Niqqud

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This article concerns the vowel points or vowel marks of Hebrew. For those of Arabic, see Harakat.

In Hebrew orthography, Niqqud or Nikkud (Standard Hebrew Template:HbrnunTemplate:HbrhiriqTemplate:HbrqqofTemplate:HbrshuruqTemplate:Hbrdalet, Biblical Hebrew Template:HbrnunְקֻTemplate:HbrddaletTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrtav, Tiberian Hebrew Nəquddôṯ "vowels") is the system of diacritical vowel points (or vowel marks) in the Hebrew alphabet. Several orthographic systems for representing Hebrew vowels were developed in the early middle ages. The most widespread system (and the only one still used to a significant degree today) was created by the Masoretes of Tiberias (see Masoretic Text, Tiberian Hebrew).

Niqqud marks are small compared to the consonants they are positioned adjacent to, and thus can be added, without requiring the retranscription of texts whose writers did not anticipate their eventual addition.

Non-speakers of Hebrew give their greatest attention to vowel points (usually without using the word "niqqud") in the context of controversy over the interpretation of those written with the Tetragrammaton -- written as Template:HbryodְהTemplate:Hbrvavָה in Hebrew. The interpretation affects discussion of the authentic ancient pronunciation of the name whose other conventional English forms are "Jehovah" and "Yahweh".

Contents

The signs of the niqqud

This table uses the consonants Template:Hbrbet, Template:Hbrhet or Template:Hbrshin, where appropriate, to demonstrate where the niqqud is placed in relation to the consonant it is pronounced after. Any other consonants shown are actually part of the vowel. Note that there is some variation among different traditions in exactly how some vowel points are pronounced. The table below shows how most Israelis would pronounce them, but the classic Ashkenazi pronunciation, for example, differs in several respects.

This demonstration is known to work in Internet Explorer and Mozilla browsers in at least some circumstances, but in most other Windows browsers the niqqud do not properly combine with the consonants. This is because, currently, the Windows text display engine does not combine the niqqud automatically. Except as noted, the vowel pointings should appear directly beneath the consonants, although the accompanying "vowel letter" consonants for the mālê (unchangeable long) forms appear after.
Symbol Tiberian Standard
Template:Hbrbetְ Template:Hbrshin.ְTemplate:HbrvavTemplate:Hbrqamazm šəwâ. Transliterated ə (IPA Template:IPA), or not at all (silent). Template:Hbrshin.ְTemplate:HbrvavTemplate:HbrvavTemplate:Hbrqamazm šəva, more commonly shva. Officially transliterated ə (IPA Template:IPA) or not at all (silent), but more commonly transliterated e, or clipped as an apostrophe ' or not written at all. See also schwa.
Template:HbrhetTemplate:Hbrhseggol Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhatafpatahTemplate:HbrtetTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrpes Template:HbrsamekhְTemplate:HbrgimelTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed ḥăṭep̄ səḡôl. Transliterated ĕ (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhatafpatahTemplate:HbrtetַTemplate:Hbrpes Template:HbrsamekhTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:HbrggimelTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed ḥataf seggol, more commonly chataf segol, also reduced seghol. Transliterated e (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrhetTemplate:Hbrhatafpatah Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhatafpatahTemplate:HbrtetTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrpes Template:HbrppeַTemplate:HbrtavַTemplate:Hbrhet ḥăṭep̄ páṯaḥ. Transliterated ă (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhatafpatahTemplate:HbrtetַTemplate:Hbrpes Template:HbrppeַTemplate:HbrtavַTemplate:Hbrhet ḥataf pátaḥ, more commonly chataf pátach, also reduced pathach. Transliterated a (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrhetTemplate:Hbrhqamaz Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhatafpatahTemplate:HbrtetTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrpes קָמTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrzadis ḥăṭep̄ qāmeṣ. Transliterated ŏ (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhatafpatahTemplate:HbrtetַTemplate:Hbrpes קָמָTemplate:Hbrzadis ḥataf qamaẓ, more commonly chataf kamatz, also reduced qamets. Transliterated o (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrhiriq Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhiriqmTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrseggolק ḥîreq. Transliterated i (IPA Template:IPA) or í (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhiriqmTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrhiriqmק ḥiriq, more commonly chirik. Transliterated i (IPA Template:IPA). Usually promoted to ḥiriq male in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation.
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrhiriqm Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhiriqmTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrseggolק מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef ḥîreq mālê. Transliterated î (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrhiriqmTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrhiriqmק מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef ḥiriq male, more commonly chirik malei. also hiriq yod. Transliterated i (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrzere Template:HbrzadiTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrzerem ṣērê. Transliterated ē (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrzadiTemplate:HbrzeremTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrzerem ẓere, more commonly tzeirei. Transliterated e (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrzerem, Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrzereה, Template:HbrbetTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef Template:HbrzadiTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrzerem מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef ṣērê mālê. Transliterated ê (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrzadiTemplate:HbrzeremTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrzerem מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef ẓere male, more commonly tzeirei malei, also tsere yod. Transliterated e (IPA Template:IPA), but more commonly ei (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrseggol Template:HbrsamekhְTemplate:HbrgimelTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed səḡôl. Transliterated e (IPA Template:IPA) or é (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrsamekhTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:HbrggimelTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed seggol, more commonly segol. Transliterated e (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:HbrbetTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbryod, Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrseggolה, Template:HbrbetTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbralef Template:HbrsamekhְTemplate:HbrgimelTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef səḡôl mālê. Transliterated (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrsamekhTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:HbrggimelTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef seggol male, more commonly segol malei, also segol yod. Transliterated e (IPA Template:IPA), but with י it is more commonly ei (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:Hbrbetַ Template:HbrppeַTemplate:HbrtavַTemplate:Hbrhet páṯaḥ. Transliterated a (IPA Template:IPA) or á (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrppeַTemplate:HbrtavַTemplate:Hbrhet pátaḥ, more commonly pátach. Transliterated a (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:Hbrbetַה, Template:HbrbetַTemplate:Hbralef Template:HbrppeַTemplate:HbrtavַTemplate:Hbrhet מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef páṯaḥ mālê. Transliterated (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrppeַTemplate:HbrtavַTemplate:Hbrhet מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef pátaḥ male, more commonly pátach malei. Transliterated a (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:Hbrbetָ קָמTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrzadis Template:HbrggimelָTemplate:HbrdaletTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed qāmeṣ gāḏôl. Transliterated ā (IPA Template:IPA). קָמַTemplate:Hbrzadis Template:HbrggimelָTemplate:HbrdaletTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:Hbrlamed qamaẓ gadol, more commonly kamatz gadol, sometimes simply called qamats. May also be marked with a short vertical line (called metheg) to the left of the qamats, to distinguish it from the qamats qatan. Transliterated a (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:Hbrbetָה, Template:HbrbetָTemplate:Hbralef קָמTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrzadis מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef qāmeṣ mālê. Transliterated â (IPA Template:IPA). קָמַTemplate:Hbrzadis מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef qamaẓ male, more commonly kamatz malei, also qamats he. Transliterated a (IPA Template:IPA).
Template:Hbrbetָ קָמTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrzadis קָTemplate:HbrtetָTemplate:Hbrnuns qāmeṣ qāṭān. Transliterated o (IPA Template:IPA). קָמַTemplate:Hbrzadis קָTemplate:HbrtetָTemplate:Hbrnuns qamaẓ qatan, more commonly kamatz katan, also qamats hatuf (not, however, to be confused with hataf qamats). Transliterated o (IPA Template:IPA). Usually promoted to ḥolam male in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation.
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrholam Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrholamTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrmems ḥōlem. Transliterated ō (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:HbrlamedָTemplate:Hbrmems ḥolam, more commonly cholam. Transliterated o (IPA Template:IPA). Usually promoted to ḥolam male in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation. The holam is written above the consonant on the left corner, or slightly to the left of (i.e., after) it at the top.
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrholamm, Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrholamה, Template:HbrbetTemplate:HbrholamTemplate:Hbralef Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrholamTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrseggolTemplate:Hbrmems מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef ḥōlem mālê. Transliterated ô (IPA Template:IPA). Template:HbrhetTemplate:HbrholammTemplate:HbrlamedַTemplate:Hbrmems מָTemplate:HbrlamedTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbralef ḥolam male, more commonly cholam malei. Transliterated o (IPA Template:IPA). The holam is written in the normal position relative to the main consonant (above and slightly to the left), which places it directly over the waw/vav.
Template:Hbrbetֻ קTemplate:HbrhiriqTemplate:HbrbbetTemplate:HbrshuruqTemplate:Hbrzadis qibbûṣ. Transliterated u (IPA Template:IPA) or ú (IPA Template:IPA). קTemplate:HbrshuruqTemplate:HbrbbetTemplate:HbrshuruqTemplate:Hbrzadis qubbuẓ, more commonly kubutz. Transliterated u (IPA Template:IPA). Usually promoted to šuruq in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation.
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrshuruq Template:Hbrshin.Template:HbrshuruqTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrseggolק šûreq. Transliterated û (IPA Template:IPA). Template:Hbrshin.Template:HbrshuruqTemplate:HbrreshTemplate:Hbrshuruqק šuruq, more commonly shuruk. Transliterated u (IPA Template:IPA). The shuruq is written after the main consonant, because it is essentially a waw/vav with a piercing; the piercing is written identically to a dagesh (see below).
Template:HbrbetTemplate:Hbrdagesh Template:HbrddaletָTemplate:HbrgimelTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbrshin. dāḡēš. Not technically a vowel. It hardens or doubles the consonant it modifies. The resulting form can still take a niqqud vowel. Template:HbrddaletָTemplate:HbrgimelTemplate:HbrzereTemplate:Hbrshin. dageš, more commonly dagesh. Though Standard Hebrew indicates doubled consonants in transliteration, it (but not consonant hardening) is almost universally ignored in Israeli Hebrew. For most consonants the dagesh is written within the consonant, near the middle if possible, but the exact position varies from letter to letter; some letters do not have an open area in the middle, and in these cases it is written usually beside the letter, as with yod. A dagesh used to signify a hardening (of letters Template:HbrbetTemplate:HbrgimelTemplate:HbrdaletTemplate:HbrkafפTemplate:Hbrtav), but not a doubling is known as a dagesh qal, whereas that which doubles the length of a letter is known as a dagesh hazaq. The guttural consonants (Template:HbralefהTemplate:Hbrhetע) and resh (Template:Hbrresh) do not take a dagesh, although the letter he (ה) may appear with a mappiq (which is written the same way as dagesh) at the end of a word to indicate that the letter is not only being used to signify a vowel, but is consonantal. See Dagesh.
Template:HbrshinTemplate:Hbrshindot Šin dot. Not technically a vowel. It indicates that the Template:Hbrshin it modifies is to be transliterated š (IPA Template:IPA). Shin dot. It indicates that the Template:Hbrshin it modifies is to be transliterated š (IPA Template:IPA), though more commonly transliterated sh. The dot for shin is written over the right (first) branch of the letter.
Template:HbrsinTemplate:Hbrsindot Śin dot. Not technically a vowel. It indicates that the Template:Hbrsin it modifies is to be transliterated ś (IPA Template:IPA). Sin dot. It indicates that the Template:Hbrsin it modifies is to be transliterated s (IPA Template:IPA). The dot for sin is written over the left (third) branch of the letter.

Disputes Among Protestant Christians

Protestant literalists who believe that the Hebrew text of the Old Testament is the inspired Word of God are divided on the question of whether or not the vowel points should be considered an inspired part of the Old Testament. In 1624, Louis Cappel, a French Huguenot scholar at Saumur, published a work in which he concluded that the vowel points were a later addition to the biblical text and that the vowel points were added not earlier than the firth century AD. This assertion was hotly contested by Swiss theologian Johannes Buxtorf in 1648. Brian Walton's 1657 polyglot bible followed Cappel in revising the vowel points. In 1675, the 2nd and 3rd canons of the so-called Helvetic Consensus of the Swiss Reformed Church confirmed Buxtorf's view as orthodox and affirmed that the vowel points were inspired.

See also

Technical problems on Wikimedia

  • Important: There is currently a serious bug affecting niqqud in all Wikimedia projects. See Wikipedia:Niqqud for a discussion of the problem in English, and click the language link in the sidebar for an extensive analysis of the problem in Hebrew.br:Niqqud

de:Hebräisches Alphabet#Masoretische Vokalisation fr:Diacritiques de l'alphabet hébreu gl:Diacríticos do alfabeto hebreo he:ניקוד pt:Niqqud