quarta-feira, 17 de novembro de 2010

The Hebrew Alphabet

First of all, you should know that Hebrew, Arabic and other Semitic languages are all written from right to left.

The Hebrew script, which is derived from that of Aramaic, is based on 22 distinct shapes -- 5 of which have different final forms. Using dots in the middle and above 4 of these shapes, the full complement of 26 characters can be fully spelled out (in modern Hebrew).
The Hebrew word for "alphabet" is alephbet (אלפבית), and it is derived from the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet; Aleph and Bet. However, Hebrew is not a true alphabet, but in fact an abjad, having letters only for consonants. Like other abjads such as the Arabic alphabet, means were later devised to indicate vowels by separate vowel points, known in Hebrew as niqqud

Since the Hebrew alphabet shares a common source with the Arabic, almost all Hebrew letters have a perfectly corresponding Arabic one. Use this site http://arabic.tripod.com/Arab10.htm to hear the equivalent Arabic letter.

In Israel today many letters lost their original sounds (mostly gutturals and emphatic letters), because many Hebrew speakers have come from countries [mainly Germany and Eastern Europe] whose languages do not contain similar letters and who are therefore unable to articulate the correct sounds. Arabic speakers and many Jews from Arab countries are still able to make the correct sounds. In particular, Yemenite and Iraqi Jews are recognized as speaking ‘correct’ or authentic Hebrew, with the original Hebrew pronunciation of almost all the letters intact after all these years.


[When learning Hebrew you should at least try to pronounce letters like Het and Ayin correctly. Failing to do so will make it much harder to spell Hebrew words, because you will not be able to use the correct sound of the word to guide you.]



א
Alef


In Modern Israeli Hebrew this letter represents either a glottal stop, or has no pronunciation besides that of the vowel attached to it.

An example of a Glottal Stop is the in the pronunciation of the Biblical name Leah (לֵאָה):






בּ/ב
Beit or Veit (Beith/Veith)

 




This Hebrew letter represents two different phonemes: a "b" sound (/b/) (beit) and a "v" sound (/v/) (veit). The two are distinguished by a dot (called a dagesh) in the centre of the letter for /b/ and no dot for /v/.





ג/גּ
Gimel (Gimmal)
 


Sounds like a hard /ɡ/ ex: gold

In Biblical Hebrew Gimmal represents two different phonemes: a hard G or "gh", like the Arabic letter غ (ghein) [ɣ][voiced velar fricative French R or guttural R]. The two are distinguished by a dot (called a dagesh) in the centre of the letter for /g/ and no dot for /gh/.




ד/דּ
Dalet (Daledh/Dhaledh)

Like the English D represents a voiced alveolar plosive.

In Biblical Hebrew:
דּ - /d/
ד - TH as in the word THEY. Yemenite, Iranian, Iraqi, and some other communities have this pronunciation in common.  The Ashkenazi [Eastern European] Community and 'Modern Hebrew' makes no distinction between Dhaladh and Daladh.  They pronounce both as D as in Door.





הּ/ה
Hei

This Hebrew letter represents /h/

Biblical Hebrew:
הּ - A normal H sound made deeper in the throat and with more force.





ו
Vav (Waw)


Usually [v] but can also maintain its original [w] sound. Modern Hebrew has no way to distinguish orthographically between these two sounds.
It can also sound like the vowels /o/ and /u/



ז
Zayin

Zayin is a consant with the "z" sound





ח
Het / 7et (Heth)


Sounds like the Arabic letter ح (Haa)

If 7et occurs at the end of a Hebrew word, it is pronounced after the final vowel, not before as you would expect. For example, the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ  meaning moon, is pronounced yarea7, not yare7a, because it has a 7et at the end.




ט
Tet (Teth)

In Modern Hebrew, Tet represents a voiceless alveolar plosive /t/
In Classical Hebrew it sounds like the Arabic letter  ط (Taa) [t̪ˁ][emphatic voiceless dental plosive]  
 





י
Yod

represents /y/
It also represents the formation of a diphthong (when Yod comes after a vowel) such as /ai/, /ei/, /oi/ /ui/.





כּ/ךּ
כ/ך
Kaf/Khaf



This Hebrew letter represents two different phonemes: a "Kaf" /k/ and a "khaf" /kh/. The two are distinguished by a dot (called a dagesh) in the centre of the letter for /k/ and no dot for /kh/.

The letter Khaf is a voiceless velar fricative. It sounds exactly like the Arabic letter Khaa خ
At the end of words the letter's written form changes to a Kaf/Khaf Sophit (Final) - ך






ל
Lamed

 
represents an alveolar lateral approximant /L/.





מ/ם
Mem (Meem)

 
represents a bilabial nasal, (IPA: [m]), like the English M.
In Hebrew, Mem, like Kaf, Nun, Pe, and Tsadi, has a final form, used at the end of words. Its shape changes from מ to ם. The pronunciation is not changed.





נ/ן
Nun

 
represents an alveolar nasal, (IPA: /n/), like the English letter N.
Nun, like Kaf, Mem, Pe and Tsadi, has a final form, used at the end of words. Its shape changes from נ to ן





ס
Samekh


 
represents /s/





ע
Ayin (3ayin)

This is a unique sound that only exists in Semitic languages. It is usually very hard for Westerns to make. Sounds exactly like the Arabic letter ع (Ayn) [ʕ][voiced pharyngeal fricative]

It is produced by making a sound similar to the vowel attached to it, but far back in the throat, and closing the throat during the sound, slightly choking it.





פּ
פ/ף
Pe/Fe

When the Pe has a "dot" in its center, known as a dagesh, it represents a voiceless bilabial plosive, /p/
When this letter appears as פ without the dagesh ("dot") in its center then it represents a voiceless labiodental fricative /f/.





צ/ץ
Tsadi (Ssadi)


In modern Hebrew, Tsadi represents a voiceless alveolar affricate: [/ts/].
At the end of words the letter's written form changes to a Tsadi sophit (Final)
In Biblical Hebrew, Ssadi sounds like the Arabic letter ص Saad [sˁ][emphatic voiceless alveolar fricative]







ק
Quf (Qof)


In modern Israeli Hebrew Quf usually represents /k/; i.e., no distinction is made between Quf and Kaf.
In Biblical Hebrew Qof sounds like the Arabic letter ق Qaaf [q][voiced uvular plosive]





ר
Resh


The letter Resh is an alveolar trill (a 'rolled r') or an alveolar flap /ɾ/
Sounds like the Spanish R and the Arabic letter ر (raa)
(in Israel Resh is often mispronounced as a "French R or guttural R" due to germanic influence)





שׁ/שׂ

Sin dot (left) שׂ /s/ 
Shin dot (right) שׁ /sh/ 






ת/תּ
Tav (Taw/Thaw)


The letter Tav usually represents a voiceless alveolar plosive /t/. i.e., no distinction is made between Tav and Tet in modern Hebrew.

In Biblical Hebrew when Taw has a dot inside it sounds like /t/, and when it has no dot it sounds like the Arabic letter ث (thaa) [θ][voiceless inter-dental fricative]




More on Biblical Hebrew:


Babylonian/Iraqi Tradition (in Hebrew)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAdlvppbF2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNIb1gp-7LI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY2Jd_IoZ8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOOACI6tyoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEQFDhJChsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPTMiqAPMs


Yemenite Tradition (in English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7RIAPosxEI

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