B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

In this video וְהַנָּחָשׁ is pronounced v'ha-na-chash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxpS-q ... u.be&t=192

Is that correct? I thought the first syllable would be v'han.

The technical division is və|han|nā|ḥāš (four syllables). Older grammars would consider vocal sheva part of the following syllable, so that you would have vəhan|nā|ḥāš (three syllables). The dagesh chazak (dāḡēš ḥāzāq) represents a doubled consonant, so it both closes the one syllable and opens the next. We PRONOUNCE it as if the nun belonged the following syllable, though: ve-ha-na-ḥash.

Thanks, Jason, that makes sense. My current grammar (Kelley) says that only full vowels count for syllables, but I felt that I had read something different somewhere else.

I suppose that speaking at normal speed, the question becomes moot, since there would be no pause at the end of 'ha'.