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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Here are some remarks on metheg by my two favorite Hebrew grammarians. It's hard for me to transcribe voweled Hebrew script in e-mail, so I've just marked all the vowels with metheg in <span style='color:red'>RED</span>. I hope you can follow the arguments below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Joan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Lambdin, T.O. <i>Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. </i>New York : Scribers, c1971, pages xxvii-xxviii<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:2.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Metheg<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>The metheg is a short perpendicular stroke placed under a consonant and to the left of the vowel sign (if any). It serves several purposes in the orthography, of which the following are the most important:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:4.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>1) Since the vowels <b>ā</b> and </span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ē</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'> are regularly replaced by </span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ə</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'> in open syllables two or more places before the main stress, their appearance in such positions may be regarded as anomalous. They are usually marked with metheg:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";color:red'>ā</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>noki I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>b</span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";color:red'>ē</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>rakhtani you blessed me<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:4.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>2) In fact, any long vowel occurring two or more syllables before the main stress may be so marked, although manuscripts are inconsistent in this. Compare<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>h</span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ō</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>shaʻ save!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>h</span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";color:red'>ō</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>shiʻeni save me!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>This usage is particularly important with the vowel qamets, which is a short vowel <b>o</b> in closed, unaccented syllables and a long vowel <b>ā</b> elsewhere. This metheg is used with qamets = <b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b> in any doubtful position to ensure the correct reading:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>yev<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b>rekheni he will bless me (not yevorkheni)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:4.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>3) Short vowels before the main stress usually occur in closed syllables. Whenever the contrary occurs, the vowel may be marked with metheg:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>t<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b>ʻ</span><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ă</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>mod she will stand<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";color:red'>o</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>h</span><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ŏ</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>lo his tent<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>This last example, with qamets = <b>o</b>, would seem to cancel out th eusefulness of metheg for distinguishing between the two values of qamets mentioned above. Actually, this is not often so, since qamets = <b>ā</b> is very rarely followed by qamets = <b>o</b> in the next syllable, but rather by </span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ă</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>: e.g. b<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b>ḥ</span><b><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ă</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ru (they chose).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar</span></i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'> as edited and enlarged by the late E. Kautzsch. 2<sup>nd</sup> English edition revised by A.E. Cowley. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1966, pages 50-51.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:2.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>In all these cases the Jewish grammarians regard the Metheg accompanying the </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Qame</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ṣ as indicating a Qameṣ raḥabh (broad Qameṣ) and therefore read the </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Qame</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ṣ as <b>ā</b> ; thus p<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b>-ʻ</span><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ŏ</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>lo, d<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span>-</b>reban, p<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b>-ʻ</span><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ŏ</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>l</span><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>ə</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>kha, q<b><span style='color:red'>ā</span></b>-dāshim. But neither the origin of these forms, nor the analogous formations in Hebrew and in the cognate languages, nor the transcription of proper names in the LXX [e.g. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=ZH-CN style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>Νοομι</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"'>], allows us to regard this view as correct.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> heb-naco-bounces+jbie=loc.gov@lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:heb-naco-bounces+jbie=loc.gov@lists.service.ohio-state.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Heidi G Lerner<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 04, 2013 11:37 AM<br><b>To:</b> Hebrew Name Authority Funnel<br><b>Subject:</b> [Heb-NACO] pronunciaton of kamats with meteg<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>I am reading Sefer Rut on Shavuot and I have a question on the pronunciation of <br></span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>נעמי</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> when the 1st kamats under the "</span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>נ</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span>" has a meteg next to it. Normally </span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>נעמי</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> is pronounced "Noʻomi".<br>However, in Sefer Rut it is very often written with the meteg. Wouldn't that mean that it should be pronounced "Naʻomi"?<br>To the best of my limited knowledge the meteg can appear with a long vowel in an unaccented syllable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>"Meteg is also sometimes used in Biblical Hebrew to mark a <a href="/wiki/Vowel_length" title="Vowel length">long vowel</a>. While short and long vowels are largely allophonic, they are not always predictable from spelling, e.g. </span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>ויראו</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> 'and they saw' vs. </span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>ויראו</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> 'and they feared'. Meteg's indication of length also indirectly indicates that a following <a href="/wiki/Shva" title=Shva>shva</a> is vocal, as in the previous case. Note that this may distinguish qamatz gadol and qatan, e.g. </span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>שמרה</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> 'she guarded' vs. </span><span lang=HE dir=RTL style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>שמרה</span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> 'guard (volitive)'."--Wikipedia.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Any confirmation of the correct pronunciation will be appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Thanks, Heidi<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br><br><br><br><br>-- <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Heidi G. Lerner<br>Hebraica/Judaica Cataloger<br>Metadata Development Unit<br>Stanford University Libraries<br>Stanford, CA 94305-6004<br>e-mail: <a href="mailto:lerner@stanford.edu">lerner@stanford.edu</a><br>ph: 650-725-9953<br>fax: 650-725-1120<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></html>