A Dictionary of the Art of Printing/Hebrew Script
Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac
Harmonical Alphabet, Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac.
The rest of Arabic and Syriac is on its own page.
| Arabic. | Hebrew. | Syriac. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elif | ـا | א | [#] |
| Ba | بـ | ב | [#] |
| Ta | تـ | ת | [#] |
| Tsa | ثـ | [#] | [#] |
| Djim | جـ | [#] | [#] |
| Ha | حـ | ה | [#] |
| Kha | خـ | [#] | [#] |
| Dal | ـد | ד | [#] |
| Dzal | ـذ | [#] | [#] |
| Ra | ـر | ר | [#] |
| Za | ـز | ז | [#] |
| Sin | سـ | ס | [#] |
| Schin | شـ | ש | [#] |
| Sad | صـ | צ ץ | [#] |
| Dhad | ضـ | [#] | [#] |
| Tha | طـ | ט | [#] |
| Dha | ظـ | [#] | [#] |
| Aïn | عـ | ע | [#] |
| Ghaïn | غـ | [#] | [#] |
| Fa | فـ | פ ף | [#] |
| Kaf | قـ | ק | [#] |
| Caf | كـ | כ ך | [#] |
| Lam | لـ | [#] | [#] |
| Mim | مـ | מ ם | [#] |
| Noun | نـ | נ ן | [#] |
| Hé | هـ | ח | [#] |
| Waw | ـو | ו | [#] |
| Ya | يـ | י | [#] |
Ethiopic
page 215
"In Ethiopic each separate word is distinguished by two thick points, and the periods by four or more." The last column of the table is Hebrew.
| 1. | ሀ: | Hoi. | h, | ה |
| 2. | ለ: | Lawi. | l, | ל |
| 3. | ሐ: | Haut. | m, | ח |
| 4. | መ: | Mai. | m, | מ |
| 5. | ሠ: | Saut | ss, | ס |
| 6. | ረ: | Rees. | r, | ר |
| 7. | ሰ: | Saat. | ss, | ש |
| 8. | ቀ: | ’Kaph. | 'k, | ק |
| 9. | በ: | Beth. | b, | ב |
| 10. | ተ: | Tawi. | t, | ת |
| 11. | ኀ: | Harm. | h, | ח |
| 12. | ነ: | Nahas. | n, | נ |
| 13. | አ: | Alph. | a, | א |
| 14. | ከ: | Caph. | c, | כ |
| 15. | ወ: | Wawe. | w, | ו |
| 16. | ዐ: | Ain. | a, | ע |
| 17. | ዘ: | Zai. | z Fr. | ז |
| 18. | የ: | Jaman. | j, | י |
| 19. | ደ: | Dent. | d, | ד |
| 20. | ገ: | Geml. | g, | ג |
| 21. | ጠ: | ’Tait. | 't | ט |
| 22. | ጰ: | ’Pait | 'p, | פ |
| 23. | ጸ: | ’Zadai. | 'z, | צ |
| 24. | ፀ: | ’Zappa. | 'z, | צ |
| 25. | ፈ: | Aph. | f, | פ |
| 26. | ፐ: | Psa. | p, | פ |
Of these ጰ: and ፐ: are used
page 216-218
... these seven, ሰ: ተ: ነ: ከ: ዘ: ደ: ጠ:
... these three, መ: በ: and ለ:
... except ግ:
... coalesces with ዘ:, in this manner [#]: as [ለ#ለብሔ#]:
... it appears that ሀ: ሐ: and [#]:, also ሠ: and [#]:, also [#]: and ዐ:, and lastly ጸ: and ዐ:
These four ቀ:, ጠ:, ጰ:, and ጸ: or ፀ:
| l. | ፩: | α’ |
| 2. | ፪: | β’ |
| 3. | ፫: | γ’ |
| 4. | ፬: | δ’ |
| 5. | ፭: | ε’ |
| 6. | ፮ | ϛ’ |
| 7. | ፯: | ζ’ |
| 8. | ፰: | η’ |
| 9. | ፱: | θ’ |
| 10. | ፲: | ι’ |
| 20. | ፳: | κ’ |
| 30. | ፴: | λ’ |
| 40. | ፵: | μ’ |
| 50. | ፶: | ν’ |
| 60. | ፷: | ξ’ |
| 70. | ፸: | ο’ |
| 80. | ፹: | π’ |
| 90. | ፺: | ϟ’ |
| 100. | ፻: | ρ’ |
| 200. | ፪፻: | σ’ |
| 300. | ፫፻: | τ’ |
| 400. | ፬፻: | υ’, &c. |
| 1000. | ፲፻: | ... ዐሠረፑ: ምላት: |
The other numbers ... as ፲፩: 11. ፲፪: 12.&c. ፳፩: 21. ፳፪: 22. &c. ፻፩: 101. ፻፪:102.
| I. ă. | II. u. | III. i. | IV. ā. | V. ē. | VI. ĕ, ˘y. | VII. o. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H. | ሀ: | ሁ: | ሂ: | ሃ: | ሄ: | ህ: | ሆ: |
| L. | ለ: | ሉ: | ሊ: | ላ: | ሌ: | ል: | ሎ: |
| H. | ሐ: | ሑ: | ሒ: | ሓ: | ሔ: | ሕ: | ሖ: |
| M. | መ: | ሙ: | ሚ: | ማ: | ሜ: | ም: | ሞ: |
| S. | ሠ: | ሡ: | ሢ: | ሣ: | ሤ: | ሥ: | ሦ: |
| R. | ረ: | ሩ: | ሪ: | ራ: | ሬ: | ር: | ሮ: |
| S. | ሰ: | ሱ: | ሲ: | ሳ: | ሴ: | ስ: | ሶ: |
| ’K. | ቀ: | ቁ: | ቂ: | ቃ: | ቄ: | ቅ: | ቆ: |
| B. | በ: | ቡ: | ቢ: | ባ: | ቤ: | ብ: | ቦ: |
| T. | ተ: | ቱ: | ቲ: | ታ: | ቴ: | ት: | ቶ: |
| H. | ኀ: | ኁ: | ኂ: | ኃ: | ኄ: | ኅ: | ኆ: |
| N. | ነ: | ኑ: | ኒ: | ና: | ኔ: | ን: | ኖ: |
| A. | አ: | ኡ: | ኢ: | ኣ: | ኤ: | እ: | ኦ: |
| C. | ከ: | ኩ: | ኪ: | ካ: | ኬ: | ክ: | ኮ: |
| W. | ወ: | ዉ: | ዊ: | ዋ: | ዌ: | ው: | ዎ: |
| A. | ዐ: | ዑ: | ዒ: | ዓ: | ዔ: | ዕ: | ዖ: |
| Z. | ዘ: | ዙ: | ዚ: | ዛ: | ዜ: | ዝ: | ዞ: |
| J. | የ: | ዩ: | ዪ: | ያ: | ዬ: | ይ: | ዮ: |
| D. | ደ: | ዱ: | ዲ: | ዳ: | ዴ: | ድ: | ዶ: |
| G. | ገ: | ጉ: | ጊ: | ጋ: | ጌ: | ግ: | ጎ: |
| ’T. | ጠ: | ጡ: | ጢ: | ጣ: | ጤ: | ጥ: | ጦ: |
| ’P. | ጰ: | ጱ: | ጲ: | ጳ: | ጴ: | ጵ: | ጶ: |
| ’Z. | ጸ: | ጹ: | ጺ: | ጻ: | ጼ: | ጽ: | ጾ: |
| ’Z. | ፀ: | ፁ: | ፂ: | ፃ: | ፄ: | ፅ: | ፆ: |
| F. | ፈ: | ፉ: | ፊ: | ፋ: | ፌ: | ፍ: | ፎ: |
| P. | ፐ: | ፑ: | ፒ: | ፓ: | ፔ: | ፕ: | ፖ: |
... the letters ው: and ይ:
... [####]: months, [####]:
four letters [#]:, [#]: [#]: and [#]:
| I uă. | III ui. | IV uā. | V ue. | VI uy. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'K. | [#]: | [#]: | [#]: | [#]: | |
| H. | [#]: | [#]: | [#]: | ||
| Q. | [#]: | [#]: | |||
| G. | [#]: | [#]: | [#]: |
Hebrew
pages 311-320
The Hebrew Alphabet.
page 311
| Names. | Figure. | Finals | Similitude. | Sound or power of the letters. | Number. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleph | א | spiritus lenis | 1 | ||
| Bheth | ב | כ ב | bh; with dagesh, בּ b | 2 | |
| Ghimel | ג | נ ג | gh; with dagesh, גּ g | 3 | |
| Dhaleth | ד | ר ך ד | dh; with dagesh, דּ d | 4 | |
| He | ה | ת ח ה | h | 5 | |
| Vau | ו | ן ז ו | v, or the digamma vv. | 6 | |
| Zajin | ז | z or s | 7 | ||
| Hheth | ח | hh; harder than ה, softer than כ, similar in sound to the Greek [#] chi. | 8 | ||
| Teth | ט | מ ט | t. | 9 | |
| Jodh | י | ו י | i or j. | 10 | |
| Chaph | כ | ך | 20 | ||
| Lamedh | ל | l. | 30 | ||
| Mem | מ | ם | m. | 40 | |
| Nun | נ | ן | n. | 50 | |
| Samech | ס | ם ס | s, sounds like the hissing of a goose or serpent | 60 | |
| Ghnaiin | ע | ץ ע | sounds like the bleating of a calf in the absence of its dam. | 70 | |
| Phe | פ | ף | ph or f; with a dagesh, פּ p. | 80 | |
| Tzade | צ | ץ | ts, with a harder hiss than ז. | 90 | |
| Koph | ק | k or q. | 100 | ||
| Resh | ר | r, the canine or barking letter, imitating, by the quivering of the tongue, the snarling growl of a dog. | 200 | ||
| Schin | שׁ | sch | 300 | ||
| Sin | שׂ | s | |||
| Thau | ת | th; with a dagesh תּ t | 400 |
page 312
Long.
Kamets ָ ā
Tseri ֵ ē
Great Chirek י ִ ēī
Hholem or Cholem וֹ ō
Shurek וּ ū, or ōō
Short.
Patach ַ ă
Segol ֶ ĕ
Little Chirek ִ ĭ
Kamets Catuph, or short (ָ) ָ ŏ
Kybbutz ֻ ŭ
Sheva (ְ) is sounded like very short e....
... but the first is changed into (ִ) (ַ) or (ֶ) chiefly on account of a guttural and ר: very seldom into (ָ).
Dagesh lene removes the aspiration from the six letters בְּגַדכְּפַת....
Mappik is a point in הּ final only, but vanishes on an increase of the word.
{One, called rebia, [#], i. e. sitting over.
{Two, called royal zakeph katon, [#],
{Three, called royal segolta, [#], an inverted (ֶ).
{between two words [#][#], termed pesick, or musical pause
{Metheg [#], or bridle
{Royal silluk, [#], end, which is placed before ([#]) soph-*pasuk,
{... royal zakeph gadhol [#],
{... royal tebhir, [#],
page 313
Leader pashta, [#], extension
Subservient kadtna, [#], antecedent
Lender geresh, [#], expulsion.
Gereshajim, [#], two expellers
Leader tiphcha, [#], fatigue
Of subservient Merca, [#], lengthening out,
Merca kephula, [#],
The transverse line is either right or curved, thus: [#] [#].
The right line is placed between two words, connecting them together, thus, [###], and is called maccaph, i.e. connexion.
The curved, or waved line, [#], is called leader, zarka, or, the disperser, from its modulation and figure.
Either, on the left, when it is placed at the head of the word, [#], and is called leader telisha the greater, or, the great evulsion.
Or, on the right, when it is placed at the end, [#], and is called subservient telisha the less.
On both together, [#], called leader karne para, the horns of the heifer, from its modulation and figure.
Subservient hillui, [#], elevated'
Munack, [#], placed below
Leader jethtith, [#], drawing back
Subservient makpach, [#], inverted
single subservient darga, [#], a degree.
double, leader, shalsheleth, [#], a chain
When above the letter it has a small line attached to it on the left, [#],
When below the letter, it is pointed either downwards, [#], called royal athnach, respiration, as the voice must rest on it, and respire; or upwards, [#], subservient
page 314a (top)
.... Job xxxviii. 1. and xl. 6. where נ is at the end.
These seven letters ת ר ם ל ה ח א are sometimes lengthened, ....
The units are compounded with the tens and hundreds, as יא which is 11, קא which is 101, and so on: but for יה which is 15 is טו which is 9 and 6, lest the sacred name יָהּ Jah should be profaned.--Buxtorf</i.
page 314b (bottom)
You may choose to treat this as an illustration
Rabbinical Script
| א [#] | Aleph. |
| ב [#] | Beth. |
| ג [#] | Gimel. |
| ד [#] | Daleth. |
| ה [#] | He. |
| ו [#] | Vau. |
| ז [#] | Zain. |
| ח [#] | Cheth. |
| ט [#] | Teth. |
| י [#] | Jod. |
| כ [#] | Caph. |
| ל [#] | Lamed. |
| מ [#] | Mem. |
| נ [#] | Nun. |
| ס [#] | Samech. |
| ע [#] | Ain. |
| פ [#] | Pe. |
| צ [#] | Tzaddi. |
| ק [#] | Koph. |
| ר [#] | Resch. |
| ש [#] | Schin. |
| ת [#] | Tau. |
The finals are the same as in Hebrew, the forms of which they also imitate, in this manner, [# #], [# #], [# #], [# #], [# #].
The two letters [#] and [#] are often connected by the Rabbins in this manner, [#]; as, [#] for הָאֵל Deus, [##] for אֶלָּא sed.
It is also to be remarked that they write the name of God in different ways; namely, the Tetragrammaton, or [##] with the Targumists, or [##], or [###] and abbreviated [##], nomen illud, i.e. the most excellent; but in expressing the word [#####], they change the letter [#] into [#] or [#], thus, [#####] or [#####], which agrees with a general superstition of the Jews.
... the three letters [# # #], which are called the mothers of reading, are used in order to assist the reader. Thus (1.) [#] denotes Kamets in [####] , turpido, [####] confessum, [####] redemit eos, &c; (2.) Vau denotes Cholem, Kybbutz, and Kametscatuph; as, [#####] vocare, [####] visitans; [####] for כֻלָּם omnes illi, [#####] for כְהֻנָּה sacerdotium, [######] for לְפָתְּרוֹ ad explicandum illud, &c; (3.) Jod denotes Chirek, Tseri, Segol, and occasionally in the Talmud both simple and compound Sheva; as, [#####] precatio,
Punctuation (“Points”)
To the Hebrew experts: in what follows, some words or characters may be more appropriate to transliterate than to transcribe. Let the PM know what you think. Series of apostrophes should be rendered as ’ or ´ for wiki purposes.
page 316a (top)
[####] annunciavit, [####] perdidit; also [#####] for פֵרוּש explicatio, [####] for אֵלַי ad me, [####] for שֵׁנִי secundus, [###] for בֵּהּ in eo, [####] for בְרֵהּ filius ejus, and so continually to mark the feminine affix בְּרָהּ.
The rules for the vowels, and for the Sheva, both simple and compound, and also for the diphthongs, are the same as in the Hebrew and Chaldee.
[#] is often absorbed by crasis, as, [#####] for מָצֵי אֲנָא possum, as if it were potens ego, [#####] scio, also of the feminine by an enallage frequent in this contraction, thus in [###] and [####] for [### ##] and [#### ##] non est. In the same manner [#] is omitted by the Jews in [#####] for [######] psalmi. But many others are accustomed to be contracted in this manner by the Jews of Jerusalem, viz., [#] in [####] for [#####] quasi, [##] for [###] et tu, [##] for [###] quod tu, [###] for [####] quod ego, [########] for [### ### ######] quodnam est illud; [#] in [###] for [####] illis; [#] in [####] for [#####] sub; [#] in [##], [###], or [####], for [####] ante.
Apocope is frequent among the Talmudists, as, [##] for [###] domus, or [###] inter. So in the pronouns both separate and suffixed, [###] for [####] vos, [##] for [###] vos, vester, [##] for [###] illis, suis; also in the feminine, [##] for [###], [##] for [###]; and in the verbs, as, [####] for [#####] docui, [#####] sustulistis, [####] stans, &c.
Aphæresis also occurs, though seldom, in [##] for [###] unus, [##] for [###] ego, [##] for [###] nos, [##] for [###] dixit.
page 316b (bottom)
They leave the Dagesh, both lene and forte, to be collected from analogy, but where it may be difficult to guess at, as in the preterite Pihel, the letter [#] indicates the little Chirek as well as the Dagesh forte, as, [###] for כִסָּה texit; and in defectives the letter which had been thrown aside is sometimes restored, as, [###] for יִקֹם ulciscetur, from [###] ulcisci.
A point at the end of a letter generally denotes a number, as, [#] unum, [##] duo, [##] tria, &c; but at the end of two or more letters it signifies a word cut off by a certain abbreviation, as, [##] for [###] dixit, [####] for [####] dicere, [##] [##] for הַשֵׁם יִתְבָרֵךְ Deus benedictus, [###] for וְגוֹמַר et cætera, in an abrupt passage of Scripture, [####] for וְכֻלּוֹ et totum illud, in sacred or profane use. Also [###] for פֵרוּשׁ interpretatio, or פֵרֵשׁ interpretatus est, [##] for [###] Rabbi, Magister, [##] for שֶׁנִּאֱמַר quia dictum est, &c.
A double point affixed to a letter indicates either compound numbers, as, [###] 14, [####] 15, [#####] 444; or letters taken materially, as, [#####] Aleph, [####] Beth, [#####] Gimel, &c.; or lastly abbreviations by initial letters alone, denoting entire words, which is called [##### ####]; the number of these is very great, as [#####], that is, ([###]) [### #### ##] si voluerit (or juverit) Deus, [####] אִם כֵן si sic, si verum est, [#######] for [# ## ## ##] אַף עַל פִי שֶׁ etsi, quanquam, [#####] or [######] for [### #####] or [### #### #####] Deus benedictus, Deus sanctus benedictus; [#####] for [##### ###] Deus benedictus, [####] for [##### #####] memoria ejus sit in benedictione, or in the plural number [##### ######] memoria eorum sit in benedictione; [####] for [##### ##] parce et pax sit, that is, absit; [####] for [##### ##] sunt qui dicunt; [####] for [## ######] sunt qui interpretentur; [###] for יֵשׁ לוֹמַר est dicere, respondendum est; [####] for
page 317a (top)
[##### #### ######] custodiat eum petra ejus, et redemptor ejus; [####] for כִּי אִם sed, nisi; [####] for [#####] tantopere; [####] for [#######] omnibus modis; [####] for [######] quantò magis, quantò minus; [####] for לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם in honorem Dei; [####] for [########] nihilominus, tamen; [####] for עַל דֶרֶךְ more, in modum; [####] for [##### ####] super quo pax, [####] for [### #####] cultus alienus, idololatria; [####] for [## ##] ad formam, modum; [####] for עַל צַד ad latus, juxta; [#####] for [### #####] expositio alia; [####] for [#### ####] vult dicere. Also [######] Rabbi Aben-Ezra, [#####] Rabbi David Kimchi, [######] Rabbi Levi Ben Gerson, [######] Rabbi Moses Ben Maiemon, [#####] Rabbi Salomon Iarchi, or Isaac, &c., which are also read abbreviated, and, as it were, figuratively, Raba, Radak, Ralbag, Rambam, Raschi, &c.
Accents are omitted in Rabbinical books; but in pronouncing words the Hebrew accent is transposed from the last syllable to the penultimate, thus, they read [##### ### ######] Beréschith bóro Elóhim, [### ####] aúlom hábbo; for Vau Cholem is generally pronounced as the diphthong au, and the vowel Kamets as an o.
page 317b (bottom)
The purer Rabbins commonly use Hebrew words, but they have also some words peculiar to themselves, which are either borrowed from other languages, as, for example, from the Chaldee, אִילָן arbor, גַדָּא fortuna, חָזַר rediit, &c.; from the Greek, [####], [###], aër, [####] [#######] signum, [#####], [#####], donum, [#####], [#######], idiota, [#######], [########], [########] apertè, palàm, &c.; from the Latin, [#######] hospes and hospitium, [#####] and [#######] palatium, &c.; and even from the Hebrew, but in a Syro-Chaldaic signification, as, [###] rependit, ultus est, [###] sustulit, [###] volavit, [###] destruxit, &c., or taken evidently in a new sense, as, [###] hæreticus, [###] argumentando objecit. Also these three, [####] cœlum, [#####] locus, and [#####] fortitudo, are often put for Deus, God.
[#], from the full particle קָא, prefixed to words expletively, and without any increase of signification, seems to be numbered with the serviles by the Talmudists, and which the more vulgar Rabbins, as Rabbi Lipman and the like, who are careless of a correct style, also imitate, as, [#####] qui dixit, [###] [#####] [###] quid fecit Moses? [###] [#######] [#####] [##] non introduxerunt eum, &c.
Case Diagrams
Upper Case
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | | [#] | [#] || | [#] | | [#] | | [#] | [#] | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] || [#] | [#] | [#] | | [#] | [#] | | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] || [#] | | | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | | [#] | | [#] | [#] || [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | || [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] || | | | | | | | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | [#] | [#] | | [#] | [#] | | [#] || |broad| | [#] | [#] | [#] | [#] | | | | | | | | || | [#] | | | | | | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Lower Case
+---------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---+------------+------------+ |[#] |[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]||[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]| [#] | [#] | +---------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---+------------+------------+ |Quadrats.|[#]| [#] | [#] | [#] || [#] | [#] |[#]|[#]| [#] | [#] | | | | | | || | | | | +------------+ | | | | | || | | | | | [#] | +---------+---+-------+-------+-------++-------+---+---+---+---+------------+------------+ |En |[#]| [#] | [#] | [#] || [#] |[#]|[#]|[#]|[#]|En quadrats.|Em quadrats.| |quads. | | | | || | | | | | | | +---------+ | | | || | | | | | | | |Em | | | | || | | | | | | | |quads. | | | | || | | | | | | | +---------+---+-------+-------+-------++-------+---+---+---+---+------------+------------+ |Hair |[#]| [#] | [#] |Spaces.|| [#] | [#] |[#]|[#]| Quadrats. | |spaces. | | | | || | | | | | +---------+ | | | || | +---+---+ | |Spaces. | | | | || | |[#]|[#]| | +---------+---+-------+-------+-------++-------+-------+---+---+-------------------------+
The lower case letters are also arranged as near to the English plan as is possible: the א (a) in the a box; the ב (b) in the b box, &c.
That's all folks!