Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>]

Let's take a word of paal mould in English, and compare

[to] harass
harass [him]!
harass [him]?

In questioning, both vowels elongated compared to neutral tone.
In exclamation, I hear more like, h(e)rass! The second vowel in this example 
is still a, but change to o is likely. Perhaps a-o shift is shortening 
(kamatz-katan) rather than elongation (holam). The point, however, is 
reduction of the first vowel. Try military commands, still clearer.

catav - c'tov!

Vadim Cherny