$ 2. PUNCTUATION; DAGESH.

DAGESH.

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5. Dagesh lene is subject to the same general rules as in Hebrew.

a. The pron. suff. and never receive it.

·

b. In some editions, in the middle of a word is treated as a diphthong, and the next letter does not receive Dagesh lene; as "n baithî. Generally however is regarded as a proper consonant, and we find

♫ băy-ti, gelǎy-tā.

c. Nouns of the form 7 (Heb. 2) are treated as though the ground-form was 72, and Dagesh is inserted in the where a mixed

מַלְכִּי, מַלְכָּא syllable precedes; as

6. Dagesh forte compensative

a. Is inserted in the first radical of verbs ; e. g. PIN for PRIN, Aphel from PPT.

b. In nof the passive prefix n it compensates for the omission of

. אִתְאַקְטַל for אֶתַּקְטַל .the characteristic prefix of Aphel, e. g א

Note. The peculiarity of the Chaldee in both these cases is, that the letter for which compensation is made would, if the word were fully written, have succeeded the letter in which Dagesh forte is inserted. In Hebrew this is unusual, and where it occurs might perhaps be denominated Chaldaism. Comp. Heb. Gr.* § 261.

c. Sometimes, especially in the later Chaldee, it compensates for the omission of quiescents and consequent shortening of the vowel preceding the letter in which Dagesh forte is inserted; as NEN instead of N Gen. 3: 2. Pseud. Jon. The converse of this also takes place; § 7. a. (2).

7. Forms which regularly exhibit Dagesh forte, but sometimes appear with a different orthography.

a. The letter sometimes takes the place of Dagesh forte, even where the radical form does not exhibit a ; e. g. Dan. 2: 25, instead of or by from. This may have arisen from an imperfect acquaintance with Chaldee. A Jew, on perceiving that was expressed in Chaldee in many cases where his own language required Dagesh forte or a long vowel compensating for it, would perhaps be liable to employ it even where it was not required by good Chaldee usage. See below 6. a. note. Gesenius, Lehrg. § 33. 3.

b. Very frequently no compensation is made for the exclusion of Dagesh forte from gutturals; e. g. 77 Gen. 3: 3. w 2 K. 21: 6.

c. As in Hebrew, Dagesh forte is sometimes dropped when the letter in which it would regularly be inserted has Sheva. Heb. Gram. §73. note 3. * The Hebrew Grammar referred to throughout this work, is that of Prof. Stuart, 4th edit.

MAPPIQ.

8. Mappiq is inserted, as in Hebrew, in where it is

not quiescent.

a. In the Pronominal suffixes and —, comp. § 8.

b. In

when it occurs as the last radical of a verb or noun and is

not quiescent; e. g. Ps. 131: 1.

Dan. 2: 28.

ACCENTS.

9. a. In the Chaldee portions of the original Scriptures, the same accents are employed, and subject to the same rules, as in Hebrew, only that the half-accent Metheg is much less regularly and less frequently inserted than in Hebrew.

b. In the Targum of Onkelos, the train of accents is substantially the same as in the original text. See Chrestomathy Part I. Note on No. 1.

c. To the text of the other Targums no accents have been appended.

$ 3. Tone-syllable.

The tone falls in Chaldee, (as in Hebrew,) usually on the last syllable. The following forms are exceptions, and are accented on the penultimate.

1. Segolate nouns which follow the Hebrew form; as

-which however occur almost exclu ,בָּנַיִן, טַעַם מֶלֶךְ

sively in the biblical Chaldee.

as

2. Verbal forms terminating in N N and 1: nbup, nɔup, nibûr, “bup, bur·

The German and Polish Jews place the tone in Chaldee (as they also do in Hebrew) on the penult. Whether this was the ancient

4. OF READING unpointed text.

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Babylonish accentuation, cannot be decided from the accentuation prevalent in Syriac; since two closely related dialects may differ widely in this respect. Were the vowels of the Chaldee, as we have them, entirely conformed to the old Babylonish pronunciation, we should have, in them, a clew to the ancient accentuation.

$ 4. Of reading unpointed text.

As points have not been attached to all the Chaldee text, and since the unpointed, (besides the use of the matres lectionis N, 1, ", which obtains likewise in Heb.) presents some peculiarities, it may be well here to notice, as an assistance in reading without vowels, one usage at least, which obtains in the Targums, viz. that a double or is sometimes employed.

(a) In the middle of a word: either to indicate that

e. N

, מִצְוָתָא .i. e מצוותא these letters are moveable ; as or that they are to be pronounced ; תנינא .i. e תניינא חַיָּבִין .i. e חייבין אתְדַּחַת .i. e אתדווחת double ; as

TT:

(b) In the end of a word, especially when it is necessary to distinguish between the pronouns " and "; as

רַגְלַי .i. e רגליי

Note. Only one abbreviation occurs in the Targums, viz. “ for ""—". The Talmud abounds with them. See J. Buxtorf De Abbreviat. Hebr. Basil. 1640. 8vo.

PART II.

ETYMOLOGY.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHICH REGULATE THE DERIVATION AND INFLECTION OF WORDS.

§ 5. The subject generally.

1. Before entering upon the derivation and modifications of the various parts of speech, it will be necessary to notice briefly the general principles according to which these changes take place. In Chaldee, as in every other language, these changes respect partly consonants, and partly vowels, which will naturally divide this subject into two parts.

2. It is proper to distinguish, among the changes of consonants and vowels with which we meet in the inflections of the parts of speech, between those which are necessary, and those which are the result of euphony. The former class includes those changes which are essential to permanent forms, those which run through the language, and which form, so to speak, its substratum. Such are the terminations of the persons in verbs, and of the numbers in nouns. Those changes, on the other hand, may be reckoned euphonical, which are not essential to the form, but result simply from facility of utterance;

6. MUTATIONS OF CONSONANTS.

23

as

, נֶאֱדַיִן instead of בֵאדַיִן קְטְלִין instead of קְטְלִין . אתסחר instead of אִסְתְּחָר

:

of.

So in Latin we have immi

nutus for inminutus, mi for mihi, hodie for hoc die, &c. It is plainly with this latter class of changes that we are at present chiefly concerned.

§ 6. Mutations of Consonants.

The derivation and inflection of words, so far as they depend on the consonants, are effected by other letters (beside those which compose the root), being prefixed, inserted or suffixed; or by the radicals themselves being omitted, doubled or commuted with other letters; e. g.

from. For these purposes the Chaldee employs the letters N, 7, 1, 1, 2, 3,. It belongs to the details of etymology to exhibit the manner in which these servile letters are employed in each particular case. Those changes only will be noticed in this place, which, in the formation and inflection of words, are the results of euphony. Such are the assimilation, transposition, omission, commutation and insertion of consonants.

a. Assimilation takes place regularly, (1) Of the letter , when it occurs as the final consonant of a mixed syllable and immediately precedes another consonant. Thus instead

. מכתב instead of מִכְּתָב יְפַק is commonly written יִנְפַק of

T ::

Comp. § 18.-(2) Of in the passive prefix with a succeeding or 7, more rarely with any other letter. See § 10. 5.

Note. The converse of this takes place, when, instead of doubling a

אבה for אִנְבֵּהּ; קְצֵי for קִנְצֵי .is inserted; e. g ב consonant, the letter

Job 31: 12. Dan. 4: 9. (This takes place however in only a few words which must be learned by practice.)—" also is so used in the later Tar

-in מִילֵי .Gen. 38: 9. Pseudo-Jon אקרון instead of אִיקָרוֹן .gums ; e. g

stead of Eccl. 10: 12.