[Avodah] Shva Na's etc.

[Zev Sero]

On 17/5/19 4:08 pm, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> 
> I once asked someone more knowledgeable than me, and his answer was that 
> for this purpose, "The chataf-patach counts as a sheva. This word has 
> only two syllables. It is mi'l'eil."
> 
> He seemed to mean that the first syllable is "poa". I was stunned, and 
> walked away, disabused of the idea that I knew what a syllable is...
> 

As grammarians count them, rather than as ordinary people do, sh'va na 
is not a real vowel and does *not* make a syllable.  A sh'va at the 
beginning of a vowel becones na, and a chataf is just a fancy kind of 
sh'va na.   Therefore the official syllables in "poalei" are "po" and 
"alei".

-- 
Zev Sero            A prosperous and healthy 5779 to all
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper