94 On the. Orthography of Hebrew Words. 



Taw. 



n had two sounds, according as it was written with or without a 

 Daghesh. n (without a Daghesh) was unaspirated and sounded like 

 Eng. ih in thin. Pi (with a Daghesh) was aspirated and sounded 

 like t. 



n aspirated we will represent by th, (1.) because this combination 

 of letters is already extensively used for this sound ; and (2.) because 

 in this way we adopt an uniform mode of representation for all the as- 

 pirates. 



Kamets. 



The sound of ( ) was like the open or Italian a, or the English a 

 in father. This is the pronunciation of the Spanish Jews. The 

 Jews of Tiberias, however, in ancient times, gave it a sound nearly 

 approaching that of o. So the German and Polish Jews of the 

 present day. But this pronunciation is thought by the learned to be 

 incorrect, although both the figure and name of the vowel originated 

 from it. 



Kamets being a long vowel, we shall represent its sound, when 



pure, by a, as 'iS'n dabhar ; when impure, by a, as N^^ matsa, nVa 

 gala.* 



Tsm. \ 



The sound of ( ) was like the continental e, or the English e m 

 vein, they, which is the same as the English a in fate. 



Tsm being a long vowel, we shall represent its sound, when pure, 

 by e, as nib, lebhabh ; when impure, by e, as '}"'3, ben, "naNV, lemor, 

 in^a, g^e. ^ 



HWrek gadhdl. 



The sound of {) was like the French i, or the English i in 

 machine. 



Hhirek gadhol being a long vowel, we shall represent its sound, 

 when pure, by i, as h-\'n!X, aaddmm; when impure, by i, as '^''•ri, din, 

 'j1u:iJ<"^, rishoa. 



Hholem. 



The sound of (') was that of o in rover. 



* It will be seen that our mode of representation does not determine, in all cases, 

 the quiescent which is suppressed. This I regard, in most cases, as an unimportant 

 circumstance. . 



