Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Pere Casanellas <pere.casanellas AT retemail.es>]

Dear list members,

According to Rudolf Meyer, Hebräische Grammatik, par. 14.3, 56.3 and 82.2i,
the central dot on the yod of the words "malkhuyot" (plural of "malkhut")
and "bokhiyah" (part. plur. fem.; see Lam 1:16) is not a dagesh but a
mappiq, which indicates that the yod is consonantic and not a "mater
lectionis", and so there is not a gemination in these words (not:
"malkhuyyot" and "bokhiyyah", but "malkhuyot" and "bokhiyah"). But I have
not found this on other grammars of Hebrew; on the contrary, I have
sometimes read transcriptions as "Eduyyot" (pl. or "edut"), with geminated
yod, etc.

Is right Meyer in his statement? If he is, in which cases is the dot on the
yod a mappiq and not a dagesh? Where can I find more information on this
point? In the modern oriental dialect of Hebrew (where gemination is
alive), are words such as "malkhuyot" and "bokhiyah" pronounced without
gemination?

Thank you in advance for your help.

_______________________________________

Pere Casanellas
E-mail: pere.casanellas AT retemail.es
         pcasanel AT pie.xtec.es
Phone (& fax): +34-934 179 000
Carrer Anna Piferrer, 11
E-08023 Barcelona
CATALONIA-SPAIN