8: The Noun: Vowel Changes

Question 1

How can syllables be defined in relation to the accent?

Answer 1

1. A “tonic” syllable is accented
2. A “Pretonic” syllable is the one before the accent
3. A “Propretonic” syllable is two syllables before the accent

Question 2

Mention Aucker’s Vocalic Preference and Syllable Type Chart

Answer 2

Question 3

What are the vowels that do not reduce to sheva?

Answer 3

1. Long vowels
2. Vowels in closed syllables

Question 4

What are the vowels that reduce to sheva in nouns?

Answer 4

1. In Nouns
   
   • Qamets (◌ָ) and Tsere (◌ֵ) in open propretonic syllables.
   • Tsere (◌ֵ) in open pretonic syllable, if no reduction occurs in the propretonic syllable.

Question 5

What are the vowels that reduce to sheva in verbs? (SKIP)

Answer 5

1. In Verbs
   
   • Short and Medium vowels in the syllable before a vocalic suffix, that is, one that begins in a vowel.
   • Medium vowels in an open propretonic syllable

Question 6

What are some dynamics of vowel changes in Hebrew?

Answer 6

When a suffix is added to a noun, the preceding syllables may change in character, so it may produce changes in the vowels.

Question 7

What are the two steps to follow when a suffix is added to a noun?

Answer 7

1. Attempt to reduce the vowel in the propretonic syllable to a sheva
   
   • Sometimes it will not reduce because it is a long vowel
   • Sometimes it will not reduce because it is in a closed syllable
   • If the vowel is qamets or tsere it will reduce to sheva
2. Attempt to reduce the vowel in the pretonic syllable
   
   • It will reduce only if it is tsere

Question 8

What is the first the characteristic of segolate nouns?

Answer 8

• The accent is on the next to the last syllable

Question 9

What is the second characteristic of segolate nouns?

Answer 9

• The typical vowels are segol + segol (this is why they’re called segolate) in the singular form

Question 10

What is the third characteristic of segolate nouns?

Answer 10

• The expected segol (either the 1st or 2nd) may be a patach if the next consonant is guttural.

Question 11

What is the fourth characteristic of segolate nouns?

Answer 11

• The plural form of all segolate nouns has the same vowel pattern: sheva under the first consonant and qamets under the second.

Question 12

What is the fifth characteristic of segolate nouns?

Answer 12

• If the first consonant is guttural, the sheva of its plural form will become chatef-patach (◌ֲ)

Question 13

What is the guttural characteristic #2?

Answer 13

Gutturals prefer patachs ( ַ ) under them and preceding them.

Question 14

What is the guttural characteristic #3?

Answer 14

Gutturals rarely have vocal sheva under them, but prefer chatef-patach, or less frequently, chatef-segol or chatef-qamets.

Question 15

What are unpredictable vowel changes?

Answer 15

In some nouns the vowel pattern of the plural is unpredictably different from the singular. It’s better to memorize them.

Question 16

What are some unpredictable vowel changes learned until now?

Answer 16

1. אִישׁ = אֲנָשִׁים
2. בֵּן = בָּנִים
3. בַּיִת = בָּתִּים
4. יוֹם = יָמִים
5. אִשָּׁה = נָשִׁים
6. בַּת = בָּנוֹת
7. עִיר = עָרִים

Question 17

אֶל

Answer 17

to, for the sake of

Question 18

בְּ

Answer 18

in, at, with

Question 19

בְּתוֹךְ

Answer 19

within

Question 20

כְּ

Answer 20

like, as, according to

Question 21

לְ

Answer 21

to, for

Question 22

לִפְנֵי

Answer 22

before

Question 23

מִן

Answer 23

from

Question 24

עַל

Answer 24

on, on account of

Question 25

עִם

Answer 25

with

Question 26

תַּחַת

Answer 26

under, beneath