Gesenius' Hebrew grammar: 17th ed., with numerous corrections and additions, by dr. E. Rödiger. Tr. by T. J. Conant ... With grammatical exercises and a chrestomathy, by the translator.

74

PART I. ELEMENTS.

Long vowels (by the influence of the tone). Corresponding short vowels
-- ~ -a
- - /, g
- e _ d
-, (Qamets chatuph)
To these add the half-vowels
or Shevas -, -, -,,
as the utmost shortenings.
Let the student compare here again what was said in ~ 9 on the character and value of the several vowels, and in ~ 25 on the unchangeable
vowels.
According to the principles laid down in ~ 26 the following
changes occur:1. A tone-long vowel is changed into a kindred short one,
when a closed syllable loses the tone (~ 26, 5). Thus when the
tone is moved forwards, ' hand becomes ", as ST"r handof-Jehovah; 11 son, D$'sil son-of man; '. whole, Ota ' the
whole-of-the-people; also when the tone is moved backwards,
e. g. 1p?, 0]_; 5?,:7.~_. Farther, when an open syllable
with a long vowel becomes by inflexion a closed one, e. g. 8'6
boo, mbooook; tp sanctuary, ~.' my sanctuary. In
these cases Tsere (e) passes over into ASeghol (e) or Chireq (f),
Cholem (o) into Qamets-chatuph (o). But when a closed syllable
with a long vowel becomes a sharpened one, i. e. ending with a
doubled consonant, Tsere is attenuated into Chireq, and Cholem
into Qibbuts, as R mother, A.. my mother; ph statute, fem.
n1n.
The short vowels i and u are more pure, and.hence pass for shorter
than e and 6.
2. On the contrary, a short vowel is changed into a corresponding long one:a) When a closed syllable, in which it stands, becomes an open
one, i. e. when the word receives an accession, beginning with
a vowel, to which the final consonant of the closed syllable
is attached, as lp, i[p he has killed him; In, Plur..~1,
give ye.
b) When a syllable, which should be sharpened by Daghesh