[Avodah] Re;Hypercorrection

[Meir Shinnar]

Jay F. Schachter wrote, in response to someone writing that in rut the name is Naomi

This spelling appeared several times, so it must have been intentional.

It is a mistake.  It should be No`omi.
While I agree Naami is a mistake, and No’omi is one shitta, there are two legitimate shittot


Question is what determines when a kamatz is a kamatz katan.  There are two major shittot

a) word origin. This is embraced by most modern grammarians- one looks at the source of the word, and if the kamatz is instead of a cholam, it is a kamatz katan.  R Schachter embraces this legitimate shitta - as he points out that the name No’omi comes from Noam.

b) Kamatz katan is always (and only)  a kamatz in an unaccented, closed syllabie.  Thus, as the kamatz under the nun is in an open syllable, it is a kamatz gadol (or kamatz rachav)

The second shitta is one that is not popular amongst most modern grammarians.  However, raw Shlomo Tal, in the introduction to the siddur he 
Rinat Yisrael, argues for the second shitta, saying it is the one used by all kehillot who have a long tradition of distinguishing a kamatz gadol from a kamatz katan, as well as that of ancient grammarians and baale mesorah.  (Ashkenozis didn’t make real distinction in pronunciation between kamatz gadol and kamatz katan)

One example where the difference between the two shittot becomes very clear is in the phrase from Tehillim 35:10 , said in nishmat  -  kal atzmotai tomarna. - rathter than kol atzmotai tomarna - because there is no makkaf between kal and atzmotai, so kall is an independent word and therefore has an accent - and therefore the kamatz is in accented closed syllable, so is a kamatz gadol..  Rav Tal says that alll the ancient and banal mesora testify it is a kamatz gadol

Naomi is an example of a common paradigm - kamatz followed by patach kamatz - where the two shittot usually disagree.  I would add that normal abazit pronunciation of those words is more like raw Schachter (eg, tzohoraim rather than tzahoraim)

Chag same’ach

Meir Shinnar



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