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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] dagesh forte and dagesh lene

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  • From: Vadim Cherny <vadimcherny AT gmail.com>
  • To: if AT math.bu.edu
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] dagesh forte and dagesh lene
  • Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 05:10:42 +0300

The problem with two dageshes is why would the Masoretes mark two different phenomena with one sign?

I suggest reading both dageshes as a pause (vocal stop).

Dagesh kal resyllabifies words to break consonantal clusters to provide for clear chanting (ni-zchar - ni-'char, but niz-char).

Dagesh hazak protects posttonic vowel by causing gemination.

This explains three odd cases.

Word-initial dagesh breaks consonantal clusters: natan vakar would be chanted as nata-nvakar - nata-'vakar. Dagesh breaks this concatenation.

Dagesh after ha- and wa- is actually a posttonic dagesh after a secondary stress which falls on ha- and wa-.

No dagesh in dvarcha because the Masoretes were primarily concerned with chanting, and d'va-'r'cha is perfectly chantable.

Vadim Cherny




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