Biblical Hebrew Forum

["M. Jean Balcaen" <jbalcaen AT chass.utoronto.ca>]

Hi,
Hello! from sunny Toronto.  I am a graduate student in the dept. of 
Linguistics at the University of Toronto.  As my thesis topic, I have 
chosen to work on the question of the realationship between peosody, 
syntax, and phonology (whew!).  Actually, I'm starting with monosyllables 
in construct and/or prosodically bound (maqqef) to a following word.  A 
very odd pattern has emerged - in lexical monsyllables from geminate roots, 
[e] and [o] types regularly undergo compensatory lengthening of the vowel 
due to degemination of the final radical, subject to a whole variety of 
morphological and prosodic conditions.  However, [a] type monosyllables 
steadfastly follow the syntax - the vowel is short in constructs, long 
otherwise, regardless of the prosody.  Has anyone else run into this, or 
perhaps know of some source where it is discussed?  Many thnaks,
JB