Languages & Linguistics

When reading this section of Amos on Saturday, something struck me about this verse (Amos 9:11):

Specifically, the word "הַנֹּפֶ֑לֶת" (including the cantillation mark). Usually, when there's a word that generally has a segol ("eh" sound), if that segol is under an etnachta - that cantillation mark, which grammatically indicates a pause - that segol turns into a kamats ("ah" sound). With the segol, this word is read out loud as "HaNofelet"; with a kamats, I'd read it as "HaNofalet".

In fact, on the holiday of Sukkot, we say a version of this verse in the Grace After Meals, which includes the word in the "HaNofalet" version, which is another reason this jumped out at me.

Why doesn't the grammatical pause (the etnachta) here cause the usual effect of turning the segol into a kamats?

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Comments on Why is the word here "HaNofelet" and not "HaNofalet" when there's a grammatical pause?

Why is the word here "HaNofelet" and not "HaNofalet" when there's a grammatical pause?

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