Unit 2 Flashcards
Syllables, Tone, Vowel Preferences, Special Letters and Rules
What is an open syllable?
Syllables consisting of a consonant + vowel/diphthong
What is a closed syllable?
Syllables consisting of a consonant + vowel/diphthong + consonant
How are syllables divided?
- Must begin with a consonant 2. Must have one vowel/diphthong 3. May end with a consonant or vowel
What are tonic syllables?
Syllables that are stressed or emphasized when you pronounce the word
Which syllable typically carries the tone in Biblical Hebrew?
Final
What is the syllable before the tonic called?
Pretonic
What is the syllable before the pretonic called?
Propretonic
What kinds of syllables do tone-long vowels prefer?
Open or closed tonic syllables; open pretonic syllables
What kinds of syllables do short vowels prefer?
Unstressed closed syllables; open tonic syllables
What kind of syllables do reduced vowels and vocal shewas prefer?
Open propretonic syllables
What is the purpose of a silent shewa?
To signal the absence of a vowel
Where does silent shewa appear?
At the end of a closed syllable; pointing a consonant directly preceded by a short vowel
What is the purpose of a vocal shewa?
To express a vowel sound
Where does the vocal shewa appear?
In open syllables; at the beginning of a word; after a long vowel; after a silent shewa; pointing a strong dagesh
Where can a weak dagesh appear?
In the begadkefat letters
Where can a strong dagesh appear?
In any letter exclusing the glottals (alef, he, chet, ayin, resh)
When do begadkefat letter take the weak dagesh?
At the beginning of a word or directly following a silent shewa
When don’t begadkefat letters take a weak dagesh?
Directly following a vowel
What is the function of a strong dagesh?
To indicate that the consonant is doubled
When is a dagesh in a begadkefat letter strong?
If it follows a vowel
What contexts can you find the qamatz hatuf?
Closed unstressed syllables or immediately preceding hatef qamatz
What consonants are considered gutteral?
Alef, he, chet, ayin, and sometimes resh
What are the three characteristics of gutteral consonants?
- They cannot be doubled with a strong dagesh 2. They cannot be pointed with a vocal shewa 3. They prefer to be pointed with a-class or reduced vowels
What is the quiescent
א?
When alef appears at the end of a syllable and becomes silent
Is a quiescent א a vowel or a consonant for syllabalic purposes?
Vowel
מִשְׁתֶּה
Banquet, feast
שֻׁלְחָן
Table
מְאֹד
Very
מֶלֶךְ
King
מַלְכָּה
Queen
רָשְׁע
Wicked man, criminal
מִשְׁפָחָה
Family
אִשָּׁה
Woman, wife
בֵּן
Son
גָּמָל
Camel
בְּתוֹךְ
Inside of, in the midst of
יוֹם
Day
אַיֵּה
Where
