The consonants ו and י in Biblical Hebrew are phonetically weak and often behave like the vowels u and i, especially in medial and final positions where they frequently lose their consonantal character. This weakening leads to various phonological changes: they may merge with preceding homogeneous vowels to form long vowels (e.g., יִיקַץ from yiyqaṣ), coalesce with prefixes (e.g., בִּֽיהוּדָה from biyhûdāh), or be rejected entirely at word-end, sometimes replaced by vowel letters like ה or transformed into long vowels (e.g., פְּרִי from piry). When preceded by ă, they often contract into ô or ê, or are dropped altogether, especially in weak verb forms (e.g., שָׁלָה from šālaw). Syriac and the Septuagint reflect similar tendencies, often rendering initial י as simple i. The choice of resulting long vowels depends on the original short vowel, and both contracted and uncontracted forms may coexist (e.g., עַוְלָה and עוֹלָה). These shifts illustrate the fluid boundary between consonant and vowel in the behavior of ו and י, and their role in shaping Hebrew morphology and phonology.
Philippi, in his work Die Aussprache der semit. Konsonanten ו und י (referenced above in § 5 b, note 1), provides an in-depth study of their phonetic value as consonantal—non-syllabic—vowel sounds, and not as palatal or labial fricatives. See also E. Sievers, Metrische Studien, i. 15.
a. General Nature of ו and י
The consonants ו and י are phonetically weak and closely resemble the vowels u and i. Under specific conditions, they readily assimilate into these vowels. This behavior is particularly significant in weak roots that contain ו or י as one of the three radicals (cf. § 69 ff., § 85, § 93).
1. Disappearance of Consonantal Character
The weakening of ו and י into vowels occurs predominantly in the middle and end of words. At the beginning of words, they retain their consonantal status.
b. Merging After Homogeneous Vowels
When ו or י with quiescent Šewâ follows a homogeneous vowel (u or i) at the end of a syllable, they typically merge with that vowel. In effect, the consonant becomes a vowel and contracts with the preceding vowel to form one long vowel. Orthographically, the letter is often retained as a vowel letter.
Examples:
- הוּשַׁב for huwšab
- יִיקַץ for yiyqaṣ
- עִבְרִי (‘Hebrew’, properly ʿibrîy), עִבְרִיָּה, עִבְרִיִּים, or עִבְרִים
- עָשׂוּ (Job 41) for עָשׂוּו; cf. עֲשׂוּוֹת (1 Samuel 25, Kethîbh)
However, if the preceding vowel is heterogeneous, ו and י are retained as full consonants (cf. § 8 m):
Examples:
- שָׁלֵו (“quiet”)
- זִו (“month of May”)
- גּוֹי (“nation”)
- גָּלוּי (“revealed”)
When preceded by ǎ, ו and י typically contract into ô and ê (see § 24f), or are sometimes rejected altogether (see § 24g).
c. Coalescence After Prefixes
Initial יְ following the prefixes בְּ, וְ, כְּ, לְ (which would produce ĭ), often coalesces with the ĭ into a long î.
Examples:
- בִּֽיהוּדָה (“in Judah”, for בִּיְהוּדָה)
- וִֽיהוּדָה (“and Judah”)
- כִּיאֹר (“as the Nile”)
- לִֽיהוּדָה (“to Judah”)
- מִידֵי (“from the hands of”)
d. Rejection at Word-End
When ו or י would end a word without a vowel and follow a quiescent Šewâ, they may be:
- Wholly rejected and replaced orthographically by ה (e.g., בֶּ֫כֶה from bikhy; cf. בְּכִי)
- Transformed into vowel letters: י becomes Ḥireq and attracts the tone (e.g., פְּרִ֫י from piry) and ו becomes a toneless u (e.g., תֹּ֫הוּ from tuhw)
e. Syriac and LXX Parallels
In Syriac, the weak consonants often become vowel sounds even at the start of words. Thus, a simple i may substitute for יְ or יִ. The LXX mirrors this by transliterating Hebrew names with Ι, e.g.:
- Ἰουδά for יְהוּדָה
- Ἰσαάκ for יִצְחָק
The Syriac also tends to draw back the i vowel to the previous consonant:
- וִיֽלֲלַת (Jeremiah 25, Ben-Naphtali reading) for וְיִֽלֲלַת
- כִּֽיתְרוֹן (Ecclesiastes 2) for כְּיִתְרוֹן
- וִיחֵ֫לּוּ (Job 29, some editions) for וְיִ֫חֵלּוּ
Qimḥi reports that יִקְטֹל was pronounced iqṭōl; hence the first person form was marked אֶקְטֹל for clarity. Babylonian pointing consistently uses ĭ for ä in the first person.
f. Choice of Long Vowel
When ו and י lose consonantal force and merge into vowels, the resulting long vowel depends on the original short vowel:
- With short u or i: become û or î
- With short ă: form diphthongs ô or ê (cf. § 7 a)
Examples:
- מֵיטִיב from מַיְטִיב
- יוֹשִׁיב from יַוְשִׁיב
g. Rejection After ă
The half vowels ו and י are often rejected at the end of a word after a heterogeneous vowel (ă) when contraction is not possible. This is especially seen in verbs ל״ה.
Examples:
- גָּלַי becomes גָּלָה (via galā)
- שָׁלָה from šālaw
Other related forms:
- יִגְלֶה – see § 75 e
- קָם as perfect and participle of קוּם
- יֵלֵד from ולד – see § 69 b
For the weakening of ו and י into א, see § 93 x.
Additional Notes
- ו and י are sometimes transcribed as u̯ and i̯ by comparative linguists.
- The form וּ for וְ is an exception (see § 26.1, § 104 e).
- Initial י may represent i, especially in Qimḥi’s view (§ 47 b).
- Initial ו often becomes י in Hebrew (especially in פ״ו roots, cf. § 69 a).
- True initial ו occurs rarely: וָו (“hook”), וָלָד (“child” – cf. יֶ֫לֶד elsewhere), וָזָד (Proverbs 21 – doubtful).
Other non-contracted examples include:
- מַיְמִינִים (1 Chronicles 12)
- אַיְסִירֵם (Hosea 7)
- הַיְשַׁר (Psalm 5, Qerê)
- Locatives: בַּ֫יְתָה, מִצְרַ֫יְמָה
Forms with both contracted and uncontracted versions:
- עַוְלָה and עוֹלָה
- חַי (absolute), חֵי (construct)
- מָ֫וֶת (“death”) from ground-form mawt; construct: מוֹת
- עַ֫יִן (“eye”), construct: עֵין
In Arabic, etymological forms such as גַּלַי are written but pronounced galā. Similarly, LXX renders סִינַי as Σινᾶ, Vulgate: Sina. Arabic also writes שלא but pronounces it salā.
