# Geresh
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Geresh.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geresh
> Source revision: 1357116285
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{{Short description|Mark used in Hebrew}}
{{for|the Torah cantillation mark of the same name|Geresh (trope)}}
{{distinguish|Gares}}
{|class=wikitable style="float:right; margin:3px; width:20em;"
!colspan=3|Geresh
|-style='line-height:310%; text-align:center;'
|[diacritic](/source/diacritic),
[punctuation](/source/punctuation) mark||{{Script/Hebrew|size=300%|׳}}||{{Script/Hebrew|size=300%|וכו׳}}
|-style='line-height:310%; text-align:center;'
|[cantillation](/source/Hebrew_cantillation) mark||{{Script/Hebrew|size=300%|֜}} or {{Script/Hebrew|size=300%|֝}}||{{Script/Hebrew|size=300%|הָאָ֜רֶץ}}
|-
!colspan=3|compare with [apostrophe](/source/apostrophe)s
|-
|align=center colspan=3 |{{Script/Hebrew|size=180%|style=line-height: 120%;|'וכו׳', 'הָאָ֜רֶץ'}}
|}
{{Hebrew punctuation}}
'''Geresh''' ({{Script/Hebrew|size=180%|׳}} in [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): {{script/Hebrew|גֶּרֶשׁ}}[{{Cite GHG|15|f}}] or {{Script/Hebrew|גֵּרֶשׁ}}[{{cite dictionary |title=[Even-Shoshan Dictionary](/source/Even-Shoshan_Dictionary) |year=2003 |first=Avraham |last=Even-Shoshan |author-link=Avraham Even-Shoshan |language=he}}][{{cite dictionary |first1=Shoshana |last1=Bahat |first2=Mordechay |last2=Mishor |title=Dictionary of Contemporary Hebrew |year=2007 |language=he}}] {{IPA|he|ˈɡeʁeʃ|}}, or [medieval](/source/Tiberian_vocalization) {{IPA|he|ˈɡeːɾeːʃ|}}) is a sign in Hebrew writing. It has two meanings.
#An [apostrophe](/source/apostrophe)-like [sign](/source/sign) (also known colloquially as a '''''chupchik''''')[{{cite web |last1=Kordova |first1=Shoshana |title=Word of the Day / Chupchik צ'וּפְּצִ'יק |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2013-03-03/ty-article/.premium/word-of-the-day-chupchik/0000017f-f5b3-d460-afff-fff71b340000 |website=[Haaretz](/source/Haaretz) |access-date=29 October 2014 |date=3 March 2013 |language=en |url-access=registration}}] placed after a letter:
#* as a [diacritic](/source/diacritic) that modifies the [pronunciation](/source/pronunciation) of some [letters](/source/Letter_(alphabet)) (only in modern Hebrew),
#* as a [diacritic](/source/diacritic) that signifies [Yiddish](/source/Yiddish) [origin](/source/etymology) of a word or [suffix](/source/suffix),{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} (examples below)
#* as a [punctuation mark](/source/punctuation_mark) to denote [initialisms](/source/initialisms) or abbreviations,
#* or to denote a single-digit [Hebrew numeral](/source/Hebrew_numerals)
# A note of [cantillation](/source/Hebrew_cantillation) in the reading of the [Torah](/source/Torah) and other [Biblical](/source/Biblical) books, taking the form of a curved diagonal stroke placed above a letter.
==Diacritic==
As a [diacritic](/source/diacritic), the Geresh is written immediately after (left of) the letter it modifies. It indicates three sounds native to speakers of [modern Hebrew](/source/modern_Hebrew) that are common in [loan word](/source/loan_word)s and [slang](/source/slang): {{IPA|[dʒ]}} as in '''''j'''u'''dg'''e'', {{IPA|[ʒ]}} as in ''mea'''s'''ure'' and {{IPA|[tʃ]}} as in '''''ch'''ur'''ch'''''. In transliteration of [Arabic](/source/Arabic), it indicates Arabic [phonemes](/source/phonemes) which are usually [allophones](/source/allophones) in modern Hebrew: {{IPA|[ɣ]}} is distinguished from {{IPA|[r]}} and {{IPA|[ħ]}} is distinguished from {{IPA|[χ]}}. Finally, it indicates other sounds foreign to the [phonology](/source/phonology) of modern Hebrew speakers and used exclusively for the transliteration of foreign words: {{IPA|[ð]}} as in '''''th'''en'', {{IPA|[θ]}} as in '''''th'''in'', {{IPA|[sˤ]}}; and, in some transliteration systems, also {{IPA|[tˤ]}}, {{IPA|[dˤ]}} and {{IPA|[ðˤ]}}. It may be compared to the usage of a following ''h'' in various Latin digraphs to form other consonant sounds not supported by the basic Latin alphabet, such as "sh", "th", etc.
===Loanwords, slang, foreign names and transliterations===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="10" align=center | [Loanwords](/source/Loanwords), [slang](/source/slang), foreign names, and transliteration of foreign languages
|-
!! colspan="5" | Without Geresh
!! colspan="5" | With Geresh
|-
! Symbol !! [Name](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) !! [Translit.](/source/Transliteration_of_Hebrew) !! IPA !!Example !! Symbol !! [Name](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) !! [Translit.](/source/Transliteration_of_Hebrew) !! IPA!!Examples
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ג}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ג}}
| ''[gimel](/source/gimel)''
| g
| {{IPAblink|ɡ}}
| '''g'''ap
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ג׳}}
| ''[gimel](/source/gimel) with a geresh''
| j (or g)
| {{IPAblink|dʒ}}
| '''J'''upiter, '''G'''eorge
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ז}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ז}}
| ''[zayin](/source/zayin)''
| z
| {{IPAblink|z}}
| '''z'''oo
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ז׳}}
| ''[zayin](/source/zayin) with a geresh''
| g, j
| {{IPAblink|ʒ}}
| '''J'''acques, bei'''g'''e, vi'''s'''ion
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|צ}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|צ}}
| ''[tsadi](/source/tsadi)''
| ts
| {{IPAblink|ts}}
| ca'''ts'''
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|צ׳}}
| ''[tsadi](/source/tsadi) with a geresh''
| ch
| {{IPAblink|tʃ}}
| '''ch'''ip
|-
|}
===Transcriptions of Arabic===
There are six additional letters in the [Arabic alphabet](/source/Arabic_alphabet). They are [Ṯāʾ](/source/%E1%B9%AE%C4%81%CA%BE), [Ḫāʾ](/source/%E1%B8%AA%C4%81%CA%BE), [Ḏāl](/source/%E1%B8%8E%C4%81l), [Ḍād](/source/%E1%B8%8C%C4%81d), [Ẓāʾ](/source/%E1%BA%92%C4%81%CA%BE), and [Ghayn](/source/Ghayn). Also, some letters have different sounds in [Arabic phonology](/source/Arabic_phonology) and [modern Hebrew phonology](/source/modern_Hebrew_phonology), such as [Jīm](/source/Gimel).
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan=12 align=center | Distinction when transcribing [Arabic](/source/Arabic_language)[{{cite web |website=[Academy of the Hebrew Language](/source/Academy_of_the_Hebrew_Language) |url=http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/PDF/taatiq2007.pdf |title=Rules for the transcription of Arabic into Hebrew |pages=5–6 |language=he |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228042853/http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/PDF/taatiq2007.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-28}}]
|-
!! colspan="6" | Without Geresh
!! colspan="6" | With Geresh
|-
! Symbol !! [Name](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) !! [Translit.](/source/Transliteration_of_Hebrew) !! [Arabic letter](/source/Arabic_alphabet) !! IPA !!Example !! Symbol !! [Name](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) !! [Arabic letter](/source/Arabic_alphabet) !! IPA!!Example !!Comments
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ג}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ג}}
| ''[gimel](/source/gimel)''
| g
| [Egyptian / Yemeni](/source/Arabic_phonology) [Jīm (ج)](/source/Gimel)
| {{IPAblink|ɡ}}
| '''g'''ood
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ג׳}}
| ''[gimel](/source/gimel) with a geresh''
| [Jīm (ج)](/source/Gimel)
| {{IPAblink|dʒ}}
| Al-'''J'''azeera ({{lang|ar|rtl=yes|الجزيرة}})
| align="left" |
* Also used with other loan words and transliterations for /dʒ/
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ד}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ד}}
| ''[dalet](/source/dalet)''
| d
| [Dāl (د)](/source/Dalet)
| {{IPAblink|d}}
| '''d'''oor
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ד׳}}
| ''[dalet](/source/dalet) with a geresh''
| [Ḏāl (ذ)](/source/%E1%B8%8E%C4%81l)
| {{IPAblink|ð}}
| '''Dh'''u [a]l-Hijjah ({{lang|ar|rtl=yes|ذو الحجة}})
| align="left" |
* Also used for English voiced th
* Often a simple [Dalet (ד)](/source/Dalet) is written
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ח}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ח}}
| ''[heth](/source/heth)''
| ẖ / h, ḥ, or h
| [Ḥaʾ (ح)](/source/Heth)
| {{IPAblink|ħ}}
| Non existent in English, pronounced like an "h" while contracting the [pharynx](/source/pharynx)
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ח׳}}
| ''[heth](/source/heth) with a geresh''
| [Ḫāʾ (ﺥ)](/source/%E1%B8%AA%C4%81%CA%BE)
| {{IPAblink|χ}}
| Shei'''kh''' ({{lang|ar|rtl=yes|شيخ}})
| align="left" |
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ת}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ת}}
| ''[tav](/source/Taw)''
| t
| [Tāʾ (ت)](/source/Taw)
| {{IPAblink|t}}
| '''t'''ail
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ת׳}}
| ''[tav](/source/Taw) with a geresh''
| [ṯāʾ (ث)](/source/%E1%B9%AE%C4%81%CA%BE)
| {{IPAblink|θ}}
| ʿu'''th'''man ({{lang|ar|rtl=yes|عثمان}})
| align="left" |
* Also used for [English](/source/english_language) voiceless th
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ס}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ס}}
| ''[samekh](/source/samekh)''
| s
| [Sīn (س)](/source/Shin_(letter))
| {{IPAblink|s}}
| '''s'''un
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ס׳}}
| ''[samekh](/source/samekh) with a geresh''
| [Ṣad (ص)](/source/tsade)
|
{|class="collapsible collapsed"
!style="font-weight:normal"|{{IPAblink|ˤ|sˤ}}
|-
|[[Pharyngealization|pharyngealized [s]]]; approximate pronunciation by pronouncing a [voiceless](/source/voiceless) "s" while constricting the [pharynx](/source/pharynx) or the [larynx](/source/larynx)
|}
|
| align="left" |
* May also be transcribed with the corresponding Hebrew letter צ
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ר}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ר}}
| ''[resh](/source/resh)''
| r
| [Rāʾ (ر)](/source/Resh)
| {{IPAblink|r}}
| French r
|rowspan=2 align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ר׳}}
|rowspan=2| ''[reish](/source/resh) with a geresh''
|rowspan=3| [Ghayn (غ)](/source/Ghayn)
|rowspan=3| {{IPAblink|ɣ}}
|rowspan=3| Abu '''Gh'''osh ({{lang|ar|rtl=yes|أَبُو غوش}})
|rowspan=3| Standard simplified: {{Script/Hebrew|ר׳}} and {{Script/Hebrew|ע׳}}; however, {{Script/Hebrew|ר׳}} is proscribed by the [Academy of the Hebrew Language](/source/Academy_of_the_Hebrew_Language). {{Smaller|Another precise proscribed transcription is {{Script/Hebrew|גֿ}}; in some cases of established usage, a {{Script/Hebrew|ג}} with no diacritics is used.}}
|-
|colspan=6| The predominant pronunciation is [uvular](/source/uvular_consonant) {{IPA|[ʁ, ʀ]}}, therefore ''resh'' is spelled without geresh for that pronunciation. Other [accentual](/source/accent_(sociolinguistics)) variants include an [alveolar](/source/alveolar_consonant) pronunciation {{IPA|[ɾ, r]}}.
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ע}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ע}}
| ''[ayin](/source/ayin)''
| [’](/source/Apostrophe)
| [ʿAyn (ع)](/source/Ayin)
|
{|class="collapsible collapsed"
!style="font-weight:normal"|{{IPAblink|ʕ}} ←→ {{IPAblink|ʢ}}, sometimes {{IPAblink|ʡ}} or {{IPAblink|ˤ|ʔˤ}}
|-
|Ranges from [pharyngeal fricative](/source/pharyngeal_consonant) {{IPA|[ʕ]}} to [epiglottal fricative](/source/epiglottal_consonant) {{IPA|[ʢ]}}, sometimes an [epiglottal stop](/source/epiglottal_stop) {{IPA|[ʡ]}} or a [pharyngealized](/source/pharyngealization) [glottal stop](/source/glottal_stop) {{IPA|[ʔˤ]}}; approximate pronunciation by constricting the [pharynx](/source/pharynx) or the [larynx](/source/larynx)
|}
|
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ע׳}}
| ''[ayin](/source/ayin) with a geresh''
|-
|}
===Transliteration of foreign names===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan=10 align=center | Distinction when transcribing foreign names[{{cite web |website=Academy of the Hebrew Language |url=http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/PDF/LAT-HEB.pdf |title=Rules for the transcription of foreign names into Hebrew |pages=5–6 |language=he |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910083326/http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/PDF/LAT-HEB.pdf |archive-date=2008-09-10 }}]
|-
!! colspan="5" | Without Geresh
!! colspan="5" | With Geresh
|-
! Symbol !! [Name](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) !! [Translit.](/source/Transliteration_of_Hebrew) !! IPA !!Example !! Symbol !! [Name](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) !! [Translit.](/source/Transliteration_of_Hebrew) !! IPA!!Example
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ד}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ד}}
| ''[dalet](/source/dalet)''
| d
| {{IPAblink|d}}
| '''d'''oor
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ד׳}}
| ''[dalet](/source/dalet) with a geresh''
| [English](/source/English_language) voiced th
| {{IPAblink|ð}}
| '''th'''en
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ת}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ת}}
| ''[tav](/source/taw)''
| t
| {{IPAblink|t}}
| '''t'''ail
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ת׳}}
| ''[tav](/source/taw) with a geresh''
| [English](/source/English_language) voiceless th
| {{IPAblink|θ}}
| '''th'''ing
|-
| align="center" dir="rtl"|{{anchor|ו}}{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ו}}
| ''[vav](/source/Waw%2FVav_(letter))''
| v
| {{IPAblink|v}}
| '''v'''ote
| align="center"|{{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|וו}} or {{Script/Hebrew|size=200%|ו׳}}
(non-standard{{ref label|w_sounding_vav|*|}})
| ''[vav](/source/Waw%2FVav_(letter)) with a geresh
or double [vav](/source/Waw%2FVav_(letter))''
| w
| {{IPAblink|w}}
| '''W'''illiam
|-
|}
;Note
:'''*''' {{note|w_sounding_vav}} Both double-vav and vav with geresh are non-standard and inconsistently used.[{{Cite web |url=http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/PDF/taatiq2007.pdf |title=Transliteration Rules |access-date=2008-03-17 |archive-date=2008-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228042853/http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/PDF/taatiq2007.pdf |url-status=dead }} issued by the [Academy of the Hebrew Language](/source/Academy_of_the_Hebrew_Language) state that both {{IPAblink|v}} and {{IPAblink|w}} be indistinguishably represented in Hebrew using the letter Vav. Sometimes the Vav is indeed doubled, however not to denote {{IPA|[w]}} as opposed to {{IPA|[v]}} but rather, when [spelling without niqqud](/source/Ktiv_male), to denote the [phoneme](/source/phoneme) {{IPAslink|v}} at a non-initial and non-final position in the word, whereas a single Vav at a non-initial and non-final position in the word in spelling without niqqud denotes one of the phonemes {{IPAslink|u}} or {{IPAslink|o}}. To pronounce foreign words and [loanword](/source/loanword)s containing the sound {{IPA|[w]}}, Hebrew readers must therefore rely on former knowledge and context, see also [pronunciation of Hebrew Vav](/source/Waw_(letter)).]
===Yiddish origin===
Some words or suffixes of [Yiddish](/source/Yiddish) origin or pronunciation are marked with a geresh, e.g. the [diminutive](/source/diminutive) [suffix](/source/suffix) {{lang|he|rtl=yes|לֶ׳ה}} – {{lang|yi-Latn|-le}}, e.g. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|יענקל׳ה}} – {{lang|he-Latn|Yankale}} (as in [Yankale Bodo](/source/Yaakov_Bodo)), or the words {{lang|he|rtl=yes|חבר׳ה}} – {{IPA|[ˈχevre]}}, 'guys' (which is the Yiddish pronunciation of Hebrew {{lang|he|rtl=yes|חבורה}} {{IPA|[χabuˈra]}} 'company'), or {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תכל׳ס}} – {{IPA|[ˈtaχles]}}, 'in the end' or 'to conclude', from Hebrew {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תכלית}} {{IPA|[taχˈlit]}}, 'ending'.
==Punctuation mark==
The geresh is used as a punctuation mark in [initialism](/source/initialism)s and to denote [numerals](/source/Numerical_digit).
===Indicating initialisms===
In [initialism](/source/initialism)s, the Geresh is written after the last letter of the initialism. For example: the title {{lang|he|rtl=yes|גְּבֶרֶת}} (literally "lady") is abbreviated {{lang|he|rtl=yes|גב׳}}, equivalent to English "Mrs" and "Ms".[{{cite web |website=Academy of the Hebrew Language |url=http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/decision5.html |script-title=he:הפיסוק - מבחר כללים |trans-title=The punctuation - a selection of rules |access-date=2007-10-28 |language=he |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015065211/http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/decision5.html |archive-date=2007-10-15 |url-status=dead}}]
===Denoting a numeral===
A Geresh can be appended after (left of) a single letter to indicate that the letter represents a [Hebrew numeral](/source/Hebrew_numeral). For example: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|ק׳}} represents 100. A multi-digit Hebrew numeral is indicated by the [Gershayim](/source/Gershayim) {{angle bracket|״}}.
==Cantillation mark==
{{main|Geresh (trope)}}
As a note of [cantillation](/source/Hebrew_cantillation) in the reading of the [Torah](/source/Torah), the Geresh is printed above the accented letter: {{Script/Hebrew|size=180%|style=line-height: 120%;|ב֜}}. The '''{{lang|he-Latn|Geresh Muqdam}}''' (lit. 'a Geresh made earlier'), a variant cantillation mark, is also printed above the accented letter, but slightly before (i.e. more to the right of) the position of the normal Geresh: {{Script/Hebrew|size=180%|style=line-height: 120%;|ב֝}}. As a cantillation mark it is also called {{lang|he-Latn|Ṭères}} ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|טֶרֶס}}).