# אחת



## parhobass

*אחת
as far as i know it is transliterated to echad or ehad
is there any possibility?

someone said ikhud, is it correct?
*


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## amikama

*אחת *means "one" (female form) and it's transliterated _ahat _(or _achat_ or _akhat_).

_ehad _and _echad _are transliterations of the word *אחד*, the masculine form of "one".

_ikhud _is a different word, *איחוד*, meaning "unification". It does not mean "one".


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## parhobass

thanks...
....


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## bayicra

Is possible that you listened someone pronouncing with a different pronunciation.
I.E. Ashkenaz pronun. is Echod
     Chassidik pronun. is Echud (if I´m not wrong)


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## jdotjdot89

bayicra said:


> Is possible that you listened someone pronouncing with a different pronunciation.
> I.E. Ashkenaz pronun. is Echod
> Chassidik pronun. is Echud (if I´m not wrong)



Classic Ashkenaz pronunciation is "echawd".  (The kamatz, in Ashkenaz, is "aw".)

Chassidic pronunciation depends on the origin of the chasidim.  Generally, they speak with Ashkenaz pronunciation I would say, as many of them speak more Yiddish than they do Hebrew anyway.


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## bayicra

jdotjdot89 said:


> Generally, they speak with Ashkenaz pronunciation I would say, as many of them speak more Yiddish than they do Hebrew anyway.



Here in Israel is not like that. Almost all the Chassidic communities have these two peculiarities:
 pronounces the Kamatz "a" as 'oo' 
and the "oo" as "ee"

So it sounds like: Booreech Atoo etc.


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## JAN SHAR

Why did the masculine form's dalet change into a tav? אחד became אחת
What was the process?
And by the way, what is the construct form of אחת? Is it pronounced the same way? אַחַת? Or אֶחָת? I have seen the latter before I don't think it's the construct form.


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## Drink

The construct form is unchanged. אֶחָת is the pausal form.

Its development is actually not so complicated: ’aH(H)ad- + feminine -t- = ’aH(H)adt-, and the d assimilated into the t, making ’aH(H)att-. The rest is straightforward.

The geminated t explains why there is a patach in the non-pausal absolute form.


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## Ali Smith

We should recall that when we have the definite article before an unstressed ח, ה, or ע, and the latter has a קמץ, the definite article changes its vowel to סגול. In fact, in the case of ח, the letter doesn't even have to be unstressed, e.g. הֶחָג 'the procession; the round dance; the festival, feast'.

So, the rule is that when one of the above three consonants is 1. historically geminated, 2. unstressed, 3. followed by a קמץ, and 4. preceded by a פתח, the פתח changes into a סגול. If the consonant is ח, however, it need not be unstressed.

Now, as Drink mentioned, the pausal form of אַחַת is אֶחָת. Why? Because the ח is historically geminated and is followed by קמץ and preceded by a פתח. Actually, this is an example of the final vowel lengthening in pause. Occasionally, you get a recessive accent. Here, with the pausal form showing up as קמץ, the preceding vowel becomes a סגול before the חָ. And, of course, this form in construct is אַחַת־ (the same as the absolute) because the ח no longer has a קמץ.

Similarly, the construct form of אֶחָד is אַחַד־ because the ח no longer has a קמץ.

I think there is some debate among Semitists as to whether that middle consonant should be geminated or not, but it can be demonstrated in Hebrew that it had to have been in Proto-Hebrew for these various changes to have occurred.


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## JAN SHAR

So,

feminine absolute: אַחַת
feminine construct: אַחַת־
feminine pausal: אֶחָת

masculine absolute: אֶחָד
masculine construct: אַחַד־
masculine pausal: ?


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## Drink

Masculine pausal is same as non-pausal absolute. The vowel is already lengthened as it is.


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