Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Charles David Isbell" <cisbell AT home.com>]

He is correct.  Apparently the same sign [a dot within the letter] was
chosen to designate both the DAGHESH and the consonantal character of
certain letters because both signal a strong or hard sound.  The MAPPIQ can
in fact signal  the consonantal [as opposed to the vocalic function]
character of Alef (if memory serves, the Massoretes cite four? instances of
this), Yod, or even Vav as well as of final He.

Forms like the two you cite [malkhuyot and bokhiyah] are given mappiq for
different reasons.  In the denominative abstract malkhut, a consonantal yod
is necessary before the suffix that begins with a vowel [sound]; this is
actually a regular pattern in MT orthography.  I think this form is only
found in Dn 8:22.

Bokhiya on the other hand derives from the verbal root B-Kh-Y; the
consonantal Yod in bokhiya is an original letter reappearing.  That is what
is marked by the Mappiq, I believe.  The spelling bokhiyah is here a fem
singular (sic!) participle formed on the analogy of a masculine form bokhiy.
Similar words, all with pointed Yod which is probably mappiq instead of
daghesh hazzaq, include HoMiYah; GoLiYah; TsoFiYah, and perhaps even
PoRiYah.
Charles David Isbell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pere Casanellas" <pere.casanellas AT retemail.es>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2000 10:06 AM
Subject: Malkhuyot and bokhiya


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

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