6. Lookalikes and Other Symbols Flashcards
What is the name of the symbol circled below?
Maqaf
(pronounced ma-kaf)
A maqaf functions similarly to a hyphen in English. When two words are connected by a maqaf, they are simply chanted as if they are a single word.
One of the tropes below is a pashta and the other is a kadma. Can you tell which is which?
Kadma is on the right
Pashta is on the left
Pashta is always located over the trailing edge of the word., whereas kadma is located over the first letter of the accented syllable.
(Though Pashta appears slightly bolder in the image below, in most sources, it appears identical to Kadma, and can only be recognized by its position over the word.)
One of these tropes is an Azla and the other is Gereish. Can you tell which is which?
Gereish is on the right.
Azla is on the left.
Azla is always located above the first letter of the final syllable of the word, whereas Gereish is located over the first letter of the penultimate (i.e. next to last) syllable.
(Though the Gereish is slightly bolder as seen below, in most sources, they will appear identical, and can only be identified by their location over the word.)
One of these tropes is Mapach and the other is Yetiv.
Can you tell which is which?
Yetiv is on the right.
Mapach is on the left.
Though these tropes usually look identical, and mapach is by far the more common of these tropes, yetiv will always be placed slightly in front of the word, whereas mapach is found below the first letter of the accented syllable.
(If there’s a vowel underneath the letter, mapach will be located just to the left of the vowel. Yetiv would appear to the right of the vowel.)
One of the vertical lines beneath the word pictured below is part of a trope and one is not.
Which is which, and what are they called?
A Meteg is on the right.
A Siluk is on the left.
A meteg is not a trope and has no sound, but designates a secondary stressed syllable. It’s there to ensure that you don’t swallow the syllable as you chant the word.
A siluk designates the accented syllable for the sof pasuk trope that immediately follows the word on the left.
Name the symbol circled below and state its function.
P’sik
It represents a slight pause and has no sound.
One of the symbols below is P’sik and one is Munach Legarmei.
Which is which?
Munach Legarmei is on the left.
P’sik is on the right.
Munach Legarmei consists of two pieces: a munach below the word and a vertical line immediately following it. It only appears as part of a R’vi’i sequence.
P’sik on the other hand, can appear after any trope. Though it has no sound, it means that a slight pause should be inserted after a word that would not normally be separated from the word which follows.
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Name the trope below and describe it’s function.
Pashta
Though it appears there are two tropes above the word below (kadma and pashta), in reality there is only one: pashta. Though pashta MUST appear over the trailing edge of the word (shown below in grey), often the accented syllable is not at the end of the word. In such a case, you will often see a second trope (shown here in black) to let you know the location of the accented syllable.
