John C. Beckman

א1 . Hebrew Alefbet

Reading Biblical HebrewChapter 1: Consonants

2016-08-10

Goal: Prepare to Memorize Hebrew Alefbet

Be able to:• Recite the alefbet in order• Name a consonant given its shape• Pick out the shape of a consonant given its name

Issues:• Consonants only• Sin issues with the order• Variations in names• Variations in shapes• Final forms• Shapes that look similar

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Hebrew Alefbet is Consonants Only

English Alphabet = Consonants + Vowels• Consonants BCDFGHJKLMNPQRSTVWXYZ• Vowels AEIOU

Hebrew Alefbet = Consonants Only• פצקרששתעבגדהוזחטיכלמנסא are all consonants• Vowels (e.g., segol ) are not part of alefbet• Technically, Hebrew has an ‘abjad’ rather than an alphabet.

Hebrew Bible was initially written without vowels• Vowels and accents were added AD 500–1000• E.g., ךמל . became ל ךמ

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Why Is the Hebrew Alphabet Consonants-Only?

Hebrew is a Semitic languageThe alphabet is a Semitic invention• All alphabets are derived from the original Semitic alphabet• Hebrew uses a version of the original Semitic alphabet

Semitic words always begin with a consonant soundThe alphabet was invented with an acrophonic principle• Letters were named after words that start with that sound• E.g., apple, boat, cat, dog, …• The alphabet began: ox, house, throw-stick, door, …

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Hebrew Name of a Consonant Starts with that Consonant

E.g., א . is named ףלא ( ףל א )

E.g., ב is named בית ית) (ב

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English Names of Consonants Follow the Hebrew Names

English names of consonants follow the Hebrew names.• E.g., Write the name ףל א using English letters = alef

Conversion of the names to English letters varies:• E.g., The name of א . ( ףל א ) is written several ways in English

• alef• aleph• ’álef• ’ālĕph

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2 Styles of Letter Shapes

Fancy style with serifsפ צ ק ר ש ש תעב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס א

Simplified style without serifs

תפ צ ק ר ש ש עח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ז ב ג ד ה ו א

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Read bothWrite this way

Note: Hebrew Cursive

Fancy serif styleפ צ ק ר ש ש תעב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס א

Simplified sans-serif style

תפ צ ק ר ש ש עח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ז ב ג ד ה ו א

Modern Hebrew Cursive

ש ש תפ צ ק ר עב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס א

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Historical Note: Paleo-Hebrew Script

Hebrew letter shapes were originally an Aramaic scriptפ צ ק ר ש ש תעב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס א

Paleo-Hebrew scripttf v r q c p [ s n m l k y j x z w h d g b a

• Earliest Hebrew inscriptions (~1000 BC) use it.• All Hebrew inscriptions through the Babylonian exile use it.

• Some changes over time, of course.• Gradually replaced by Aramaic script used as lingua franca.• Some Dead Sea Scrolls use paleo, others use Aramaic script.• Use faded when Bar Kokhba revolt was crushed (~AD 135).• Samaritans use a version of it today.

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Hebrew Alefbet

Alef ףל א

אאאא

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Bet ית ב

בבבב

12

Gimel ל ימ ג

גגגג

13

Dalet לת ד

דדדד

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He א ה

הההה

15

Vav ו ו

וווו

16

Zayin ן י ז

זזזז

17

Ḥet ית ח

חחחח

18

Tet ית ט

טטטט

19

Yod יוד

יי יי

20

Kaf ף כ

ככככ

21

Lamed מד ל

לללל

22

ממממ

Mem ם מ23

ננננ

Nun ןנו24

Samekh מך ס

סססס

25

Ayin ן י ע

עעעע

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פפפפ

Pe א פ27

צצצצ

Tsadi י ד צ 28

Qof קוף

קקקק

29

Resh יש ר

רררר

30

Sin ין ש

שששש

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Shin ין ש

שששש

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Tav ו ת

תתתת

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Sin (& Shin) Issues

Unvocalized Hebrew treats ש and ש as the same letter• Written the same ש until vowels were added (AD 500–1000)• Biblical acrostic poems (e.g., Psalm 119) treat as one letter

• 22 consonants in the Hebrew alefbet• Modern Hebrew dictionaries treat as the same letter

Biblical Hebrew lexicons treat ש and ש as separate consonants• 23 consonants in the Hebrew alefbet

Order of ש and ש varies• Biblical Hebrew materials typically sin-shin• Modern Hebrew materials typically shin-sin (if distinguish)

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Memorize Which Consonants Are Gutturals

Guttural consonants (‘gutturals’)• עה ח א

Differ from other consonants in some ways• Take ḥataf vowels instead of vocal shva• Reject dagesh• Tend to change nearby vowels to pataḥ

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Final Forms

5 Consonants Have Final Forms

Some consonants are written differently at the end of a word• E.g., * כחש is written ךחש• E.g., * צרא is written ץרא

Called ‘final forms’ or ‘sofit forms’• ית ’means ‘finalסופ

5 consonants have final forms• מ נ פ צכ • Mnemonic ‘common fats’

Kaf ף כ

ככככ 38

Final Kaf ית ף סופ כ

ךךךך

Mem םמ

ממממ 39

Final Mem יתםמ סופ

םםםם

Nun ןנו

ננננ 40

Final Nun יתןנו סופ

ןןןן

Pe אפ

פפפפ 41

Final Pe יתאפ סופ

ףףףף

Tsadi י ד צ

צצצצ 42

Final Tsadi י ד יתצ סופ

ץץץץ

The Shape of Final Forms

Final mem is a square• מ ם מ ם E.g., * מיו םיו

All other final forms ‘straighten out’ the bottom horizontal line, making it a vertical line that extends below the ‘base line’

• כ ך כ ך E.g., * כחש ךחש

• נ ן נ ן E.g., * נבי ןבי

• פ ף פ ף E.g., * פוע ףוע

• צ ץ צ E.g., * צרא ץרא

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Letters with Similar Shapes

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Nun Has a Foot, Vav Does Not

Nun נ נ נ נ

Vav ו ו ו ו

Same size. Similar shape.• Top line is optional for both

Difference is foot• Nun always has a foot• Vav never has a foot

ונ ונ

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Tav Has a Foot, Ḥet Does Not

Tav ת ת ת ת

Ḥet ח ח ח ח

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is foot• Tav always has a foot• Ḥet never has a foot

חת חת

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Yod is half-height, Vav is full-height, Final Nun Extends Below

Yod י י י י

Vav ו ו ו ו

Final Nun ן ן ן ן

Similar shape• Top line is optional for all

Difference is height• Yod is half height• Vav is full height• Final nun extends below the baseline

ןו י ןו י

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Final Kaf Has a Longer Top Line than Final Nun

Final Kaf ך ך ך ך

Final Nun ן ן ן ן

Same size. Shape can be similar• Both extend below the baseline

Difference is top line• Final kaf always has top line• Final nun top line is optional• Final kaf top line is longer

ןך ןך

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Zayin Has a Top-Right Bump That Vav Lacks

Zayin ז ז ז ז

Vav ו ו ו ו

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is top line• Zayin always has top line that extends to the right• Optional top line on vav goes only to the left

וז וז

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Dalet Has a Top-Right Bump That Resh Lacks

Dalet ד ד ד ד

Resh ר ר ר ר

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is top right bump• Dalet has bump in the top right• Resh has a smooth curve in the top right

רד רד

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Bet Has a Bottom-Right Bump That Kaf Lacks

Bet ב ב ב ב

Kaf כ כ כ כ

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is bottom right bump• Bet has bump in the lower right• Kaf has a smooth curve on the right

כב כב

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Tsadi Has a Bottom-Right Bump That Ayin Lacks

Tsadi צ צ צ צ

Ayin ע ע ע ע

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is lower right bump• Tsadi has bump in the lower right• Ayin has a smooth curve on the lower right

עצ עצ

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Gimel Has a ‘High Heel’ That Nun Lacks

Gimel ג ג ג ג

Nun נ נ נ נ

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is top right bump• Gimel has ‘high heel’ in the lower right• Nun has a flat or round bottom

נג נג

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He Has a Gap That Ḥet Lacks

He ה ה ה ה

Ḥet ח ח ח ח

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is foot• He always has a gap in the upper left corner• Ḥet never has a gap

חה חה

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Final Mem Has a Square Bottom. Samekh Has a Round Bottom

Final Mem ם ם ם ם

Samekh ס ס ס ס

Same size. Similar shape.

Difference is foot• Final Mem always has a square bottom• Samekh always has a round bottom

סם סם

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