The first syllable is not a closed syllable. Ask any competent Torah-reader.
The proper pronunciation is a-me-ru, sha-le-xu. Were it a closed syllable,
the qamats would be a qamats qatan, and the pronunciation would be om-ru,
shol-xu etc.
Now, why the Mesoretes used identical signs for a long a and for a short o
is another question.
Yigal Levin
From: Pere Porta [mailto:pporta7 AT gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:36 AM
To: Yigal Levin
Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Why not patah?
Dear list,
We all know that the vowel of the first syllable in the Qal Perfect, third
person plural, of regular verbs (shelemim) is qamats.
And so,
--)FM:RW, they said (Ps 64:6)
--$FLXW, they sent (Jr 14:3)
and so on.
My question is: why a qamats and not a patah?
Reasons like "tradition", "custom"... are not welcome.
I'm trying to know and understand why a qamats and not a patah, mainly if we
consider that this first syllable is a closed syllable.
Would there be any trouble if patah was used here in the place of qamats?