Editing Tiberian vocalization

{{Short description|System of diacritics for the Hebrew Bible}}
{{more footnotes|date=April 2015}}
[[File:Aleppo Codex Joshua 1 1.jpg|thumb|300px|Closeup of Aleppo Codex, Joshua 1:1]]
The '''Tiberian vocalization''', '''Tiberian pointing''', or '''Tiberian niqqud''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|הַנִּקּוּד הַטְבֶרְיָנִי}}|hanniqquḏ haṭṭəḇeryāni}}) is a system of [[diacritic]]s (''[[niqqud]]'') devised by the [[Masoretes]] of [[Tiberias]] to add to the consonantal text of the [[Hebrew Bible]] to produce the [[Masoretic Text]].<ref>The portions of the Hebrew Bible in [[Biblical Aramaic]] use the same system of vocalization.</ref> The system soon became used to vocalize other Hebrew texts as well.

Tiberian vocalization marks vowels and stress, distinguishes consonant quality and length, and serves as punctuation. While the Tiberian system was devised for [[Tiberian Hebrew]], it has become the dominant system for vocalizing all forms of Hebrew. It has long since eclipsed the comparatively rudimentary [[Babylonian vocalization|Babylonian]] and [[Palestinian vocalization]] systems for writing [[Biblical Hebrew]].

==Consonant diacritics==
The [[sin dot]] distinguishes between the two values of {{Script/Hebrew|ש}}. A ''[[dagesh]]'' indicates a consonant is geminate or unspirantized, and a ''[[rafe|raphe]]'' indicates [[spirantization]]. The ''[[mappiq]]'' indicates that {{Script/Hebrew|ה}} is consonantal, not silent, in syllable-coda position.

==Vowel diacritics==
The seven vowel qualities of Tiberian Hebrew are indicated straightforwardly by distinct diacritics:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|niqqud with א
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אַ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֶ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֵ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אִ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אָ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֹ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֻ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אוּ}}
|-
|name
|[[patah]]
|[[segol]]
|[[tzere]]
|[[hiriq]]
|[[qamatz]]
|[[holam]]
|[[qubutz]]
|[[shuruq]]
|-
|value
|{{IPA|/a/}}
|{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
|{{IPA|/e/}}
|{{IPA|/i/}}
|{{IPA|/ɔ/}} 
|{{IPA|/o/}}
|colspan="2"|{{IPA|/u/}}
|}
The diacritics [[qubutz]] and [[shuruq]] both represent {{IPA|/u/}}, but shuruq is used when the text uses full spelling (with [[waw (letter)|waw]] as a [[mater lectionis]]). Each of the vowel phonemes could be allophonically lengthened; occasionally, the length is marked with [[metheg]]. Metheg also indirectly indicates when a following [[shva]] is vocal.

The ultrashort vowels are slightly more complicated. There were two graphemes corresponding to the vowel {{IPA|/ă/}}, attested by alternations in manuscripts like {{Script/Hebrew|ארֲריך~ארְריך, ואשמֳעָה~ואשמְעָה}}.&lrm;.<ref name="b105-106" /> In addition, one of the graphemes could also be silent:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" style="text-align:center;"
|niqqud with א
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אְ}}
<!-- how does one put a <ref>...</ref> on the ''actual'' alef with svah in the first row, instead of on the word ''shva'' in the second row of the table like I did?
If you know how to do it, it would be better I think -->
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֲ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֱ}}
|style="font-family: 'david'; font-size:250%" height=40 valign=top| {{lang|he|אֳ}}
|-
|name
| [[shva]] 
| [[hataf patah]]
| [[hataf segol]]
| [[hataf qamatz]]
|-
|value
|{{IPA|/ă/, ⌀}}
|{{IPA|/ă/}}
|{{IPA|/ɛ̆/}}
|{{IPA|/ɔ̆/}}
|}

[[File:Tiberian-vocalisation-david-fine.jpg|thumb|300px|Figurines holding Tiberian vowel diacritics. Limestone and basalt artwork at the shore in Tiberias.]]
Shva was used both to indicate lack of a vowel (''quiescent šwa'', ''shva naḥ'') and as another symbol to represent the phoneme {{IPA|/ă/}} (''mobile šwa'', ''shva naʻ''), the latter also represented by hataf patah.<ref name="b105-106">{{Harvcoltxt|Blau|2010|pp=105–106}}</ref><ref name="b117-118">{{Harvcoltxt|Blau|2010|pp=117–118}}</ref> The phoneme {{IPA|/ă/}} had a number of allophones; {{IPA|/ă/}} had to be written with shva rather than hataf patah when it was not pronounced as {{IPA|[ă]}}.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Blau|2010|p=118}}</ref> Before a laryngeal-pharyngeal, mobile šwa was pronounced as an ultrashort copy of the following vowel ({{Script/Hebrew|וּבָקְעָה}} {{IPA|[uvɔqɔ̆ʕɔ]}}) and as {{IPA|[ĭ]}} preceding {{IPA|/j/}}, ({{Script/Hebrew|תְדַמְּיוּ֫נִי}} {{IPA|/θăðammĭjuni/}}).<ref name="b105-106" /> Using ḥataf vowels was mandatory under gutturals but optional under other letters, and there was considerable variation among manuscripts.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Yeivin|1980|p=283}}</ref>

That is referenced specifically by medieval grammarians:
{{Quote | text=If one argues that the ''dalet'' of 'Mordecai' (and other letters in other words) has hatef qames, tell him, 'but this sign is only a device used by some scribes to warn that the consonants should be pronounced fully, and not slurred over'.|sign=[[Abu al-Faraj Harun]]|source=''Hidāyat al-Qāri'' (''Horayat Ha-Qore''), quoted in {{Harvcoltxt|Yeivin|1980|pp=283–284}}}}

The names of the vowel diacritics are iconic and show some variation:
{{Quote |text=The names of the vowels are mostly taken from the form and action of the mouth in producing the various sounds, as {{Script/Hebrew|פַּ֫תַח}} ''opening''; {{Script/Hebrew|צֵ֫רֵי}} ''a wide parting'' (of the mouth), also {{Script/Hebrew|שֶׁ֫בֶר}} (=ĭ) ''breaking'', ''parting'' (cf. the Arab. ''kasr''); {{Script/Hebrew|חִ֫ירֶק}} (also {{Script/Hebrew|חִרֶק}}) ''narrow opening''; {{Script/Hebrew|ח֫וֹלֶם}} ''closing'', according to others ''fullness'', i.e. of the mouth (also {{Script/Hebrew|מְלֹא פוּם}} ''fullness of the mouth''). {{Script/Hebrew|קָ֫מֶץ}} also denotes a slighter, as {{Script/Hebrew|שׁוּרֶק}} and {{Script/Hebrew|קִבּוּץ}} (also {{Script/Hebrew|קבוץ פּוּם}}) a firmer, compression or contraction of the mouth. ''Sĕgôl'' ({{Script/Hebrew|סְגוֹל}} ''bunch of grapes'') takes its name from its form. So {{Script/Hebrew|שָׁלשׁ נְקֻדּוֹת}} (''three points'') is another name for ''Qibbûṣ''.<br />
Moreover the names were mostly so formed (but only later), that the sound of each vowel is heard in the first syllable ({{Script/Hebrew|קָמֶץ}} for {{Script/Hebrew|קֹמֶץ}},&lrm; {{Script/Hebrew|פַּתַח}} for {{Script/Hebrew|פֶּתַח}},&lrm; {{Script/Hebrew|צֵרִי}} for {{Script/Hebrew|צְרִי}}); in order to carry this out consistently some even write ''Sägôl'', ''Qomeṣ-ḥatûf'', ''Qübbûṣ''.|sign=[[Wilhelm Gesenius]]|source={{Cite GHG|8|d-e|nologo=1}}}}

==Cantillation==
[[Hebrew cantillation|Cantillation]] signs mark stress and punctuation. Metheg may mark secondary stress, and [[maqqaf]] (hyphen) conjoins words into one stress unit, which normally takes only one cantillation mark on the final word in the unit.

==See also==
* [[Babylonian vocalization]]
* [[Hebrew cantillation]]
* [[Cardinal vowels]]
* [[Niqqud]]
* [[Palestinian vocalization]]
* [[Tiberian Hebrew]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Blau|first=Joshua|author-link = Joshua Blau|title = Phonology and Morphology of Biblical Hebrew|year = 2010|publisher = Eisenbrauns|location= Winona Lake, Indiana|isbn=978-1-57506-129-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Sáenz-Badillos|first=Angel|title=A History of the Hebrew Language|year=1993|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-55634-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Yeivin|first=Israel|title = Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah|year=1980|publisher=Scholars Press|isbn=0-89130-373-1}}

{{Hebrew language}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiberian Vocalization}}
[[Category:Language of the Hebrew Bible]]
[[Category:Hebrew alphabet]]