Usage in Hebrew
For more details on this topic, see Hebrew spelling.Most commonly, yod י indicates i or e, while waw ו indicates o or u. Aleph א was not systematically developed as a mater lectionis in Hebrew (as it was in Aramaic and Arabic), but it is occasionally used to indicate an a vowel. (However, a silent aleph — indicating an original glottal stop consonant sound which has become silent in Hebrew pronunciation — can occur after almost any vowel.) At the end of a word, He ה can also be used to indicate that a vowel a should be pronounced.
Examples:
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Symbol Name Vowel formation Vowel quality Example Biblical Modern Hebrew Transliteration א Alef ê, ệ, ậ, â, ô mostly ā פארן Paran ה He ê, ệ, ậ, â, ô mostly ā or e לאה Leah משה Moshe ו Waw Vav ô, û ō or ū יואל Yo'el ברוך Baruch י Yod Yud î, ê, ệ ī, ē or ǣ דויד David
Read more about this topic: Mater Lectionis
Famous quotes containing the words usage and/or hebrew:
“...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.”
—Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)
“In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
—Bible: Hebrew Genesis 3:16.
God’s judgment on Eve.