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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Any meaning to the Dagesh?

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  • From: Vadim Cherny <him AT vadimcherny.org>
  • To: Brak <Brak AT neo.rr.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Any meaning to the Dagesh?
  • Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:50:41 +0200

The answer is, no. Words are fixed by letters rather than dagesh.
Dagesh is a byproduct of word structure rather than a cause of its semantics.
IMO, dagesh is a purely phonetic device:

- dagesh hazak prevents post-tonic vowel reduction (hitlAb'sh - hitlA.bbesh)
- dagesh kal prevents jamming of consonants in clusters by artificial syllabification (nizchar - ni'char, but niz.char or later nizcar).

Basically, dagesh is a stop. More here http://vadimcherny.org/hebrew/dagesh_stop.htm

Vadim Cherny


Brak wrote:
I was wondering, does the presence/absence of the dagesh alone change the meaning of the word in any way?
Now I understand that sometimes when words changed form that a dagesh may be added/removed - but as far as I know it is always accompanied with vowel changes as well.
So I am wondering if there is ever a case where you have the exact same letters and vowels, but different Dagesh configuration which will have different meanings?

To give an example of what I mean:
B.:R")$IYT
B:R")$IYT
Different Dagesh configuration - same meaning.

At anytime will the result ever be a change of form/voice/meaning/translation/etc?
Or will it the only difference being made is how the word is pronounced?

So basically, for the purpose of translation, are the Dagesh useless?
Could I remove all the Dagesh from the Bible and have it cause no effect whatsoever on how it is translated?

I apologize in for the redundancy of my questioning, but I just want to make sure my question is clear.

Thanks in advance.






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