How Do You Spell DAGESH?

Pronunciation: [dˈe͡ɪd͡ʒəʃ] (IPA)

The word "dagesh" is a Hebrew term that refers to a dot or a point that is added to certain Hebrew letters to indicate they should be doubled. It is pronounced /ˈdɑːɡəʃ/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first sound is a voiced dental fricative /ð/, followed by a long open back unrounded vowel /ɑː/. The third sound is a voiced velar plosive /ɡ/, which is followed by the second syllable with a schwa /ə/ and a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/. The spelling of the word "dagesh" is based on the Hebrew script, where the letters are written from right to left.

DAGESH Meaning and Definition

1. Dagesh is a Hebrew term that refers to a diacritic mark used in the Hebrew writing system. Literally translating to "emphasis" or "strengthening," Dagesh is a dot placed within a Hebrew letter to indicate a change in pronunciation or to reinforce the sound value of a specific consonant.

   The function of Dagesh is twofold. Firstly, it modifies certain letters by hardening their pronunciation. In Hebrew, some consonants have both a "soft" and "hard" form, and Dagesh is used to strengthen the hard variant. This reinforcement alters the phonetic value of the letter, producing a more pronounced sound for the corresponding consonant.

   Secondly, Dagesh serves to differentiate between two similar-sounding Hebrew letters. For example, in Hebrew script, the letters "bet" and "vav" have similar pronunciation. However, when a Dagesh is placed within the letter "bet," it changes the pronunciation to a hard "b" sound, contrasting with the soft "v" sound of the letter "vav."

   The exact placement of Dagesh within a letter can vary, as it depends on the specific letter and its corresponding sound. Its presence or absence can significantly alter the meaning and pronunciation of a word in Hebrew. Dagesh plays a crucial role in maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the Hebrew language, ensuring proper pronunciation and understanding of written Hebrew texts.

Common Misspellings for DAGESH

• sagesh
• xagesh
• cagesh
• ragesh
• eagesh
• dzgesh
• dsgesh
• dwgesh
• dqgesh
• dafesh
• davesh
• dabesh
• dahesh
• dayesh
• dagwsh
• dagssh
• dagdsh
• dagrsh
• dag4sh
• dag3sh

Etymology of DAGESH

The word "dagesh" is of Hebrew origin. It comes from the Hebrew root דֶגֶשׁ (dalet, gimel, shin), which means "to strengthen" or "to reinforce". In Hebrew linguistics, a dagesh is a diacritic mark placed inside a Hebrew letter to indicate that it should be pronounced with a doubled sound or "hard" consonant. The term "dagesh" itself refers to this diacritic mark and has been adopted into English language studies of Hebrew.