The gutturals א and ה exhibit notable phonological weakness in Biblical Hebrew, especially in final or unstressed syllables. The letter א often loses its consonantal force at the end of a syllable, functioning instead as a vowel indicator, as seen in forms like מָצָא and מָלֵא. It retains its consonantal value when beginning value when beginning a syllable, following a Ḥaṭeph vowel, or in closed syllables with quiescent Šewâ, though even then it may weaken or disappear entirely. In some cases, א is replaced by matres lectionis such as ו, י, or ה, or is elided altogether, especially in inflected forms (e.g., יָצָ֫תִי for יָצָ֫אתִי). Conversely, scribes occasionally added א for orthographic reasons, as in אָבוּא or לוּא. The letter ה, while stronger than א, also weakens in certain contexts—particularly at word endings where it often serves as a vowel marker unless preserved by Mappîq. In medial positions, ה may be lost through syncope or replaced by other vowel letters, especially in Aramaic-influenced forms. These patterns reflect the gradual erosion of guttural consonantal strength and the increasing reliance on vowel letters for phonological clarity.
1. The Weakening of א in Final Syllables
The guttural א, being a light breathing sound, generally loses its consonantal power at the end of a syllable. It then functions merely as a vowel marker:
- מָצָא, מָלֵא, הוֹצִיא (but מְצָאַ֫נִי, הֽוֹצִיאַ֫נִי when a syllable is added)
- מְצֹא, כָּלוּא, מָצָ֫אתָ, תִּמְצֶ֫אנָה
- Also in חֵטְא, וַיַּרְא, שָׁוְא, דֶּ֫שֶׁא, פֶּ֫לֶא
2. Retention of א as a Consonant
א retains consonantal force when:
- Beginning a syllable: אָמַר, מָֽאֲסוּ
- Following a Ḥaṭeph: לֶֽאֱכֹל
- In a closed syllable with quiescent Šewâ: וַיֶּאְסֹר, נֶאְדָּר, יַאְדִּ֫ימוּ
But it can still be weakened:
- רָאשִׁים (from reʾāšîm), מָאתַ֫יִם (from meʾātháyim)
- שָׁאטְךָ (for שְׁאָֽטְךָ), בּוֹדָאם, מאוּם, פֻּארָה, חֹטִאים
- מְלָאכָה (for מַלְאָכָה), יִשְׁמָעֵאל, שְׂמֹאל
3. א in Closed Syllables
When א closes a syllable, it may be:
- Pronounced with Ḥaṭeph (־ֲ or ־ֱ)
- Omitted phonetically, while the vowel before is lengthened: וַיָּ֫אצֶל (for וַיַּֽאֲצֵל), פָּארוּר, לֵאמֹר, וַֽאדֹנָי
4. Substitution with Matres Lectionis
א may be replaced by:
- ו (for ô): רֵים for רְאֵם
- י (for î or ê)
- Or ה at the end: יְמַלֵּה for יְמַלֵּא
5. Complete Elision of Quiescent א
- יָצָ֫תִי for יָצָ֫אתִי, מָלֵ֫תִי for מָלֵאתִי, מָצָ֫תִי
- וַיְרַפּוּ for וַיְרַפְּאוּ
- תּוֹמִם for תְּאוֹמִם, שֵׁרִית for שְׁאֵרִית
- רֵמִים for רְאֵמִים, גֵּוָה for גְּאֵוָה
- נָשֹׁא for נָשֹׁהּ, שֵׁנָא for שֵׁנָה
6. Scribal Additions of א
- הָֽלְכוּא for הָֽלְכוּ, אָבוּא, נָקִיא for נָקִי
- לוּא for לוּ, אֵפוֹא for אֵפוֹ, רִבּוֹא for רִבּוֹ
7. The Nature of ה
ה is stronger than א and retains its consonantal value in the middle of words, except when:
- Elided by syncope: לַבֹּ֫קֶר for לְהַבֹּ֫קֶר
- כַּיּוֹם for כְּהַיּוֹם, יֽוֹנָתָן for יְהֽוֹנָתָן
At the end of a word, ה is usually a vowel marker unless it has Mappîq. Loss of consonantal force leads to use of רָפֵה (e.g. לָהֿ for לָהּ).
8. Changes to Other Vowel Letters
ה marking vowel endings may shift to:
- ו: רָאוֹ for רָאֹה
- י: חַכֵּי for חַכֵּה
- א: Especially in Aramaic spellings: שֵׁנָא, נָשֹׁא
Final ה as a vowel letter is thus of orthographic, not phonetic, importance.
