# Aramaic: preservation of vowel in sharpened syllable



## zaw

Hi,

The rule in Hebrew and Aramaic is that when you have a sharpened syllable (one that ends in a consonant with a strong dagesh, i.e. a dagesh hazak) like חֻקָּה then the vowel of this syllable does not change. So why did it change from qibbus to holem in גֹּדּוּ?

קָרֵא בְחַיִל וְכֵן אָמַר גֹּדּוּ אִילָנָא וְקַצִּצוּ עַנְפוֹהִי אַתַּרוּ עָפְיֵהּ וּבַדַּרוּ אִנְבֵּהּ תְּנֻד חֵיוְתָא מִן תַּחְתּוֹהִי וְצִפְּרַיָּא מִן עַנְפוֹהִי

וְדִי חֲזָה מַלְכָּא עִיר וְקַדִּישׁ נָחִת מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְאָמַר גֹּדּוּ אִילָנָא וְחַבְּלוּהִי בְּרַם עִקַּר שָׁרְשׁוֹהִי בְּאַרְעָא שְׁבֻקוּ וּבֶאֱסוּר דִּי פַרְזֶל וּנְחָשׁ בְּדִתְאָא דִּי בָרָא וּבְטַל שְׁמַיָּא יִצְטַבַּע וְעִם חֵיוַת בָּרָא חֲלָקֵהּ עַד דִּי שִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלוֹהִי

(Daniel)

This word is the male order (imperative) to a group of people and it means Fell!

Toda raba


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## Ali Smith

It is true that the vowel in an _unstressed_ sharpened syllable never changes. The first syllable of גֹּ֫דּוּ is stressed, however.


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## Glasguensis

Please quote your source in full. Chapter and verse, and version of the Aramaic text.


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## Ali Smith

קָרֵ֨א בְחַ֜יִל וְכֵ֣ן אָמַ֗ר גֹּ֤דּוּ אִֽילָנָא֙ וְקַצִּ֣צוּ עַנְפ֔וֹהִי אַתַּ֥רוּ עׇפְיֵ֖הּ וּבַדַּ֣רוּ אִנְבֵּ֑הּ תְּנֻ֤ד חֵֽיוְתָא֙ מִן־תַּחְתּ֔וֹהִי וְצִפְּרַיָּ֖א מִן־עַנְפֽוֹהִי׃

(Daniel 4:11)

וְדִ֣י חֲזָ֣ה מַלְכָּ֡א עִ֣יר וְקַדִּ֣ישׁ נָחִ֣ת ׀ מִן־שְׁמַיָּ֡א וְאָמַר֩ גֹּ֨דּוּ אִֽילָנָ֜א וְחַבְּל֗וּהִי בְּרַ֨ם עִקַּ֤ר שׇׁרְשׁ֙וֹהִי֙ בְּאַרְעָ֣א שְׁבֻ֔קוּ וּבֶאֱסוּר֙ דִּֽי־פַרְזֶ֣ל וּנְחָ֔שׁ בְּדִתְאָ֖א דִּ֣י בָרָ֑א וּבְטַ֧ל שְׁמַיָּ֣א יִצְטַבַּ֗ע וְעִם־חֵיוַ֤ת בָּרָא֙ חֲלָקֵ֔הּ עַ֛ד דִּֽי־שִׁבְעָ֥ה עִדָּנִ֖ין יַחְלְפ֥וּן עֲלֽוֹהִי׃

(Daniel 4:20)

This is taken from the Masoretic text, of course.


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## zaw

Thanks, Ali! Why did you change the name of the book and verse number to English? Everybody interested in Aramaic knows how to read the name of the book and verse number in Aramaic, of course.


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## Ali Smith

Because certain people seem to believe that not everyone who knows Aramaic can read the names of chapters and verses in Aramaic. I wonder if the Arabic forum requires everyone to transliterate his source in English.


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## Glasguensis

zaw said:


> Thanks, Ali! Why did you change the name of the book and verse number to English? Everybody interested in Aramaic knows how to read the name of the book and verse number in Aramaic, of course.


It is a requirement of this forum to give the references in English for Aramaic questions, due to the fact that the questions themselves are always asked in English. If you ask the question in another language you can give the references in that language (Arabic for example). Any questions which don’t give all the required information in the first post will be deleted.


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## 𒍝𒊑𒈾 𒂵𒉿𒀉

Is that why כָּ֫לָּא does not have a kibbutz in the first half of the word?


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