Segolate
Segolates are words in the Hebrew language that end with the consonant-vowel structure CVCVC, where the penultimate vowel receives syllable stress. Such words are called "segolates" because the final unstressed vowel is typically (but not always) segol. These words evolved from older Canaanite and Semitic words that ended with two consonants; indeed, when a suffix (other than an absolute plural) is added to a segolate, the final vowel vanishes, and the penultimate vowel undergoes compensatory shortening.
In Hebrew
| *Ancient |
Tiberian |
Stem |
Meaning |
| *ʾarṥ |
אֶרֶץ/אָרֶץ |
ʾéreṣ/ʾāreṣ |
אַרְצ- |
ʾarṣ- |
earth; land |
| *ʾurn |
אֹרֶן |
ʾōren |
אָרְנ- |
ʾorn- |
pine tree |
| *baʿl |
בַּעַל/בָּעַל |
báʿal/bāʿal |
בַּעֲל- |
baʿăl- |
husband |
| *zarʿ |
זֶרַע/זָרַע |
zéraʿ/zāraʿ |
זַרְע- |
zarʿ- |
seed |
| *yayn |
יַיִן/יָיִן |
yáyin/yāyin |
יֵינ- |
yên- |
wine |
| *malḥ |
מֶלַח/מָלַח |
mélaḥ/mālaḥ |
מַלְח- |
malḥ- |
salt |
| *malk |
מֶלֶך/מָלֶך |
méleḵ/māleḵ |
מַלְכּ- |
malk- |
king |
| *kalb |
כֶּלֶב/כָּלֶב |
kéleḇ/kāleḇ |
כַּלְבּ- |
kalb- |
dog |
| *laḥy |
לֶחִי/לָחִי |
léḥî/lāḥî |
לַחֲי- |
laḥăy- |
cheek; tool jaw |
| *ʿIbr |
עֵבֶר |
ʿĒḇer |
עִבְר- |
ʿIḇr- |
Eber |
| *ʿayn |
עַיִן/עָיִן |
ʿáyin/ʿāyin |
עֵינ- |
ʿên- |
eye |
| *ṣadq |
צֶדֶק/צָדֶק |
ṣéḏeq/ṣāḏeq |
צַדְק- |
ṣaḏq- |
righteousness |
The ancient forms like *CawC (such as šawr "bull") almost universally evolved to non-segolate CôC (שׁוֹר šôr), though there are exceptions, such as the segolated proper name דָּוִד Dāwiḏ (David), which evolved from older *dawd. The same ancient form evolved into the Hebrew word דּוֹד dôḏ, which means "uncle" or (poetically) "beloved". The proper name also carries this meaning.
In Levantine Arabic
The Arabic language still permits words to end with two consonants, but Levantine Arabic does not. The Levantine dialects insert a final unstressed vowel in a similar manner as Hebrew segolates.
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