Professor, why is there a maqqeph between התהלן and נן.? I looked it up in Gesenius, but just find a discussion of the single accent resulting from the maqqeph connection. But why are the words connected in the first place? Any insight is appreciated.
I don't honestly have any idea. I'm not aware of any "rules" that apply to -maqqef-. I think it depends on how the rest of the verse is punctuated. Whether that was up to the Masorete's discretion is a much larger topic that I also know almost nothing about. I will look around.
GKC §16b "explains" it as a case of a longer word being connected by maqqef "to a following monosyllable." Those furtive patahs don't really count as a syllable. Jouön-Muraoka 13b says, "There are no hard and fast rules for the use of maqqef." I have emailed Miles Cohen, who knows more about this stuff than I do, and if we get desperate enough I can ask the scholars of the Masoretic text.
The more correct answer, as Miles reminded me, is that they don't like to have two accented syllables next to each other. The maqqef in this case eliminates the accent on התהלך, and with it, the problem. It does not always happen; see תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ in the very same verse. Per Miles, the vowel in תולדות is an original long vowel and can't be eliminated, while the one in התהלך is "stress-lengthened" (I'm not sure why) and can be.
Since we discussed this use of the maqqef, and you and Mr. Cohen explained maqqef’s occasional use to control accents, I see them used this way frequently. There is always something new to learn.
Can you recommend any good sources of information about the Masoretes and the work they did? Did they add the trope marks as well as the vowel points, or did someone else add those? You say “punctuation is commentary “ in your Learn Biblical Hebrew course, and I have seen that to be true. I feel indebted to the Masoretes for their work, which makes Torah study so much more accessible. Thank you
Professor, why is there a maqqeph between התהלן and נן.? I looked it up in Gesenius, but just find a discussion of the single accent resulting from the maqqeph connection. But why are the words connected in the first place? Any insight is appreciated.
I don't honestly have any idea. I'm not aware of any "rules" that apply to -maqqef-. I think it depends on how the rest of the verse is punctuated. Whether that was up to the Masorete's discretion is a much larger topic that I also know almost nothing about. I will look around.
GKC §16b "explains" it as a case of a longer word being connected by maqqef "to a following monosyllable." Those furtive patahs don't really count as a syllable. Jouön-Muraoka 13b says, "There are no hard and fast rules for the use of maqqef." I have emailed Miles Cohen, who knows more about this stuff than I do, and if we get desperate enough I can ask the scholars of the Masoretic text.
The more correct answer, as Miles reminded me, is that they don't like to have two accented syllables next to each other. The maqqef in this case eliminates the accent on התהלך, and with it, the problem. It does not always happen; see תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ in the very same verse. Per Miles, the vowel in תולדות is an original long vowel and can't be eliminated, while the one in התהלך is "stress-lengthened" (I'm not sure why) and can be.
Thank you, and thank you Mr. Cohen. That does make sense.
Since we discussed this use of the maqqef, and you and Mr. Cohen explained maqqef’s occasional use to control accents, I see them used this way frequently. There is always something new to learn.
Can you recommend any good sources of information about the Masoretes and the work they did? Did they add the trope marks as well as the vowel points, or did someone else add those? You say “punctuation is commentary “ in your Learn Biblical Hebrew course, and I have seen that to be true. I feel indebted to the Masoretes for their work, which makes Torah study so much more accessible. Thank you
Three places that might get you started:
- James Diamond, "Scribal Secrets"
- Yosef Ofer, "The Masora on Scripture and Its Methods"
- milesbcohen.com might have something