Holam

{{Short description|Hebrew niqqud vowel sign}}  {| align="right" class="wikitable" | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |'''''Holam''''' |- | colspan="2" style="background:white; height:100px; text-align:center;"| {{script/Hebrew|1=ֹ}} |- | IPA | style="background:white" | {{IPA link|o̞|o}} or {{IPA link|o̞}} |- | Transliteration | style="background:white" | o |- | English example | style="background:white" | sh'''o'''re |- | Similar sound | style="background:white" | Qamatz qaṭan, ḥataf qamatz |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|''{{Transliteration|he|Ḥolam}}'' Example |-style="line-height:2.5em;" | colspan="2" style="background:white; height:50px; text-align:center;"| {{script/Hebrew|1=נֹעַר}} |- | colspan="2" style="width:250px; background:white; text-align:center;" | The word ''{{Transliteration|he|noʿar}}'' (youth) in Hebrew. The first vowel (over Nun, the dot above) is the ''{{Transliteration|he|ḥolam}}''. |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| ''{{Transliteration|he|Ḥolam male}}'' Example |-style="line-height:2.5em;" | colspan="2" style="background:white; height:50px; text-align:center;"| {{script/Hebrew|1=חוֹלָם}} |- | colspan="2" style="width:250px; background:white; text-align:center;" | The word ''{{Transliteration|he|ḥolam}}'' in Hebrew. The letter vav {{angle bracket|{{Script/Hebrew|ו}}}} with the dot above it is the ''{{Transliteration|he|Ḥolam male}}'' itself. |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Other Niqqud |- | colspan="2" style="width:250px; background:white; text-align:center;"| Shva{{·}}Hiriq{{·}}Tzere{{·}}Segol{{·}}Patach{{·}}Kamatz{{·}}Holam{{·}}Dagesh{{·}}Mappiq{{·}}Shuruk{{·}}Kubutz{{·}}Rafe{{·}}Sin/Shin Dot |} '''Holam''' or '''cholam''' (modern {{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|חוֹלָם}}}}, {{IPA|he|χoˈlam|IPA}}, formerly {{Script/Hebrew|חֹלֶם}}, ''{{Transliteration|he|ḥōlem}}'') is a Hebrew niqqud vowel sign represented by a dot above the upper left corner of the consonant letter. For example, here the holam appears after the letter ''mem'' {{angle bracket|{{Script/Hebrew|מ}}}}&lrm;: {{Script/Hebrew|מֹ}}. In modern Hebrew, it indicates the mid back rounded vowel, {{IPAblink|o̞}}, and is transliterated as an ''o''.

The ''mater lectionis'' letter which is usually employed with holam is vav, although in a few words, the letters ''{{Transliteration|he|alef}}'' or ''{{Transliteration|he|he}}'' are used instead of ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}''. When it is used with a ''mater lectionis'', the holam is called ''holam male'' ({{Script/Hebrew|חוֹלָם מָלֵא}}, {{IPA|he|χoˈlam maˈle|IPA}}, "full holam"), and without it the holam is called ''holam haser'' ({{Script/Hebrew|חוֹלָם חָסֵר}}, {{IPA|he|χoˈlam χaˈser|IPA}}, "deficient holam").

==Appearance== If a holam is used without a following ''mater lectionis'' (vav, alef or he), as in {{Script/Hebrew|פֹּה}} ({{IPA|/po/}}, "here"), it is written as a dot above at the upper-left corner of the letter after which it is pronounced. Letter-spacing is not supposed to be affected by it, although some buggy computer fonts may add an unneeded space before the next letter.

[[File:Dor-Doar.svg|150px|thumb|left|In the word {{Script/Hebrew|דֹּאר}}, the Biblical Hebrew spelling of the name Dor, the alef is a ''mater lectionis'', and in traditional typography the holam is written above the {{Transliteration|he|alef}}'s right arm. In the word {{Script/Hebrew|דֹּאַר}} ({{IPA|/ˈdo.aʁ/}}, "mail"), the ''{{Transliteration|he|alef}}'' is a consonant (a glottal stop), under which appears the vowel ''{{Transliteration|he|pataḥ}}'', so the ''{{Transliteration|he|ḥolam}}'' is written above the previous letter's upper left corner. Not all fonts actually implement these placement rules, however.]] If vav is used as a ''mater lectionis'', the holam appears above the vav. If the ''mater lectionis'' is alef, as in {{Script/Hebrew|לֹא}} ({{IPA|/lo/}}, "no"), it is supposed to appear above the {{Transliteration|he|alef}}'s right hand, although this is not implemented in all computer fonts, and does not always appear even in professionally typeset modern books. This means a holam with ''{{Transliteration|he|alef}}'' may, in fact, appear in the same place as a regular ''holam haser''. If the alef itself is not a ''mater lectionis'', but a consonant, the holam appears in its regular place above the upper-left corner of the previous letter, as in {{Script/Hebrew|תֹּאַר}} ({{IPA|/ˈto.aʁ/}}, "epithet").

If a ''holam haser'' is written after ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'', as in {{Script/Hebrew|לִגְוֺעַ}} ({{IPA|/liɡˈvo.a/}}, "to agonize"), it may appear above the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'', or slightly farther to the left; this varies between different fonts. In some fonts, a holam merges with the shin dot (which appears on the upper-right corner of its letter seat), in words such as {{script/Hebrew|חֹשֶׁךְ}} (''ḥṓšeḵ'', {{IPA|[ˈχoʃeχ]}}, 'darkness') or with the sin dot, as in {{script/Hebrew|שֹׂבַע}} ({{IPA|/ˈsova/}}, 'satiation'). (These dots may or may not appear merged on your screen, as that depends on your device's Hebrew font.)

==Usage== ''Holam male'' is, in general, the most common way to write the {{IPA|/o/}} sound in modern spelling with niqqud. If a word has ''Holam male'' in spelling with niqqud, the ''mater lectionis'' letter ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' is without any exception retained in spelling without niqqud, both according to the spelling rules of the Academy of the Hebrew Language and in common practice.

The use of ''holam haser'' is restricted to certain word patterns, although many common words appear in them. In most cases the Academy's spelling rules mandate that the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' will be written even when the spelling with niqqud does not have it. The normative exceptions from this rule are listed below. The Academy's standard is not followed perfectly by all speakers, and common deviations from it are also noted below.

In Biblical Hebrew the above rules are not followed consistently, and sometimes the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' is omitted or added.<ref>''Academy Decisions: Grammar, 2nd edition'', §1.3; {{Cite GHG|8|l|nologo=1}}</ref>

For further complications involving ''Kamatz katan'' and ''Hataf kamatz'', see the article Kamatz.

===Holam haser which is written as ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in text without niqqud=== {{For|details on the transcription of Hebrew|Help:IPA/Hebrew|Modern Hebrew phonology}} * In words in which the penultimate syllable has the vowel {{IPA|/o/}} and is stressed (sometimes called ''segolate''): ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|קֹטֶר}} ('diameter') {{IPA|/ˈkoteʁ/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|זֹהַר}} ('radiance', ''Zohar''), {{IPA|/ˈzohaʁ/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|נֹגַהּ}} ('brightness', ''Nogah''), {{IPA|/ˈnoɡa(h)/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|דֹּאַר}} ('mail'), {{IPA|/ˈdo.aʁ/}} or {{IPA|/ˈdoʔaʁ/}}. : Some people tend to spell some of these words without the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'', e.g. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|דאר}} instead of {{lang|he|rtl=yes|דואר}}, although the Academy mandates {{lang|he|rtl=yes|דואר}}. The tendency is especially strong when the words can be used as personal names. * When ''Kubutz'' is changed to ''holam'' before guttural letters in the passive binyan Pual due to ''tashlum dagesh'' (a vowel-change due to the inability of guttural letters to carry a dagesh): ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מְפֹאָר}} ('fancy'), {{IPA|/məfoˈʔaʁ/}}. Without niqqud: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מפואר}}. ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פֹּרַשׁ}} ('was explained'), {{IPA|/poˈʁaʃ/}}. Without niqqud: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פורש}}. * In words which have the pattern /CaCoC/ in the singular and become /CəCuCCim/ with Kubutz in the plural, especially names of colors: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כָּתֹם}} ('orange'), {{IPA|/kaˈtom/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כְּתֻמִּים}} {{IPA|/kətumˈmim/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|עָגֹל}} ('round'), {{IPA|/ʕaˈɡol/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|עֲגֻלִּים}} {{IPA|/ʕaɡulˈlim/}}. * When the last letter of the root is guttural, ''holam haser'' is preserved due to ''tashlum dagesh'': ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שָׁחֹר}} ('black'), {{IPA|/ʃaˈχoʁ/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שְׁחֹרִים}} {{IPA|/ʃəχoˈʁim/}}. *: Without niqqud: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כתום}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כתומים}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|עגול}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|עגולים}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שחור}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שחורים}}. * A similar pattern, in which the last letter of the root is not doubled in declension, has ''holam male'' in the base form, which is preserved in declension: ** sg. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|גָּדוֹל}} ('big'), {{IPA|/ɡaˈdol/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|גְּדוֹלִים}} {{IPA|/ɡədoˈlim/}}. * In three words, a ''holam male'' is changed to a ''shuruk'' in declension: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מָגוֹר}} ('place of living'), {{IPA|/maˈɡoʁ/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מְגוּרִים}} {{IPA|/məɡuˈʁim/}}<ref>Rarely used in the singular in Modern Hebrew.</ref> ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מָנוֹס}} ('escape'), {{IPA|/maˈnos/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מְנוּסִים}} {{IPA|/mənuˈsim/}};<ref>Rarely used in the plural in Modern Hebrew.</ref> ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מָתוֹק}} ('sweet'), {{IPA|/maˈtok/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מְתוּקִים}} {{IPA|/mətuˈkim/}}.<ref>''Academy Decisions: Grammar, 2nd edition'', §1.3.</ref> * Similar to the above is the pattern /CəCaCCoC/, with reduplication of the second and third letters of the root: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פְּתַלְתֹּל}} ('crooked'), {{IPA|/pətalˈtol/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פְּתַלְתֻּלִּים}} {{IPA|/pətaltulˈlim/}}. Without niqqud: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פתלתול}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פתלתולים}}. * In the future, infinitive and imperative forms of most verbs in binyan Qal: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֶסְגֹּר}} ('I shall close'), {{IPA|/ʔesˈɡoʁ/}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|לִסְגֹּר}} ('to close'), {{IPA|/lisˈɡoʁ/}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|סְגֹר}} ('close!'), {{IPA|/səɡoʁ/}}. Without niqqud: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אסגור}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|לסגור}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|סגור}}. * In words, whose roots' second and third letter are the same, in which case in declension the ''holam'' changes to Kubutz after which there will be a dagesh: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כֹּל}} ''all'', {{IPA|/kol/}}, decl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כֻּלּהּ}} {{IPA|/kulˈlah/}} ('all of her'), root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כ־ל־ל}}<ref>This word becomes {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כָּל־}} in construct state, which is very common, so as another exception it is written without ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in spelling without niqqud: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כל־האנשים}} ('all the people'), but {{lang|he|rtl=yes|היא יודעת הכול}} ('she knows all').</ref> ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|רֹב}} ('most'), {{IPA|/rov/}}, decl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|רֻבּוֹ}} {{IPA|/rubˈbo/}} ('most of him'), root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|ר־ב־ב}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תֹּף}} ('drum'), {{IPA|/tof/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תֻּפִּים}} {{IPA|/tupˈpim/}}, root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|ת־פ־פ}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מָעֹז}} ('stronghold'), {{IPA|/maˈʕoz/}}, pl. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מָעֻזִּים}} {{IPA|/maʕuzˈzim/}}, root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|ע־ז־ז}} : The standard spelling without niqqud for all of them except {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כָּל־}} in construct state is with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'': {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כול}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כולה}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|רוב}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|רובו}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תוף}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תופים}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מעוז}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מעוזים}}. Despite this, some people occasionally omit the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in some of those words and spell {{lang|he|rtl=yes|רב}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תף}} etc. * Several common words are spelled with a ''holam haser'' in the Bible, but the Academy mandates that they be spelled with ''holam male'' in modern Hebrew, among them: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כֹּחַ/כּוֹחַ}} ('force'), {{IPA|/ˈkoaχ/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מֹחַ/מוֹחַ}} ('brain'), {{IPA|/ˈmoaχ/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|יַהֲלֹם/יַהֲלוֹם}} ('a precious stone', in modern Hebrew 'diamond'), {{IPA|/jahaˈlom/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מְאֹד/מְאוֹד}} ('very'), {{IPA|/məʔod/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פִּתְאֹם/פִּתְאוֹם}} ('suddenly'), {{IPA|/pitˈʔom/}} *: Some people still spell them without ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'', but the standard spelling is with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}''.<ref>The full list appears at ''Academy Decisions: Grammar, 2nd edition'', §1.3.</ref> * The participle of most verbs in binyan Qal is often written with ''holam haser'' in the Bible, but always with ''holam male'' in modern Hebrew. ** For example, in the Bible appear both {{lang|he|rtl=yes|חֹזֶה}} and {{lang|he|rtl=yes|חוֹזֶה}} ('seer'), {{IPA|/χoˈze/}}, but in modern Hebrew only {{lang|he|rtl=yes|חוֹזֶה}}.

===Holam with other matres lectionis=== * The most common occasion for not writing the {{IPA|/o/}} sound as a ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in text without niqqud is when in text with niqqud the ''mater lectionis'' is Alef (א) or He (ה) instead of ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}''. In the Bible some words are irregularly and inconsistently spelled with ה as a mater lectionis: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|זֹה}} alongside {{lang|he|rtl=yes|זוֹ}}, e.g. {{lang|he|rtl=yes|בֵּיתֹה}} alongside {{lang|he|rtl=yes|בֵּיתוֹ}}, etc. *: but the number of these irregularities was brought to minimum in modern Hebrew. * In the future forms of several verbs whose roots' first letter is Alef: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תֹּאכַל}} ('you shall eat'), {{IPA|/toˈχal/}}, root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־כ־ל}}, without niqqud {{lang|he|rtl=yes|תאכל}}. ** The prefix of the first person singular is itself Alef and in spelling with niqqud only one Alef is written: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֹמַר}} ('I shall say'), {{IPA|/ʔoˈmaʁ/}}, root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־מ־ר}}, and in spelling without niqqud a ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' ''is'' added: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אומר}}. This always happens in the roots {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־ב־ד}} ('perish'), {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־ב־י}} ('wish'),<ref name="rare">Rare in modern Hebrew.</ref> {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־כ־ל}} ('eat'), {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־מ־ר}} ('say'), {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־פ־י}} ('bake') and less consistently in the roots {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־ה־ב}} ('love'), {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־ח־ז}} ('hold'), {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־ס־ף}} ('collect'), {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־ת־י}} ('come').<ref name="rare" /> In the root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|א־מ־ר}} a ''holam male'' with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' is used in the infinitive in Mishnaic and modern Hebrew: ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|לוֹמַר}} {{IPA|/loˈmaʁ/}}.<ref>{{Cite GHG|68|nologo=1}}; the Even-Shoshan Dictionary for the modern forms.</ref> * In the infinitive form of a small number of verbs whose roots' last letter is Alef{{Dubious|"מְלֹאת" is not an infinitive|date=June 2022}}: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|בִּמְלֹאת}} ('upon becoming full'), {{IPA|/bimˈlot/}}, root {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מ־ל־א}}.<ref>''Academy Decisions: Grammar, 2nd edition'', §3.5.</ref> * In the following words the mater lectionis is always Alef ({{lang|he|א}}): ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|זֹאת}} ('this' fem.), {{IPA|/zot/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|לֹא}} ('no'), {{IPA|/lo/}}<ref>This word is written {{lang|he|rtl=yes|לוֹא}} several times in the Bible, but such spelling never occurs in modern Hebrew. With the particle {{lang|he|rtl=yes|הֲ־}} ''and only'' when it is used as a synonym of {{lang|he|rtl=yes|הִנֵּה}} ('here') it may be written both as {{lang|he|rtl=yes|הלוא}} and as {{lang|he|rtl=yes|הלא}} (''Academy Decisions: Grammar, 2nd edition'', §2.4.4), but this usage is rare in modern Hebrew.</ref> ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מֹאזְנַיִם}} ('scales'), {{IPA|/mozˈnajim/}}, without niqqud {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מאזניים}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|נֹאד}} ('wineskin'), {{IPA|/nod/}}<ref>The word {{lang|he|rtl=yes|נוֹד}} is pronounced identically and means "wandering". It appears in the Bible and is rare in modern Hebrew. The Even-Shoshan dictionary also notes that it is an incorrect spelling for {{lang|he|rtl=yes|נֹאד}}.</ref> ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|צֹאן}} ('sheep' or 'goats'), {{IPA|/t͡son/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|רֹאשׁ}} ('head'), {{IPA|/ʁoʃ/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שְׂמֹאל}} ('left'), {{IPA|/səmol/}}<ref>This word is actually spelled as {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שמאול}} several times in the Bible, but never in modern Hebrew. However, the intentionally wrong spelling {{lang|he|rtl=yes|סמול}} is often used as a disparaging term for the political left and is documented in Uri Orbach's lexicon of Religious Zionist slang.</ref> * In the following words the ''mater lectionis'' is always He ({{lang|he|ה}}): ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כֹּה}} ('such'), {{IPA|/ko/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פֹּה}} ('here'), {{IPA|/po/}} ** {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֵיפֹה}} ('where?'), {{IPA|/eˈfo/}}<ref>The Even-Shoshan Dictionary also registers the modern Hebrew word {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֵיפֹשֶׁהוּ}} ('somewhere'), {{IPA|/efoʃehu/}}, which is based on {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֵיפֹה}} and {{lang|he|rtl=yes|־שֶׁהוּ}}, the ending of the indefinite pronouns {{lang|he|rtl=yes|משהו}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כלשהו}}, ('some'). The Academy has not decided on a standard spelling of this word.</ref> * In the ''absolute infinitive'' form of verbs which end in He: {{lang|he|rtl=yes|הָיֹה}} ({{IPA|/haˈjo/}} 'to be'). This form is common in the Bible, but in modern Hebrew it is not productive and it is preserved only in fossilized sayings. For example, a common opening for fairy tales, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|הָיֹה הָיָה}} ('there once was'), {{IPA|/haˈjo haˈja/}} is written {{lang|he|rtl=yes|היה היה}} without niqqud.

===Holam without vav in personal names=== Some examples of usage of holam without ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in personal names: * The names ''Pharaoh'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|פַּרְעֹה}}, {{IPA|/paʁˈʕo/}}), ''Moshe'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|מֹשֶׁה}})<ref>The related participle {{lang|he|rtl=yes|מוֹשֶׁה}} ('pulling out of water') is written with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in modern Hebrew. Modern diminutive forms of Moshe, such as ''Moshiko'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|מושיקו}}) are written with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}''.</ref> and ''Shlomo'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|שְׁלֹמֹה}})<ref>A common modern diminutive version of this name is regularly spelled {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שלומי}} (''Shlomi'').</ref> are never written with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}''. ''Shilo'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|שִׁילֹה}}) is sometimes written with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in the Bible, but always with He in modern Hebrew. The adjectives {{lang|he|rtl=yes|פַּרְעוֹנִי}}, {{lang|he|rtl=yes|שִׁילוֹנִי}} are written with ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' and with a nun in the suffix. * The name ''Aharon'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|אַהֲרֹן}}) is spelled with ''holam haser'' in the Bible. In modern Hebrew both {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אהרן}} and {{lang|he|rtl=yes|אהרון}} are used. * The name ''Noah'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|נֹחַ}}) is spelled with ''holam haser'' in the Bible, but it is sometimes written with the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in the Mishna<ref>For example, in ''Avot'' 5:2 in the Kaufmann manuscript.</ref> and in modern Hebrew. * Several other names of places and people are spelled with holam and Alef in the Bible include ''Yoshiyahu'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ}}, ''Josiah''), ''Dor'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|דֹּאר}}, in modern Hebrew {{lang|he|rtl=yes|דּוֹר}}) and ''No Amon'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|נֹא אָמוֹן}}, the Hebrew name of Thebes). * The word {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כֹּהֵן}} ('priest'), {{IPA|/koˈhen/}} is spelled with ''holam haser'' in the Bible. It is a common Jewish last name, ''Cohen''. The Academy mandates ''holam male'' for the noun {{lang|he|rtl=yes|כּוֹהֵן}}, but allows the omission of ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' for spelling the personal name.<ref>''Academy Decisions: Grammar, 2nd edition'', §1.3 fn. 55.</ref> * Some personal names, such as ''Ohad'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֹהַד}}), ''Zohar'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|זֹהַר}}) and ''Nogah'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|נֹגַהּ}}), are sometimes spelled without ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' in modern writing without niqqud, although this varies from person to person. * God's name ''Adonai'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֲדֹנָי}}) is written with ''holam haser'' to distinguish it from the word "Lord" ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|אָדוֹן}}) used for humans.<ref>According to The Brown–Driver–Briggs Hebrew Lexicon.</ref> When the ''Tetragrammaton'' is written with niqqud, it follows that of Adonai, so it is written with ''holam haser'', too. For religious reasons writing Adonai and the Tetragrammaton is avoided in modern religious texts except in direct quotes from the Bible. They rarely appear in secular modern Hebrew texts and their spelling there is inconsistent. * The name ''Elohim'' ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֱלֹהִים}}) is written with ''holam haser'' in the Bible, although its singular form Eloah ({{lang|he|rtl=yes|אֱלוֹהַּ}}) is usually written with ''holam male''. In modern Hebrew ''Elohim'' is a common word for "God" and it is usually spelled with the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'', which is also the Academy's recommendation.

==Pronunciation== The following table contains the pronunciation and transliteration of the different ''holams'' in reconstructed historical forms and dialects using the International Phonetic Alphabet.

The letters Pe {{angle bracket|{{Script/Hebrew|פ}}}} and Tsade {{angle bracket|{{Script/Hebrew|צ}}}} are used in this table only for demonstration. Any letter can be used.

{|class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan=3 | Symbol ! rowspan=3 | Name ! colspan=7 | Pronunciation |- ! rowspan=2 | Israeli ! rowspan=2 | Ashkenazi ! rowspan=2 | Sephardi ! rowspan=2 | Yemenite ! rowspan=2 | Tiberian ! colspan=2 | Reconstructed |- ! Mishnaic !! Biblical |- | style="font-size:200%; text-align:center;"| {{Script/Hebrew|פֹ}} {{Script/Hebrew|פֹה}} |''Holam'' | {{IPA|[o̞]}} || {{IPA|[oɪ ~ øɪ ~ eɪ ~ əʊ ~ ɐʊ ~ ɑʊ ~ oʊ]}} || {{IPA|[o̞]}} || {{IPA|[ɶ ~ ɤ ~ œ]}} || {{IPA|[o]}} || {{IPA|[o]}}|| [aw] > [o'''ː'''] |- | style="font-size:200%; text-align:center;"| {{Script/Hebrew|פוֹ}} {{Script/Hebrew|צֹא}} |''Holam male'' | {{IPA|[o̞]}} || {{IPA|[oɪ ~ øɪ ~ eɪ ~ əʊ ~ ɐʊ ~ ɑʊ ~ oʊ]}} || {{IPA|[o̞]}} || {{IPA|[ɶ ~ ɤ ~ œ]}} || {{IPA|[o]}} || {{IPA|[o]}}|| {{IPA|[oː]}} |- |}

==Vowel length comparison== These vowel lengths are not manifested in modern Hebrew. In addition, the short ''o'' is usually promoted to a long ''o'' in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation. As well, the short ''o'' ({{Transliteration|he|qamatz qaṭan}}) and long ''a'' ({{Transliteration|he|qamatz}}) have the same ''niqqud''. As a result, a ''{{Transliteration|he|qamatz qaṭan}}'' is usually promoted to ''Holam male'' in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation. {| class="wikitable" |- ! colspan=3 | Vowel Length ! rowspan=2 | IPA ! rowspan=2 | Transliteration ! rowspan=2 | English example |- ! Long ! Short ! Very Short |- align=center |style="font-size:24px; padding-bottom:12px; line-height:normal"| {{Script/Hebrew| וֹ }} |style="font-size:26px; padding-bottom:12px; line-height:normal"| {{Script/Hebrew| ָ }} |style="font-size:26px; padding-bottom:12px; line-height:normal"| {{Script/Hebrew| ֳ }} |style="font-size:125%"| {{IPAblink|o̞}} || o | c'''o'''ne |- |}

==Computer encoding== {| class="wikitable" ! Glyph ! Unicode ! Name |- |style="text-align:center; font-size:x-large; line-height:normal"| {{Script/Hebrew| ֹ }} |U+05B9 |HEBREW POINT HOLAM |- |style="text-align:center; font-size:x-large; line-height:normal;"| {{Script/Hebrew| ֺ }} |U+05BA |HEBREW POINT HOLAM HASER FOR VAV |- |style="text-align:center; font-size:x-large; line-height:normal;"| {{Script/Hebrew| וֹ }} |U+FB4B |HEBREW LETTER VAV WITH HOLAM |- |}

In Unicode there are two ways to distinguish the vowel ''{{Transliteration|he|ḥolam male}}'' and the consonant-vowel combination {{Transliteration|he|vav}} + {{Transliteration|he|ḥolam ḥaser}}. For example, in the pair {{Script/Hebrew|מַצּוֹת}} ({{IPA|/maˈt͡sot/}}, the plural of {{Script/Hebrew|מַצָּה}}, ''{{Transliteration|he|matza}}'') and {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוֹת}} ({{IPA|/miˈt͡svot/}}, the plural of {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוָה}} ''{{Transliteration|he|mitzva}}''):<ref>This is the Biblical spelling in {{bibleverse||Jeremiah|35:18||}} (actually {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְו‍ֺתָיו}}). The standard modern Hebrew spelling, with ''niqqud'', is with ''{{Transliteration|he|ḥolam male}}'': {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְווֹת}}.</ref>

# By using the zero-width non-joiner after the ''{{Transliteration|he|vav}}'' and before the holam: {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְו&zwnj;ֹת}} # By using the Unicode character U+05BA HEBREW POINT HOLAM HASER FOR VAV: {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוֺת}}.

The precomposed character,<ref>Also known as a presentation form in Unicode.</ref> U+FB4B (HTML Entity (decimal) &#64331;) stands for a {{Transliteration|he|vav}} + {{Transliteration|he|ḥolam male}}, and there is no precomposed character for the {{Transliteration|he|vav}} + {{Transliteration|he|ḥolam ḥaser}} combination.

==See also== * Niqqud * Combining Grapheme Joiner

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Niqqud