Draft:Hebraization of Portuguese
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The Hebraization of Portuguese (or Hebraicization)[1][2] is the use of the Hebrew alphabet to write Portuguese. Because Hebrew uses an abjad, it can render Portuguese words in multiple ways. There are many uses for hebraization, which serve as a useful tool for Israeli learners of Portuguese by indicating the pronunciation of unfamiliar letters. An example would be the Portuguese name spelled "João", which can be Hebraized as "ג'ואאו" in the Hebrew alphabet.
Table
Consonants
For
Single letters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Letter | Variations | Hebrew | Portuguese Examples | IPA |
a | ||||
b | none | בּ ( full spelling ב)
|
bem, web | b |
c | Hard C | ק (Kuf) | cabeça, quer, porque | k |
Soft C | ס ( full spelling ש)
|
cidade, centro, fazer | s | |
d | none | ד ( Dalet )
|
de, Davide | d |
e | ||||
f | none | פ ף (Fe) | folha, califa | f |
g | Hard G | ג ( Gimel )
|
go, guia, mendigar | ɡ |
Soft G | ג׳ ( Gimel with geresh )
|
gel, dizer, módulo | dʒ | |
French soft G | ז׳ (Zayin with geresh) | jeito, massajem, viajar, Jesus, déjà vu | ʒ | |
h | none | ה (He) | hoje | h |
j | Affricative J
|
ג׳ ( Gimel with geresh )
|
Giovanna, género, educação | dʒ |
Fricative J
|
ז׳ (Zayin with geresh) | Jacques, genre, déjà vu | ʒ | |
k | none | ק (Kuf), |
cal, quê,squerda | k |
l | none | ל ( Lamed )
|
ler, leal | l |
m | none | מ ם ( Mem )
|
mão, mãe | m |
n | none | נ ן (Nun) | novo, tem | n |
o | ||||
p | none | פּ ( full spelling פ)
|
pen, aspect, tip | p |
q | Q followed by U | קְו ( full spelling קוו)
|
quanto, questão | kw |
Q not followed by U | ק (Kuf), |
tranq, sheqels | k | |
r | none | ר (Reish) | real, brilhante | ɹ,ɚ |
s | Voiceless S | ס ( full spelling ש)
|
saco, isso, máximum | s |
Voiced S (Z sound) | ז (Zayin) | roza, existir, italienismo | z | |
Voiceless postalveolar S (SH sound) | שׁ ( full spelling ש)
|
xarope, dez, texto, sushi | ʃ | |
Voiced postalveolar S | ז׳ (Zayin with geresh) | já, loja | ʒ | |
t | none | ט ( Tav ) (tav not normally used for transliterations)
|
tipo, ritmo, ponte, átom | t |
u | ||||
v | none | ו ( vav acting as a vowel [/o/ or /u/])
|
ver, livro, vela | v |
w | none | ו ( Vav with geresh ) (non-standard (indicates 'w' sound), and not used in general transliterations)
|
frequente, quão, western | w |
y | Consonant | י ( affix letters )
|
yeti, boia, madeira, yakisoba | j |
Vowel | ||||
x | Z sound | ז (Zayin) | xilofone, xérox, xeno | z |
KS sound | קְס ( full spelling כס
|
fox, sex, êxito | ks | |
EX sound | אֶקְס ( full spelling אקס) |
X-ray, X’s and O’s | e̞ks | |
z | none | ז (Zayin) | zebra,Zé | z |
Multiple letters | ||||
Letters | Variations | Hebrew | Portuguese Examples | IPA |
ng | none | נג (Nun-Gimel), | angústia, anger, song | ŋ |
ch | Normal CH | צ׳ ( Tsadi with geresh )
|
chair, nature, cello | tʃ |
K sound | כ ך () (indicates 'k' sound, only used for a direct transliteration) | chaos, character, psychology | k | |
German CH | ח ( Chaph ) (usually in the middle of a word, always at end of a word)
|
Scottish loch, chanukah | χ | |
th | Voiceless dental fricative |
ת (Tav) (transliterated as a 't' sound), ת׳ (Tav with geresh) (more accurate (indicates 'th' sound), but not used in general transliterations) |
thing, teeth | t~θ~s |
Voiced dental fricative |
ד (Dalet) (transliterated as a 'd' sound), ד׳ (Dalet with geresh) (more accurate (indicates 'th' sound), but not used in general transliterations) |
this, breathe, father | d~ð~z | |
sh | none | שׁ ( full spelling ש)
|
she, flash, chef, crotchet | ʃ |
ts | none | צ ץ ( full spelling תש)
|
pizza, pretzel, tsunami, hats | ts |
Final letters
Five letters in Hebrew,
Vowels and diphthongs
Since vowels are not consistent in English, they are more difficult to transliterate into other languages. Sometimes they are just transcribed by the actual English letter, and other times by its actual pronunciation (which also varies). For the most accurate transliteration, below is a table describing the different vowel sounds and their corresponding letters.
Hebrew has only 5 vowel sounds, with lack of discrimination in Hebrew between long and short vowels. In comparison, English which has around 12 vowel sounds (5 long, 7 short) depending on dialect. As a result, words such as sit/seat (/sɪt/ and /siːt/), hat/hut (/hæt/ and /hʌt/), and cop/cope (/kɒp/ and /koʊp/) are transliterated as the Hebrew vowels /i/, /a/ and /o/. The English pronunciation can be known through prior context.
Vowels will sometimes be put into Hebrew by their letters, and not by their sounds, even though it is less accurate phonetically. For example, any sort of "a" sound written with the letter "o", (ex. mom, monitor, soft), will often be transliterated as an "o" vowel, that is, with a vav (ו). The same is the case for an -or ending (pronounced -er), it will also often be transliterated with a vav as well. If the word with the "a" sound (such as "a" or "ah"), as in "ta ta", or "spa", it will be treated as an "a".
For
The picture of the "O" represents whatever Hebrew letter is used.
Vowels | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Letter | Hebrew | English Examples | IPA | IPA after trans. |
a | סָ (letter with kamatz), (letter with patah), אַ/אָ (Alef with kamatz or patach) (Not part of ordinary Hebrew spelling but sometimes used in transliterations) |
run, enough | a/ʌ | ä |
Note for below: This sound (æ) (ex. hat) does not exist in Hebrew. As a result, it is always transliterated as if it were an (a) sound (ex. hut). |
mat, hat | æ | ||
סָ (letter with kamatz), (letter with patah), אַ/אָ (Alef with kamatz or patach) (Not part of ordinary Hebrew spelling but sometimes used in transliterations) | ||||
Note for below: These sounds (ɑ/ɒ) (ex. pawn) do not exist in Hebrew. As a result, it is transliterated as if it were an (a) sound (ex. pun). |
spa, pot, law | ɑː/ɒː | ||
סָ (letter with kamatz), (letter with patah), אַ/אָ (Alef with kamatz or patach) (Not part of ordinary Hebrew spelling but sometimes used in transliterations) | ||||
e | zeire) (more ambiguous )
|
met, ɡet, enter | e | e̞ |
i | י full spelling )
|
tiny, key, he, swing | iː | i |
Note for below: This sound (ɪ) (ex. mitt) does not exist in Hebrew. As a result, it is always transliterated as if it were an (i) sound (ex. meet). |
tip, myth | ɪ | ||
י full spelling )
| ||||
o | וֹ ( full spelling )
|
no, tow, moan, toll | o/əʊ | o̞ |
Note for below: These sounds (ɑ/ɒ) (ex. cop) do not exist in Modern Hebrew. As a result, it is transliterated as if it were an (o) sound (ex. cope). |
mop, hot, wash, tall, awe, on | ɑː/ɒ/ɔː | ||
וֹ ( full spelling )
| ||||
uː | וּ ( full spelling )
|
tube, soon, through | uː | u |
Note for below: This sound (ʊ) (ex. look) does not exist in Hebrew. As a result, it is always transliterated as if it were an (u) sound (ex. luke). |
look, put, could | ʊ̜/ɯ̽ | ||
וּ ( full spelling )
| ||||
Diphthongs | ||||
ei | יי ( zeire) (not normally used for transliterations, also more ambiguous and used only in certain words)
|
day, wait, grey | ej | e̞j |
ai | יי () (not normally used for transliterations) | fine, why | aj | äj |
oi | וֹי ( Yud )
|
loin, boy | oj | o̞j |
ui | וּי (Vav with shuruk-Yud) | sweep, queen | uj | uj |
ao | או ( Vav )
|
town, mouse, pout | aʊ | äw |
yu | יוּ ( shuruk )
|
cute, arɡue, unit, few, you | ju | ju |
Hiatus | ||||
ui | וּאִי () | Louie, gooey, chewy | uːiː | u.i |
At the beginning or end of a word
The following are special cases for vowels at the beginning or end of a word. "O", "U", or "I" sound different at the beginning of a word, because they have no consonants before them. Therefore,
If the sounds (that is, vowels with no consonants before it) are made in the middle of a word, the same thing is done as shown below (or looking up, replace the "ס" with the aleph).
For
At the beginning of a word | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Letter | Hebrew | English Examples | IPA | IPA after trans. |
o | אוֹ ( Vav with holam ) (not normally used for transliterations)
|
open | o | o̞ |
u | אוּ ( shuruk ) (not normally used for transliterations)
|
Uma | u/ʊ | u |
i/ee | אִי ( above is only necessary in full spelling. | into, eel | ɪ/i | i |
ei/ai | איי ( Yud ) |
ice, ace, eiɡht | ej/aj | e̞j/äj |
a | אָ (Aleph with kamatz), אַ (Aleph with patach) עָ/עַ (Ayin with kamatz or patach) (not normally used for transliterations) |
all, off | a | ä |
e | אֶ () (not normally used for transliterations) |
Edward | e | e̞ |
At the end of a word | ||||
a | הסָ (Letter with Ayin ) (not normally used for transliterations)
|
cola | a | ä |
e | ה (Letter with segol-He) | almeh | e | e̞ |
See also
- International Phonetic Alphabet
- Help:IPA/Hebrew
- Hebrew phonology
- Hebrew alphabet
- Romanization of Hebrew
- Hebraization of surnames
References
External links
- Hebrew Academy
- The International Phonetic Alphabet (revised to 2005) Symbols for all languages are shown on this one-page chart.