The 'tonic' syllable is the syllable that receives the stress or accent; the 'pretonic' syllable is the syllable before the tonic syllable, and the 'propretonic' syllable is the syllable before the pretonic. Don't let this nomenclature intimidate you: in the Scriptures, accented syllables are usually identified with one or more accent marks (see below).
The Masoretes and the Masoretic Text
Between the 7th and 9th centuries A.D, a group of Jewish scribes called the Masoretes added vowel signs (nikkudot), cantillation symbols and accent marks (ta'amim) to the text. This process came to be known as the Masorah (tradition). The marked text was called the Masoretic Text and became the standard text for the Jews around the world.
Accents of the Masoretic Text
Every word in the Tanakh (except those joined by a hyphen or maqqef) carries an accent mark on its 'tonic' syllable (i.e., the syllable that receives the stress). In the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia there are 27 prose and 21 poetic accent marks used in the text. These marks (like the vowel marks) may appear above or below the word.
Three Main Accent Marks
Most accent marks can be classified according to whether they are disjunctive (pausal) or conjunctive (connecting).
Typing Diacritical Marks
- Atnach - Placed under the last word of the first half of a verse.
- Silluq - Placed under the last word of the second half of a verse.
- Munach - Placed under a word that is connected with a following word.
Disjunctive Accents
Disjunctive accents mark a pause or break in the reading of the text, and function something like commas, semicolons, and colons in English. There are 18 disjunctive accent marks you might see in the Masoretic text, but the two most important are:
Conjunctive Accents
Conjunctive accents connect two words in the text. There are 9 conjunctive accent marks you might see in the Masoretic text, but the most important is:
Section: Internet Tutorial: International Letters Fabulous Code Chart for International Letters (Diacritical Marks) for PC and MAC (AlT & HTML) Many special characters from Latin-based languages can be entered on an English keyboard by entering ALT codes via the keyboard's numeric pad. The three accent marks available in Greek were used originally to indicate variations in pitch. These three marks are called acute (τόν), grave (τὸ), and circumflex (τῶν). By the time of the New Testament, though, these pitch variations had begun to be replaced by simple stress accent. Common Diacritical Marks Diacritical markings are added to the top or bottom of a letter to indicate appropriate stress, special pronunciation, or unusual sounds not common in the Roman alphabet. Acute accent: This diacritic (´) often indicates primary stress (as in. Fundamental » All languages » English » All topics » Communication » Language » Writing » Orthography » Letters, symbols, and punctuation » Diacritical marks. English names of diacritical marks. Jun 28, 2019 Diacritical Marks in English. There are literally dozens of diacritical marks, but it is helpful to learn the basic diacritics in English, as well as their functions. Some of the marks and explanations are adapted from a list of diacritical marks created by Professor Wheeler.
The following shows Genesis 1:1 as you might see it in a typical Masoretic text:
List Of Diacritical Marks
The 'tonic' syllable is the syllable that receives the stress or accent; the 'pretonic' syllable is the syllable before the tonic syllable, and the 'propretonic' syllable is the syllable before the pretonic. Don't let this nomenclature intimidate you: in the Scriptures, accented syllables are usually identified with one or more accent marks (see below).
The Masoretes and the Masoretic Text
Between the 7th and 9th centuries A.D, a group of Jewish scribes called the Masoretes added vowel signs (nikkudot), cantillation symbols and accent marks (ta'amim) to the text. This process came to be known as the Masorah (tradition). The marked text was called the Masoretic Text and became the standard text for the Jews around the world.
Accents of the Masoretic Text
Every word in the Tanakh (except those joined by a hyphen or maqqef) carries an accent mark on its 'tonic' syllable (i.e., the syllable that receives the stress). In the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia there are 27 prose and 21 poetic accent marks used in the text. These marks (like the vowel marks) may appear above or below the word.
Three Main Accent Marks
Most accent marks can be classified according to whether they are disjunctive (pausal) or conjunctive (connecting).
- Atnach - Placed under the last word of the first half of a verse.
- Silluq - Placed under the last word of the second half of a verse.
- Munach - Placed under a word that is connected with a following word.
Disjunctive Accents
Disjunctive accents mark a pause or break in the reading of the text, and function something like commas, semicolons, and colons in English. There are 18 disjunctive accent marks you might see in the Masoretic text, but the two most important are:
Conjunctive Accents
Conjunctive accents connect two words in the text. There are 9 conjunctive accent marks you might see in the Masoretic text, but the most important is:
The following shows Genesis 1:1 as you might see it in a typical Masoretic text: