Questions tagged [grammar-dikduk]
Questions about Hebrew and Aramaic grammar as related to Judaism.
57 questions from the last 365 days
5
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1
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זֵכר or זֶכר in אשרי? [duplicate]
All my life I've said זֵכר. But recently I noticed in the artscroll siddur and tehillim, זֶכר. I checked a bunch of other siddurim, they all had it as זֵכר. (Unlike parshat Zachor, no sidur mentions ...
- 1,014
6
votes
1
answer
368
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Is it Mishna Vrura?
According to the rules of dikduk, is the correct pronunciation of משנה ברורה "Mishna V'rura", without the dagesh in the beis? If so, I'm curious as to why most people pronounce it with a ...
- 61
3
votes
0
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52
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Is it Parashat or Parshat in construct form?
In construct form, is it parashat ______ or parshat _________ in naming Torah portions? How did authoritative grammar mavens bring it down?
- 31
1
vote
0
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40
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The soft hey of Bemidbar 15:31
Seems it wants to assume the possessive dagesh in the hey. What do we do with this form grammatically? Ty All!
- 61
3
votes
0
answers
79
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Question about Binyanim – Hebrew linguistics [closed]
I've looked into lots of linguistic works and found discussion of the 7 Binyanim (verb patterns) in much of modern Hebrew linguistics and even going back before. Obviously verbs in Tanakh (and all of ...
10
votes
1
answer
188
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Inconsistent wording in Birkot Hashachar?
Many of the blessings in Birkot Hashachar do not use the definitive article (letter ה) when ascribing an action to G-d. For example:
...בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
מַלְבִּישׁ ...
- 217
2
votes
1
answer
74
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Is there a dagesh in the kuf of קמנו?
I have seen different versions of the second-last posuk in Tehillim 20: ואנחנו קמנו ונתעודד. Some have the kuf with a dagesh (קַּמְנוּ). Others have the kuf without a dagesh (קַמְנוּ). The Minchas ...
- 3,692
5
votes
1
answer
360
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how to pronounce ריש גלותא
I always thought was pronounced "galuta".
However I just noticed in my sidur today in יקום פורקן , the words there are "reshei galvata".
Is that just the plural of "galuta&...
- 1,014
4
votes
1
answer
97
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Why does the 2nd Ata in Ata Gibor have different Emphasis?
Why does the 2nd "Ata" in Ata Gibor have the emphasis on the first syllable (AH-ta),
unlike the 1st "Ata" which is pronounced as normal (ah-TA)?
- 363
0
votes
0
answers
68
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Mispronouncing a Sh'wa
Based on the answer to the post on the nature of the Sh'wa, there is a dikduk question regarding modern reading of the Torah. Would exchanging the sh'wa na' (mobile) and sh'wa nach (quiescent) be ...
- 5,006
2
votes
2
answers
377
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The famous Morid HaGeshem vs. Goshem debate as it relates to Morid HaTal
Just to establish some basic grammar rules quickly - if a word starts with two segols and is the end of a sentence, the first segol is often changed to a kamatz (one example of many in the Torah: ...
- 649
2
votes
1
answer
106
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Usage of the Sch'wa nekuda
I noticed there are many questions on Mi Yodeya to clarify the pronunciation of the Sch'wa na vs. Sch'wa nach, both having the same nekuda אְ, with elaborate rules distinguishing the two. It seems ...
- 5,006
4
votes
1
answer
80
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Nikkud of מפעילה + אותו
What is the proper nikkud of the feminine הפעיל in the present tense, + אותו? (E.g. מַחֲזִירָה + אוֺתוֺ.) I’ve seen it vowelized variously as ,מַחֲזִירְתּוֺ, מַחֲזִירַתּוּ and מַחֲזִירָתוֺ. (I’ve ...
- 1,346
1
vote
2
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336
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Word switching from plural to singular when it is many?
In Shir HaShirim (5:11), Rashi writes:
"רְבָבוֹת הַרְבֵּה קְרוּיִין רְבָבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ":
Many myriads are called ‘רְבָבָה’, as it is stated, “...
- 51
0
votes
0
answers
77
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Differences in nikkud between Ashkenazi Hebrew (or Yiddish?) and "Standard" Hebrew words
I have an interest in Judaism through the prism of Yiddish (specially Hasidic) culture. I'm more proficient in Yiddish but I'm slowly absorbing a bit of Hebrew. Looking through texts edited by Hasidic ...
- 1
6
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5
answers
462
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Distinctive form of "לאהוב ל-" instead of "לאהוב את"
AFAIK, out of more than 200 transitive uses of the word לאהב in the Tanakh, only two close to each other in Lev 19 .18: "לֹא־תִקֹּם וְלֹא־תִטֹּר אֶת־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ ...
- 28k
2
votes
2
answers
306
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How to pronounce שׁוֹמְרִים?
Shalom to all.
I am not sure how to pronounce the following word, which comes up in prayer (e.g. in Tehillim 130): שׁוֹמְרִים.
On one hand, I learned that Sheva after big vowels (Patach, Ṣere…) is ...
- 191
1
vote
0
answers
38
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Is there a glottal stop when pronouncing ?וְלָראוּבֵנִי [duplicate]
In the word וְלָראוּבֵנִי (Devarim 3:16):
Is the Aleph totally silent, or does it go with the vowel to produce a glottal stop after the Reish?
Rabbi Jeremy Wieder's recording doesn't seem to do a ...
- 136k
2
votes
2
answers
112
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What is the Halacha if I pronounced הוליכך with a patach under the כ instead of a shva?
I realize that this question may be quite specific but this is something that I am genuinely concerned about and I am beating myself up for it.
I leined this Mincha on Shabbat. In the leining, I think ...
- 621
4
votes
2
answers
85
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First person in Dev 2:17 forward
In Devarim 2, Moshe recounts certain historical events. Pasuk 17 begins with Moshe retelling what Hashem told him and, therefore, at least initially, the first person is Hashem's voice (" כִּ֣י ...
- 38.7k
0
votes
1
answer
126
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Patach read as kholam!
This is a grammatical/ pronunciation question that I'd appreciate to get help with.
Sometimes patach is read as kholam. Example: writen as vayashav read as vayashouv[Bereshit 37,29]. Can anyone ...
- 191
4
votes
2
answers
583
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What is the dikduk of this word?
In Shemos 36:7, it says וְהַמְּלָאכָ֗ה הָיְתָ֥ה דַיָּ֛ם לְכׇל־הַמְּלָאכָ֖ה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אֹתָ֑הּ וְהוֹתֵֽר׃
I am confused as the dikduk of the last word (and I am far from a grammarian, so bear with me ...
- 63
1
vote
1
answer
85
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Pronunciation based on grammatical concepts
There is a grammatical concept as follows, if I'm not mistaking:
If [Aleph, Hei, Yud, Vav] comes at the end of one word, the dot of the first letter in the following word will be dropped.
My question ...
- 191
4
votes
1
answer
88
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Why does Kabbalah use the term "olamot" conjugated in the feminine when the Tanakh conjugates it as "olamim" in the masculine?
I'm curious why "olam" would be conjugated in the feminine throughout Kabbalah (as in the "arba'ah olamot") when as far as I know it is a masculine noun and is conjugated with the &...
- 41
2
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3
answers
185
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דרך Segol or kometz under ד
In Parshas Balak (probably other places too), the word “דרך" is usually vocalized as ״דֶרֶך״; but at least once, it’s vocalized as ״דָרֶך״ with a kometz. Why?
Also, sometimes Bilaam and Balak ...
- 99
5
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0
answers
83
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מִזְבֵּחַ marked with פשטא and accentuated מלרע?
It is my understanding that the absolute noun מִזְבֵּחַ is never marked with just one פשטא (and accentuated מלרע) but always שני פשטין (and accentuated מלעיל), the latter in accordance with its proper ...
- 121
6
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0
answers
85
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Is ראשית really in construct?
There are those who translate בראשית (from Gen 1:1) as "In the beginning of...", saying that ראשית must be in construct form (smikhut). Perhaps most famously, Rashi writes:
שֶׁאֵין לְךָ ...
- 10.8k
3
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0
answers
63
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What is the name of this city
In parsha chukat, we have the following Pasuk:
וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א ...
- 2,328
1
vote
0
answers
43
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Why do some Siddurim say mitzvot tluyim ba instead of tluyot?
In the part between Borchi Nafshi and the Tallis blessing there is a kavona part that ends with mitzvot tluyim ba in some siddurim.
I first thought this was a mere typo but I've now seen it in quite a ...
- 593
2
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0
answers
74
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Should דיין in דיין האמת be marked with קמץ or פתח?
I have always understood a phrase consisting of two nouns, where the latter alone has ה"א הידיעה, to be in סמיכות. Consequently, דיין האמת ought to be pointed דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת, given that דַּיַּן (...
- 121
6
votes
2
answers
248
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Dagesh on final letter kaf
When reciting Psalm 81 on Thursdays, I'm always puzzled how can we decide whether the last letter ך of the psalm should get a dagesh or not. In the Aleppo Codex it is clearly written without dagesh:
...
- 8,117
0
votes
2
answers
169
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Kamatz at the end of the sentence [closed]
What is the grammatical rule that causes some vowels to become Kamats at the end of a sentence in the Torah?
What vowels usually undergo this change?
For example: גַן to גָן.
Thank you.
- 191
1
vote
1
answer
75
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Differences in meanings between similar pronouns (עָלָיו, לוֹ); likewise (יהוּ,- יו-)
Is there someone who discusses the differences between pronoun synonyms?
I'm thinking of two sets as examples, both of which occur within a few pesukim of each other in perek 5 of Shir HaShirim:
5:4 ...
- 51
1
vote
0
answers
57
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Why don't we say Likboa Mezuzos?
When putting up a mezuzah, we say the blessing Baruch....Asher Kideshanu...Likboa Mezuzah.
This blessing is said whether putting up one mezuzah or putting up multiple.
Why don't we say likboa Mezuzos ...
- 720
1
vote
0
answers
49
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In Bereshit 1:1, are the plurals in השּׁמים significant, or plural in form (ie: "skies") but singular in meaning (ie: "sky"), and how do we determine?
Disclaimer: I don't know Hebrew.
In Bereshit 1:1, are the plurals in השּׁמים significant, or plural in form (ie: "skies") but singular in meaning (ie: "sky"), and how do we ...
- 1,305
0
votes
0
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42
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What is the source of עתיד בהוראת עבר?
BH
In the רמב"ם לעם commentary of Yad HaChazaka on the sentence כל התורה כתבה משה רבנו קדם שימות it says that the word ימות is classified as the concept of עתיד בהוראת עבר (A word that is in the ...
- 1,527
1
vote
1
answer
138
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How to Lein Tehillim קלז
In Pereq קלז, the words יום ירושלים have an Oleh Veyored, but preceded by a normal Mehupach instead of the expected Galgal.
I understand that the above may be difficult to follow, so I’ll put some ...
- 1,904
0
votes
0
answers
37
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ידיים or ידים which is correct
Seen on a Keli with the spelling ידיים. Thinking it might be Sephardi spelling but checked on sefaria Edut Mizrachi and the word was spelled ידים.
Would like to know if there is a difference between ...
- 1,981
0
votes
1
answer
69
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Grammatical question related to SHEVA
I'll greatly appreciate it if someone can explain to me:
why the sheva on first mem is sheva nach in the following word:
וּמְקַיֵם
- 191
1
vote
0
answers
38
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Meaning behind אישים plural
I've seen 3 places throughout tanach that use the plural אישים for men as opposed to אנשים.
Psalms 141:4
Proverbs 8:4
Isaiah 53:3
Is there any particular reason for this?
Also, why isn't this the ...
- 2,328
2
votes
1
answer
85
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Vocalization of תצפה in נשמת כל-חי
In various siddurim I have seen the word תצפה—near the end of the Nishmat prayer of Shabbat and Yom Tov—vocalized as either תְצַפּה or תִצְפּה. Which is correct in this context?
(Thanks to Joel K for ...
- 1,904
5
votes
2
answers
158
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Re-articulate a sound repeated after a maqaf?
When the same sound is called for on both sides of a maqaf, does this call for a single, prolonged version of that sound, or a second articulation of that sound? E.g. אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ in Gen 6:6.
In ...
- 199
1
vote
1
answer
61
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Binyan identification in Ibn Ezra on Vayikra 18:3
Vayikra 18:3, with the phrase on which Ibn Ezra elaborates bolded:
כמעשה ארץ-מצרים אשר ישבתם-בה לא תעשו וכמעשה ארץ-כנען אשר אני מביא אתכם שמה לא תעשה ובחקתיהם לא תלכו
Ibn Ezra:
שלא ירגיל אדם ללכת ...
- 183
0
votes
1
answer
69
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What is function of בו?
A grammar question
הן עבדי אתמך בו בחירי רצתה נפשי נתתי רוחי עליו משפט לגוים יוציא
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
59
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שמך vocalization before Shema
In Shakharit, the last word of אהבת עולם before the Bracha, is ״שמך״. In all the Siddurim I usually use, that word is vocalized as שִמְךָ. However, I have often heard people read it as שְמֶךָ.
As far ...
- 1,904
1
vote
1
answer
81
views
Segol pausal form
When a word ends in two Seggols (or a Seggol and Patach, depending on whether the final letter is guttural), and the word is in pause, the first Seggol is lengthened to a Kamatz. Why is it not ...
- 1,904
1
vote
1
answer
75
views
Dagesh in שישלם
In Tehillim קלז, should I read the Yud in שישלם with or without a dagesh? I’ve seen it both ways.
The “without” option makes sense according to an exception in the grammatical rules of Dagesh ...
- 1,904
2
votes
0
answers
58
views
Switching from בוֹ to בָהּ in Shabbat blessing
During Shabbat, it is a common Ashkenazi practice to say three different versions of the Retzei blessing – vah, vo and vam (Magein Avraham to Orach Chayim 268:3 citing Sheyarei Keneset haGedolah). But ...
- 8,117
1
vote
0
answers
64
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Always a Lamed with a Dagesh
I'm looking for the sources that the Minchat Shai uses here in his comment in Shemot 6:10 which is the very first time the Torah records the famous verse וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
אל ...
- 1,260
0
votes
0
answers
19
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Is it כשב or כבש [duplicate]
Do both כבש and כשב mean sheep? One pasuk for example is כל חלב שור וכשב while a different example is את הכבש אחד. Translations seem to render both as sheep. So why the difference in spelling? Why the ...
- 3,271