Shva

The Hebrew schwa ( Heb. שְׁוָא [ ʃva ] ) represented by two superimposed stationary points below a consonant, is part of the Nikuds in the Hebrew alphabet system. In today's Hebrew it is either / s / pronounced, more precisely, [E] ( after the consonant, under which it is ) or it is not pronounced. In the traditional Hebrew linguistics, however, called " schwa " some grammatical entities that no longer correspond respectively to the debate today ( see table).

Traditional mapping

Traditionally schwas in most grammatical events either as " schwa quiescens " are ( Heb. " schwa After ") or ( Heb. " schwa Na " ) " schwa mobile " means, in a few cases they are " floating schwa " ( Heb. " Schwa Merachef " ) called, and in relation to the tiberiensische pronunciation ( from about 700 to 1500 AD) some schwas are called " schwa Ga'ja " assigned.

Schwa mobile

" Schwa mobile" ( Heb. " schwa Na " ) is considered in the traditional Hebrew linguistics as an indicator of existing in the base form of a word and shortly become by flexion vowel and is expressed either as the phoneme / ə / or / ĕ / paraphrased ( the transcription / ə /, however, can be misleading in the context of modern Hebrew, as in Modern Hebrew the vowel [ ə ] does not exist).

A schwa mobile is recognized as such if it meets the following criteria:

A schwa mobile dictated certain grammatical rules, for example: if after a schwa mobile is one of the letters בג"ד כפ"ת is, this letter should not be tagged with a Dagesch Qal.

Schwa quiescens

" Schwa quiescens " ( Heb. " schwa After " ) referred to in the traditional Hebrew linguistics, the absence of a vowel. Except in a few exceptional cases, each schwa that is not the above recognition criteria for schwa corresponds mobile, quiescens classified as a schwa. A schwa quiescens dictated certain grammatical rules, for example: if after a schwa quiescens one of the letters בג"ד כפ"ת is, this letter must be marked with a Dagesch Qal.

Floating Schwa

" Floating schwa " ( Heb. " schwa Merachef ") is a schwa, which mobile does not meet the above criteria for recognition schwa (eg, when it is under a letter, before a "small vocal " is ), seems so schwa to be quiescens, but stands where there is a vowel in the basic form of the word, which was replaced by flexion by schwa. For this schwa, eg: although it (like the schwa quiescens ) represents silence, a following on this schwa בג"ד כפ"ת letter is not marked with a Dagesch Qal.

Schwa Ga'ja

" Schwa Ga'ja " refers to a schwa occurring at a letter that is marked with the cantillation marks " Ga'ja " (or " Meteg " ), and as a result, the status of a "full vowel " has, in contrast to the mobile schwa, as " very small vowel" applies ( Heb. " Tnu'a Chatufa " ), for example: the schwa in the word בְּהוֹנוֹת " toes " would normally be a schwa mobile and would be a / ĕ / represent; But when, as here, ' the first letter ב is marked with the cantillation marks " Ga'ja " schwa is a schwa Ga'ja and / o / pronounced.

Today's debate

In today's Hebrew schwa as either / e / or Ø ( not at all) is pronounced. It is never as [ ə ] ( the phonetic schwa ) pronounced ( the vowel [ ə ] does not exist in modern Hebrew).

A schwa is pronounced in the following cases / e /:

Notes

• Hebrew Script