B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Two facts:
1. Today we read the patax and the qamatz both as A, with no injury to the language.
2. A dagesh follows a patax but not a qamatz

Is the qamatz is a compromise marking for an ancient schwa (vertical stroke) that is now being read as a patax (horizontal stroke)?

For instance we have גָּמָל GAMAL, with a repeating qamatz, having for plural גְּמַלִּים, which is with an initial schwa and a patax under the M, followed by a dagesh in the L, attesting to the antiquity of the reading. But we have also כְּפָר KPAR starting with a schwa, and סְבַךְ SBAK with an internal patax.

A name may come with an internal PP היא, 'he', curtailed to a mere I, for instance אָפִיק APYIK, with a qametz followed by a dageshless P. Also דְּבִיר DBIYR that starts with a schwa followed by a dageshless B. Also starting with a patax followed by a dagesh, say, כַּבִּיר KABIYR.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Hebrew is known to be undaunted by a double schwa, for instance יִשְׂרָאֵל -- יִשְׂרְאֵלִי as in Lev. 24:10. Also יִשְׁמָעֵאל -- יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים as in Gen. 37:25.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Of course, in verbs too, as the תִּרְמְסוּ TIRMSU of Ez. 34:18
יֶתֶר מִרְעֵיכֶם תִּרְמְסוּ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶם
or the וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ U-Be-$AKBKA of Dt. 6:7
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ
or the וַיִּלְמְדוּ WA-YI-LMD-U of Ps. 106:35
וַיִּתְעָרְבוּ בַגּוֹיִם וַיִּלְמְדוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם
This last one is וַיִּלְמְדוּ = בא-היא-למד-הוּא with the PP הוּא referring to the interminglers and imitators.

In my readings I categorically deny the schwa נע NA --- the schwa "mobile."

Isaac Fried, Boston University

The ending KA of וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ = וּ-ב-שכב-כה is apparently the outmoded variant אכה AKAH of אתה ATAH, 'you', survived only in conjugated forms.
It also similarly existed, possibly, as אכי AKIY, an extinct variant of אני ANIY, 'I', left in the compounded, graver, more ponderous, form אנוֹכי ֹ= אנוֹ-אכי ANO-KIY.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

We recall Gen. 8:22 with a cadence of וְ - וָ
עֹד כָּל יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ זֶרַע וְקָצִיר וְקֹר וָחֹם וְקַיִץ וָחֹרֶף וְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבֹּתוּ

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Here, in Deut. 13:5 we encounter three times qamatz for schwa
אַחֲרֵי יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ, וְאֹתוֹ תִירָאוּ; וְאֶת מִצְו‍ֹתָיו תִּשְׁמֹרוּ, וּבְקֹלוֹ תִשְׁמָעוּ, וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹדוּ, וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן
with תִירָאוּ for תִּירְאוּ
with תִשְׁמָעוּ for תִּשְׁמְעוּ
and with תִדְבָּקוּן for תִּדְבְּקוּן

Isaac Fried, Boston University

In 2Ch. 36:21 we read
עַד רָצְתָה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ כָּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה שָׁבָתָה לְמַלֹּאות שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה
I suspect that the last qamatz of שָׁבָתָה is for שָׁבָתְהָ as in שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ.
Both B and T of שָׁבָתָה are dageshless as expected, following a qametz, but whence is the dagesh in the letter shin of הָשַּׁמָּה? The dagesh in the letter M is as expected, following a patax.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

We recall the תִּפְאָרָה of Isaiah 28:5, that is with a qamatz-qamatz
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יהוה צְבָאוֹת לַעֲטֶרֶת צְבִי וְלִצְפִירַת תִּפְאָרָה לִשְׁאָר עַמּוֹ
and the תִּפְאֶרֶת of Isaiah 4:2, what is with a segol-qamatz
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה צֶמַח יהוה לִצְבִי וּלְכָבוֹד וּפְרִי הָאָרֶץ לְגָאוֹן וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת לִפְלֵיטַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Sorry, not segol-qamatz, but segol-segol.

Isaac Fried, Boston University