[Mesorah] am vs. am

[Michael Hamm]

Achad shahat.

When does "am" (ayin-mem, "nation/people") get a kamatz and when a
patach, please?

It's clearly not a patach only when in s'michus (e.g. Bamidbar 22:5);
nor a kamatz only on asa"f (e.g. Ester 3:8); nor a kamatz only on all
mafsikim (e.g. Y'sha'ya 1:4).  So what is it?  My thought is that it's
a kamatz on mafsikim of a certain strength, but, alas, I don't know
the relative strengths of mafsikim (except asa"f), so can't test that
hypothesis.

Kol tuv,

Michael Hamm