S. QUššÅY(Å) AND RUKKÂKH(Å).

13

A further extension is the diacritical point b with the Verb. We have already seen (§ 6 a) how a point over the word was used to distinguish the more fully vocalised forms, such as the part. act. Peal and the Ethpaal from the perf. Peal and the Ethpeel accompanied by a point under the form (coab, ¡l, P kåteb", ’åmar, gālē from,, ketħab", 'emar,

gelà,

et"qattal from 21 etqetel). We have now to add that two points (often called

or

3 f. (last

) rendered it possible to distinguish a third form with the same consonants, e. g. the passive part. of úgʻlē (in addition to gālē and golå above) or in the sing. perf. a 1 m., 2 m., form written by the Nestorians with two points under a). This system was of course still inadequate inasmuch as may equally well represent three forms of the Pacl. Similarly is 1 p. impf. Peal,

.part. Afel. Cf ܡܣܗܕ ,part. Pael ܡܣܗܕ ,perf. Afel ܐܣܗܕ

D 67.

1) Much more important is the sign for the harder 8 and softer pronunciations of the 6, corresponding to the Hebr. Dagesh lene and Rafe. It consists of a small point, generally coloured red by the Nestorians, placed over- Quššȧy (å) a hardeningor under― Rukkåk1 (å) softening-these con

sonants.

Jacob of Edessa seems to have been the first both to introduce the H and to distinguish the harder pronunciation (by a point).

2) The rules for the pronunciation of the Begadkephath are not so constant as in Hebrew but the following hold good in the main: Q. stands

a) at the beginning of a word after a vowelless consonant; hence after h mappicatum of the 3 pers. pron. and ;

b) likewise in the middle of a word

mal-kå, keth-beth, particularly after diphthongs and

c) when a consonant is doubled appeq, except at the end of a word

3) R., on the other hand, is found

sabbar, E 'acheb(b).

a) at the beginning of a word after a vowel ori

b) likewise in the middle of a word, even after the slightest vowel sound, hence, in particular, after a doubled consonant and when preformatives have been added, c. 9.

andÃO?;

c) always with the suffixes of the 2 pl. and , except after the diphthong of the plural.

NOTE 1. Thus far the Syriac usage is the same as the Hebrew; an important distinction, however, appears in the fact that in Syriac even unaccented syllables with a long vowel may be shut, i. c. may be followed by Q., e. g. stat. emph. and fem. of the part.,, (Exceptions § 38 g); while, on

D.

D

the other hand, the feminine 2 may be aspirated after syllables with a short vowel.

2. By 2 b and 3 b is explained the difference between

and þ

.(מלכים from

(jú and j3), his and hypso (cf. "by and "339

3. After a the fem. 2 has mostly R.: 142a, láší (Exception); in exceptional cases after å, e. g. lng; R. always with 2 of the adjectival termination ; Q. always with 2 in the fem. of adjs. in 1, 12—.

4. An additional helping-vowel does not affect the earlier pronunciation, thus (AzoÎ and Azî, Ása and Ason,

and

5. For the distinction between 42 and 4s, yo

; v. §§ 39. 47c; for the hardening of the first radical

in the impf. Pael § 38, of the vowelless prefix of the impf. after

6. Of and we find a third and even a fourth pronun

corresponds to the modern

ciation current. While aspirated Gk. 4, the Gk. π is harder than with Q, and in accurate MSS. is indicated sometimes by a point in the, sometimes, among the Nestorians, by two points under it, and, finally, in Palestinian Syriac by an inverted (so also with y), while the Nestorians indicate by the almost vocalicin such words as a JjAg), 1¡mam, lai Mt. 3, 12 etc. cf. ZDMG 32, 746.

a

The signs and chiefly used in 9 poetry, indicate respectively the shorter or more hurried, and the longer or fuller pronunciation of a word or of

b

C

d

10

a consonant without or with vowels. The former is a horizontal or (Nestor.) sloping stroke over the consonant, e. g.: l'es-qet"â, not 'e-seq-tà; the latter the same stroke under the consonant: de-chel-tå, not dech-let1 à or dechltà, chamerhon, not chamrhon. Both strokes are in frequent use to distinguish the Ethpeel from the Ethpaal.

The so-called lineola occultans, an extension. of, is placed by some authors over, by others under a silent consonant; it is especially frequent with of the enclitic auxiliary verb on, with of the pron. of the 1 and 2 pers., with a of the 3 pers., with

LO

-7

In accurate MSS. other signs are found, such as a hyphen between two words, corresponding to the Hebr. Makkeph: also a line above the end of a word ?, meant to draw the tone to the following word; another under, the tone on the first, e. 9. 12 A (malkta dšabba and malktat šabbā) &c.

=

a meant to retain

follg. may be named:

1. a point is placed, as in Gk. and Heb. MSS., over every letter that is to be deleted;

2. words requiring to be transposed are indicated

either by three points placed under them, or by the

ܪܐ ܒ letters

3. for quotations there are special marks >>, which, in theological MSS., vary according as the quotation is taken from an orthodox or an heretical author.

The ancient grammarians are silent as to the posi- 11 tion of the tone: We may however regard it as a rule that in general the penult is accented, never the antepenult; the ultimate only where the preceding syllable has only a half-vowel or a helping-vowel, e. g. in the noun, like, in the verb, î, xas. There is no doubt, however, that originally the tone lay on long terminations like,ső, zoôlső,

We find rhetorical accents mentioned as early 12 as the 5th century; at a later period, i. e. from about 600 A. D. onwards, there existed a very elaborate accentual system with as many as 30 to 40 accents and marks of interpunction. The four principal are Lam, closing the apodosis or second half (i), and 2, closing the protasis or first half of the

DY.. 1

or ܫܘܝܐ ,dividing the former ܠܐ ;)ܫܘܘܕܝܐ) sentence

o dividing the latter into several members, as re

presented in the following scheme.

リ

1) Namo and form correspond to the Hebrew Šewn.

Nestle, Syriac Grammar.

B