Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] A question on the segollate words

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "VC" <vadim_lv AT center-tv.net>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] A question on the segollate words
  • Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:39:37 +0300



Dear Listmembers,



Recently, a student inquired me of the origin of segollate words (kelev). I
have never particularly dwelled on the problem, and a quick search both in
the library and Internet did not produce much suggestions.



I was able, however, to offer a hypothesis, which I describe below. It seems
rather obvious and was probably advanced by someone else before. So, I would
appreciate any references or informed criticism of it.



1.. calAv (kamatz-kamatz)
2.. cAlav (kamatz-kamatz, stress on the first syllable). Accent' shift to
the first open light syllable seems common to vulgar dialects; cf. cEE.gar,
ShEE.cago, DEE.troit, also in Russian pal'.tO - pOl'.to, and in Ashkenazic
SabbAth - ShO'.bos
3.. cAi.lav (kamatz-iud-kamatz). Introduction of iud to close the open
stressed syllable is prominent in Ashkenazic.
4.. cE.lav (tzere-kamatz). The ai sound transformed into the diphthong ae,
approximated by tzere. Unlike the pure tzere, ae has more of kamatz sound.
5.. cElv. Unstressed kamatz after heavily stressed tzere turned into the
movable shva.


The form cElv led to three developments.



1.. cElev (segol-segol) from cElv (tzere-shva). The phenomenon of
tzere-shva dissolving into segol-segol can be observed in cotevt - cotevet,
mahbert - mahberet.
2.. cEl.bu. The tendency of tzere in open syllable to appropriate the
next consonant to close the syllable is of the same nature as the tendency of
introducing iud to close the open syllable with tzere, talmideinu. Shortening
of tzere into patah or hirek, cAl.bu or sIf.ru, is due to the word elongation
by unstressed suffix, like in itlabesh - itlabashti.
3.. cel.bI (pronoun suffix is stressed) from cEl.bu. Since tzere in
cel.bI is actually ae, it dissolved when losing stress into either patah or
hirek, thus sif.rI and cal.bI.


In plural with ending ei (tzere-iud), vulgar stress cannot fall on the first
syllable, since tzere is generally stressed. Therefore, syllables are not
transformed, and dagesh does not appear.



The necessary stressing of tzere explains another curiosity, the unstressed
pronoun suffixes in verbs (dva.rhA, but catAv.ti). The original form of the
past tense verbs, catEv (kamatz-tzere), transformed into catEv.ti, and
shortened by unstressed suffix into catAv.ti. Rearrangement of the syllables
explains the dagesh in the verb suffixes, while not in the noun suffixes.





Thank you in advance for your comments,



Sincerely,



Vadim Cherny




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page