For a distinction must again be drawn between the full lengthening of Pathaḥ into Qameṣ—mostly before א (always under the ה of the article, see § 35), as a rule also before ע, less frequently before ה, and least often before ח—and the modification of Pathaḥ to Seghôl, mostly before a guttural with Qameṣ. In the other case (virtual strengthening) the Dageš is still omitted, but the strengthening is nevertheless regarded as having taken place, and the preceding vowel therefore remains short. This virtual strengthening occurs most frequently with ח, usually with ה, less frequently with ע, and very seldom with א. Examples of (a) מֵאֵן, הָֽאָדָם, הָעָם, הָהָר, יֵֽחָבֵא (for yiḥḥābhēʾ); also אֶחָד, הֶחָג, הֶֽהָרִים, הֶֽעָנִי (see more fully on the pointing of the article before ע in § 35).—Of (b) הַחֹ֫דֶשׁ, מִחוּט (from minḥûṭ), הַהוּא, בִּעֵר, נִאֵץ, &c.—In all these cases of virtual strengthening the Dageš forte is to be regarded at least as implied (hence called Dageš forte implicitum, occultum, or delitescens).
[d] 2. They prefer before them, and sometimes after them (cf. h), a short A-sound, because this vowel is organically the nearest akin to the gutturals. Hence
(a) before a guttural, Pathaḥ readily (and always before הּ, ח, ע closing a syllable) takes the place of another short vowel or of a rhythmically long ē or ō, e.g. זֶ֫בַח sacrifice, not zèbĕḥ; שֵׁ֫מַע report, not šēmĕʿ. This is more especially so when a was the original vowel of the form, or is otherwise admissible. Thus in the Imperat. and Imperf. Qal of guttural verbs, שְׁלַח send thou, יִשְׁלַח he will send (not yišlōḥ); Perf. Piʿel שִׁלַּח (but in Pausa שִׁלֵּחַ); יַחְמֹד he will desire (not yiḥmōd) ; וַיָּ֫נַח and he rested (not wayyānŏḥ); נַ֫עַר a youth. In שִׁלַּח and יַחְמֹד ă is the original vowel.
[e] Rem. In such cases as דֶּ֫שֶָׁא, טֶ֫נֶא, פֶּ֫לֶא, פֶּ֫רֶא, the א has no consonantal value, and is only retained orthographically (see § 23 a).
[f] (b) After a heterogeneous long vowel, i.e. after all except Qameṣ, the hard gutturals[1] (consequently not א), when standing at the end of the word, require the insertion of a rapidly uttered ă (Pathaḥ furtivum) between themselves and the vowel. This Pathaḥ is placed under the guttural, but sounded before it. It is thus merely an orthographic indication not to neglect the guttural sound in pronunciation, e.g. רוּחַ rûaḥ, נוֹעַ, רֵעַ, הִשְׁלִיחַ, גָּבוֹהַּ, (when consonantal ה is
- ↑ Prätorius, Ueber den rückweich. Accent im Hebr., Halle, 1897, p. 17, &c., remarks that Pathaḥ furtivum has not arisen merely under the influence of the guttural, but is due to a duplication of the accented syllable, so that e.g. יָשִׁיב, יָצוּד would also be pronounced yasîibh, yaṣûudh although the short intermediate vowel was not so noticeable as before a guttural.
