Dageš Lene is a diacritical point used in Biblical Hebrew to indicate the hard (non-aspirated) pronunciation of the six בְּגַדְכְּפַת consonants, typically appearing at the beginning of words or syllables and not following a vowel (which would instead take Dageš Forte). It restores the original plosive articulation of these letters, as seen in contrasts like מֶלֶךְ (mèlĕkh) vs. מַלְכּוֹ (malkô). A special form, known as Dageš Orthophonicum, appears in some manuscripts and editions (e.g., Baer), even outside the Begadkephat group, to prevent misreading or to mark syllabic boundaries (e.g., בְּכָל־לִּבִּי, מַחְסִּי). Though debated by scholars like Ginsburg, this usage is preserved in select textual traditions. When Dageš Forte occurs in a Begadkephat letter, it overrides any aspiration, enforcing a hardened pronunciation (e.g., אַפִּי from אַנְפִּי). Thus, Dageš Lene plays a crucial role in preserving phonetic clarity and grammatical precision in the Hebrew consonantal system.
1. Definition and Function
Dageš Lene is the diacritical point indicating the hardening of certain consonants. In standard printed Hebrew texts, it appears only in the six letters known collectively as בְּגַדְכְּפַת (see §6n).
Its function is to restore or preserve the original hard (non-aspirated) pronunciation of these consonants. For example:
- מֶלֶךְ (mèlĕkh) – soft k
- מַלְכּוֹ (malkô) – hard k (with Dageš)
- תָּפַר (tāphar) vs. יִתְפֹּר (yithpōr)
- שָׁתָה (šāthā) vs. יִשְׁתֶּה (yišṭeh)
2. Placement of Dageš Lene
The rules governing the placement of Dageš Lene are explained in detail in §21. In general, it is found:
- Primarily at the beginning of words or syllables.
- Not after a vowel (which instead takes Dageš Forte).
Therefore:
- אַפִּי (ʾappî) – Dageš Forte
- רַבִּים (rabbîm) – Dageš Forte
- יִגְדַּל (yigdal) – Dageš Lene
3. Orthophonic Dageš
A special variety of Dageš Lene appears in several manuscripts and in the editions of Baer, though Ginsburg (see Introduction, pp. 121, 130, 603, 662) and others often reject it—along with the Ḥaṭēph forms discussed in §10g.
This form of Dageš is inserted even in consonants outside the Begadkephat group, to mark syllabic separation. Notable examples include:
- בְּכָל־לִּבִּי – avoids merging of identical letters (Psalm 9).
- מַחְסִּי (*maḥ-sî*) – not to be read as măḥa-sî (Psalm 62).
- לֹו לֹּא or לֹא לּוֹ – seen in Deuteronomy 32 and Habakkuk 1–2. Ginsburg retains this reading except in Genesis 38.
Franz Delitzsch refers to this as Dageš Orthophonicum (see Commentary on Psalm 94, 1874; also Luth. Zeitschrift, 1863, p. 413; and Complutensische Varianten, Leipzig 1878, p. 12).
4. Interaction with Dageš Forte
When Dageš Forte is placed within a Begadkephat letter, it overrides aspiration. Thus, the letter is always pronounced in its hardened form.
Example:
- אַפִּי – from a theoretical base אַנְפִּי, with aspiration suppressed by the strengthening Dageš.
5. Reference:
Ginsburg, Introduction, pp. 114 ff.: “Dagesh and Raphe.”
