Column #82. Contents of this weekly column are (mostly) based on the sefer: EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM, by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to correct pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading.

Some more on KAL-KOL, courtesy of TT reader who wishes to remain anonymous, but whom I would nonetheless like to thank for his comments, and for inspiring the following:
Clitic - An unstressed word, typically a function word, that is incapable of standing on its own and attaches in pronunciation to a stressed word, with which it forms a single accentual unit.

Proclitic - A clitic that is attached to the beginning of another word.
Many columns ago, we introduced the topic of a word that does not have its own TROP mark but is attached with a MAKAF, an upper hypen, to the word that follows it. We’ve come back to this topic several times since. Specifically concerning KOL, KAF-LAMED, we used ASHREI as a sample, because the word appears many times, as in the following pasuk:

TOV HASHEM LAKOL V'RACH'A'MAV AL KOL CHASIDAV:

G-d is good to all, and His mercy is on all His creations. The first KOL (in LAKOL) has its own TAAM (TROP mark) and stands on its own. The vowel of the KAF is a CHOLAM CHASEIR.

Both AL and KOL are clitics (if the above GuruNet dictionary definitions are be applied correctly) that are attached to MAASAV forming one “accentual unit”. The vowel of the KAF in KOL is a KAMATZ KATAN.

This is how it is with the many, many, many occurrences of KOL (KAF-LAMED) throughout Tanach. (There are over 3000 KOLs in Tanach, not counting BAKOL, LAKOL, MIKOL, V’CHOL...) The only two times that KOL meaning ALL stands alone, has a TROP mark, and has a KAMATZ instead of a CHOLAM are T’hilim 35:10 and Mishlei 19:7. In both cases, they are often marked with an asterisk telling us that the KAMATZ is not KATAN, as is the usual alternative to the CHOLAM, but with a KAMATZ RACHAV, a wide KAMATZ - ostensibly a synonym for KAMATZ GADOL.

Whether or not there are two kinds of KAMATZ with or without two different ways of pronouncing them, does not change the fact that these two rogue KOLs don’t fit the mold. Our question still is - has anybody a suggestion as to why these two KOLs are different from their thousands of brothers and sisters.

Related topic. People have told us how they now are paying more attention to commas in the Siddur and to TROP in the Torah (and NACH). Me too. (I, also.) Case in point was reading the Torah this past Shabbat at Mincha.

Notice the opening pasuk: SHO-F’TIM V’SHO- T’RIM TI-ten–L’CHA... Not ti-TEIN and then L’CHA, as two separate words, but the word ti-TEIN became a clitic with the TZEIREI under the second TAV becoming the softer SEGOL. The accent went from the second syllable TEIN to the first syllable TI, it is not a primary accent anymore, but a secondary one to the “main” accent on L’CHA. This is like NASOG ACHOR (if it isn’t actually NASOG ACHOR), which doesn’t happen to no-TEIN L’CHA in this same sedra-opening pasuk. <mtc>

NOTE: In the hard copy of TT, we printed the full version of the "L'Dovid Hashem.." Tehillim:

Beginning on the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, we will be saying this chapter of T’hilim (27) exactly 100 times, throughout Elul and until and including Hoshana Raba. At the end of Shacharit, and at the end of either Mincha or Maariv, depending upon shul/ community custom. This version of L’DAVID is punctuated and presented in such a format that will hopefully enhance your recitation AND understanding. (KAMATZ KATAN and oft-neglected SH’VA NAs are emphasized.)

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