hello, good evening good evening Hello שָׁלוֹם לַיְלָה טוֹב Hello, good night good night Hello מַזָל טוֹב Good luck ּ= congratulations! good fortune

אֶ֫רֶץ land, earth, ground 2,504 אִישׁ man, human 2,185 Chapter 2 Vocabulary אֶ֫רֶץ land, earth, ground 2,504 אִישׁ man, human 2,185 אִשָּׁה woman, wife 781 דָּבָר word, matter, thing 1,442 הָלַךְ to go, walk 1,547

יְהוָה Yahweh, Jehovah, LORD 6,828 יוֺם day, daylight, time 2,300 Chapter 2 Vocabulary יְהוָה Yahweh, Jehovah, LORD 6,828 יוֺם day, daylight, time 2,300 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel 2,506 לֹא no, not 5,185 מֶ֫לֶךְ king, ruler, prince 2,528