Waw (letter)#Pronunciation in Modern Hebrew

The letter likely originated with an Egyptian hieroglyph which represented the word mace (transliterated as ḥḏ, hedj):Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, T3 T3

A mace was a ceremonial stick or staff, similar to a scepter, perhaps derived from weapons or hunting tools.

In Modern Hebrew, the word {{lang|he|{{linktext|וָו}}}} vav is used to mean both "hook" and the letter's name (the name is also written {{lang|he|{{linktext|וי״ו}}}}), while in Syriac and Arabic, waw to mean "hook" has fallen out of use.

{{Infobox grapheme

|name=wāw

|letter=و

|variations=

|image=

|imagesize=200

|imagealt=

|script=Arabic script

|type=Abjad

|typedesc=

|language=Arabic language

|phonemes={{IPAslink|w}}, {{IPAslink|uː}}, {{IPAslink|oː}}

|unicode=

|alphanumber=27

|number=

|usageperiod=

|children=

|equivalents=

|associates=

|direction=Right-to-left

}}

The Arabic letter {{lang|ar|و}} is named {{lang|ar|واو}} wāw and is written in several ways depending on its position in the word:{{rp|I §1}}

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|و}}

Wāw is used to represent four distinct phonetic features:{{rp|I §§1-8}}

• A consonant, pronounced as a voiced labial-velar approximant {{IPA|/w/}}, which is the case whenever it is at the beginning of a word, and sometimes elsewhere.
• A long {{IPA|/uː/}}. The preceding consonant could either have no diacritic or a short-wāw-vowel mark, damma, to aid in the pronunciation by hinting to the following long vowel.
• A long {{IPA|/oː/}} in many dialects, as a result of the monophthongization that the diphthong {{IPA|/aw/}} underwent in most of words.
• Part of the sequence {{IPA|/aw/}}. In this case it has no diacritic, but could be marked with a sukun in some traditions. The preceding consonant could either have no diacritic or have a {{Transl|ar|DIN|fatḥa}} sign, hinting to the first vowel {{IPA|/a/}} in the diphthong.

As a vowel, wāw can serve as the carrier of a hamza: {{lang|ar|ؤ}}. The isolated form of waw (و) is believed to be the origins of the numeral 9.

Wāw is the sole letter of the common Arabic word wa, the primary conjunction in Arabic, equivalent to "and". In writing, it is prefixed to the following word, sometimes including other conjunctions, such as {{lang|ar|وَلَكِن}} wa-lākin, meaning "but".{{rp|I §365}} Another function is the "oath", by preceding a noun of great significance to the speaker. It is often literally translatable to "By..." or "I swear to...", and is often used in the Qur'an in this way, and also in the generally fixed construction {{lang|ar|والله}} wallāh ("By Allah!" or "I swear to God!").W. Wright, A Grammar of the Arabic Language, Translated from the German Tongue and Edited with Numerous Additions and Corrections, 3rd edn by W. Robertson Smith and M. J. de Goeje, 2 vols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1933 [repr. Beirut: Librairie de Liban, 1996]).{{rp|I §356d, II §62}} The word also appears, particularly in classical verse, in the construction known as wāw rubba, to introduce a description.{{rp|II §§84-85}}

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ۋ}}

With an additional triple dot diacritic above waw, the letter then named ve is used to represent distinctively the consonant {{IPAslink|w}} in Arabic-based Uyghur,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U1009DRu_vMC&pg=PA387 |title=The Turkic Languages |date=2003 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-203-06610-2 |editor-last=Johanson |editor-first=Éva Ágnes Csató |page=387 |language=en |editor-last2=Johanson |editor-first2=Lars |via=Google Books |access-date=2023-02-06 |archive-date=2024-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531101200/https://books.google.com/books?id=U1009DRu_vMC&pg=PA387 |url-status=live }} Kazakh and Kyrgyz.{{Cite web|title=Kyrgyz alphabet, language and pronunciation|url=https://omniglot.com/writing/kirghiz.htm|access-date=2021-08-09|website=omniglot.com|archive-date=2022-06-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220618083625/https://omniglot.com/writing/kirghiz.htm|url-status=live}}

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ۆ}}

{{IPAslink|o}} in Kurdish,{{cite web|author1=Hussein Ali Fattah|title=Ordlista på sydkurdiska Wişename we Kurdî xwarîn|url=http://www.kurdipedia.org/files/books/2016/93591.PDF?ver=130971445307410354|accessdate=29 October 2017|page=V|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015248/http://www.kurdipedia.org/files/books/2016/93591.PDF?ver=130971445307410354|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=http://unicode.ekrg.org/ku_unicodes.html |title=Kurdish Keyboard |author=Unicode Team of KRG-IT |website=unicode.ekrg.org |access-date=2016-03-01 |archive-date=2017-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630154748/http://unicode.ekrg.org/ku_unicodes.html |url-status=live }} Beja,{{cite book|last1=Wedekind|first1=Klaus|last2=Wedekind|first2=Charlotte|last3=Musa|first3=Abuzeinab|title=Beja Pedagogical Grammar|date=2004–2005|location=Aswan and Asmara|url=https://www.afrikanistik-aegyptologie-online.de/archiv/2008/1283/beja_pedagogical_grammar_final_links_numbered.pdf|pages=7|access-date=6 February 2023|archive-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506173929/https://www.afrikanistik-aegyptologie-online.de/archiv/2008/1283/beja_pedagogical_grammar_final_links_numbered.pdf|url-status=live}} and Kashmiri;Koul, O. N., Raina, S. N., & Bhat, R. (2000). Kashmiri-English Dictionary for Second Language Learners. Central Institute of Indian Languages. {{IPAslink|v}} in Arabic-based Kazakh;{{cite book|author=Minglang Zhou|url={{Google books|joE5ZASNCGYC|Multilingualism in China|page = 149|keywords = kirgiz Arabic script shares major|plainurl = yes}}|title=Multilingualism in China: The Politics of Writing Reforms for Minority Languages, 1949-2002|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter|year=2003|isbn=3-11-017896-6|page=149|via=Google Books}} {{IPAslink|ø}} in Uyghur.

Thirty-fourth letter of the Azerbaijani Arabic script, represents ü {{IPAslink|y}}.

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ۉ}}

A variant of Kurdish û {{lang|ckb|وو, ۇ}} {{IPAslink|uː}}; historically for Serbo-Croatian {{IPAslink|o}}.

Also used in Kyrgyz for Үү /y/.

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ۈ}}

{{IPAslink|y}} in Uyghur. Also found in Quranic Arabic as in {{script/Arabic|صلۈة}} {{transl|ar|ṣalāh}} "prayer" for an Old Higazi {{IPAslink|oː}} merged with {{IPAslink|aː}}, in modern spelling {{script/Arabic|صلاة}}.

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ۊ}}

{{IPAslink|ʉː}} in Southern Kurdish.

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ۏ}}

In Jawi script for {{IPAslink|v}}.Daftar Kata Bahasa Melayu Rumi-Sebutan-Jawi, Dewan Bahasa Pustaka, 5th printing, 2006.

Also used in Balochi for {{IPAslink|ɯ}} and {{IPAslink|oː}}.{{cite web |title=Balochi Standarded Alphabet |url=http://www.balochiacademy.ir/en/2022/07/01/Balochi-Standard-Alphabets/ |website=BalochiAcademy.ir |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812225204/http://www.balochiacademy.ir/en/2022/07/01/balochi-standard-alphabets/ |url-status=live }}

See Arabic script in Unicode

Hebrew spelling: {{script/Hebrew|וָו}} or {{script/Hebrew|וָאו}} or {{script/Hebrew|וָיו}}.

;The letter appears with or without a hook on different sans-serif fonts, for example:

• Arial, DejaVu Sans, Arimo, Open Sans: ו
• Tahoma, Alef, Heebo: ו

Vav has three orthographic variants, each with a different phonemic value and phonetic realisation:

{{anchor|orthographic_variants}}

In modern Hebrew, the frequency of the usage of vav, out of all the letters, is one of the highest, about 10.00%.

Consonantal vav ({{script/Hebrew|ו}}) generally represents a voiced labiodental fricative (like the English v) in Ashkenazi, European Sephardi, Persian, Caucasian, Italian and modern Israeli Hebrew, and was originally a labial-velar approximant {{IPA|/w/}}.

In modern Israeli Hebrew, some loanwords, the pronunciation of whose source contains {{IPAslink|w}}, and their derivations, are pronounced with {{IPAblink|w}}: {{Script/Hebrew|ואחד}} – {{IPA|/ˈwaχad/}} (but: {{Script/Hebrew|ואדי}} – {{IPA|/ˈvadi/}}).

Modern Hebrew has no standardized way to distinguish orthographically between {{IPAblink|v}} and {{IPAblink|w}}. The pronunciation is determined by prior knowledge or must be derived through context.

Some non standard spellings of the sound {{IPAblink|w}} are sometimes found in modern Hebrew texts, such as word-initial double-vav: {{Script/Hebrew|וואללה}} – {{IPA|/ˈwala/}} (word-medial double-vav is both standard and common for both {{IPAslink|v}} and {{IPAslink|w}}, see table above) or, rarely, vav with a geresh: {{Script/Hebrew|ו׳יליאם}} – {{IPA|/ˈwiljam/}}.

{{Main|Holam}}

Vav can be used as a mater lectionis for an o vowel, in which case it is known as a holam male, which in pointed text is marked as vav with a dot above it. It is pronounced {{IPAblink|o̞}} (phonemically transcribed more simply as {{IPA|/o/}}).

The distinction is normally ignored, and the HEBREW POINT HOLAM (U+05B9) is used in all cases.

The vowel can be denoted without the vav, as just the dot placed above and to the left of the letter it points, and it is then called holam haser. Some inadequate typefaces do not support the distinction between the {{transl|he|ḥolam male}} ⟨{{Script/Hebrew|וֹ}}⟩ {{IPA|/o/}}, the consonantal vav pointed with a {{transl|he|ḥolam ḥaser}} ⟨{{Script/Hebrew|וֺ}}⟩ {{IPA|/vo/}} (compare {{transl|he|ḥolam male}} ⟨{{Script/Hebrew|מַצּוֹת}}⟩ {{IPA|/maˈtsot/}} and consonantal vav-{{transl|he|ḥolam ḥaser}} ⟨{{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוֺת}}⟩ {{IPA|/mitsˈvot/}}). To display a consonantal vav with {{transl|he|ḥolam ḥaser}} correctly, the typeface must either support the vav with the Unicode combining character "HEBREW POINT HOLAM HASER FOR VAV" (U+05BA, HTML Entity (decimal) ֺ){{cite web |url=https://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/05ba/fontsupport.htm |title=List of fonts that support U+05BA at |publisher=Fileformat.info |access-date=2013-04-11 |archive-date=2013-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023061054/http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/05ba/fontsupport.htm |url-status=live }} or the precomposed character {{Script/Hebrew|וֹ}} (U+FB4B).

Compare the three:

1. The vav with the combining character HEBREW POINT HOLAM: {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוֹת}}
2. The vav with the combining character HEBREW POINT HOLAM HASER FOR VAV: {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוֺת}}
3. The precomposed character: {{Script/Hebrew|מִצְוֹת}}

{{Main|Shuruk}}

Vav can also be used as a mater lectionis for {{IPAblink|u}}, in which case it is known as a shuruk, and in text with niqqud is marked with a dot in the middle (on the left side).

Shuruk and vav with a dagesh look identical ("{{Script/Hebrew|וּ}}") and are only distinguishable through the fact that in text with niqqud, vav with a dagesh will normally be attributed a vocal point in addition, e.g. {{Script/Hebrew|שׁוּק}} ({{IPA|/ʃuk/}}), "a market", (the "{{Script/Hebrew|וּ}}" denotes a shuruk) as opposed to {{Script/Hebrew|שִׁוֵּק}} ({{IPA|/ʃiˈvek/}}), "to market" (the "{{Script/Hebrew|וּ}}" denotes a vav with dagesh and is additionally pointed with a zeire, " {{Script/Hebrew|ֵ}} ", denoting {{IPA|/e/}}). In the word {{Script/Hebrew|שִׁוּוּק}} ({{IPA|/ʃiˈvuk/}}), "marketing", the first ("{{Script/Hebrew|וּ}}") denotes a vav with dagesh, the second a shuruk, being the vowel attributed to the first.

When a vav with a dot in the middle comes at the start of a word without a vowel attributed to it, it is a vav conjunctive (see below) that comes before ב, ו, מ, פ, or a letter with a ְ (Shva), and it does the ⟨ʔu⟩ sound.

Vav in gematria represents the number six, and when used at the beginning of Hebrew years, it means 6000 (i.e. {{lang|he|ותשנד}} in numbers would be the date 6754.)

{{main|Hebrew grammar}}

Vav at the beginning of the word has several possible meanings:

• vav conjunctive (Vav Hachibur, literally "the Vav of Connection" — chibur means "joining", or "bringing together") connects two words or parts of a sentence; it is a grammatical conjunction meaning 'and'. It comes at the start of a word, and is written וּ before ב, ו, מ, פ, or a letter with a ְ (Shva), ו with the following letter's Hataf's Niqqud before a letter with a Hataf (for example, {{Script/Hebrew|וַ}} before {{Script/Hebrew|אֲנִי}}, {{Script/Hebrew|וָ}} before {{Script/Hebrew|חֳדָשִׁים}}, {{Script/Hebrew|וֶ}} before {{Script/Hebrew|אֱמֶת}}), וָ sometimes before a stress and {{Script/Hebrew|וְ}} in any other case. This is the most common usage.
• vav consecutive (Vav Hahipuch, literally "the Vav of Reversal" — hipuch means "inversion"), mainly biblical, is commonly mistaken for the previous type of vav; it indicates consequence of actions and reverses the tense of the verb following it:
• when placed in front of a verb in the imperfect tense, it changes the verb to the perfect tense. For example, yomar means 'he will say' and vayomar means 'he said';
• when placed in front of a verb in the perfect, it changes the verb to the imperfect tense. For example, ahavtah means 'you loved', and ve'ahavtah means 'you will love'.

(Note: Older Hebrew did not have "tense" in a temporal sense, "perfect," and "imperfect" instead denoting aspect of completed or continuing action. Modern Hebrew verbal tenses have developed closer to their Indo-European counterparts, mostly having a temporal quality rather than denoting aspect. As a rule, Modern Hebrew does not use the "Vav Consecutive" form.)

• vav explicative

In Yiddish,{{cite book|last=Weinreich|first=Uriel|date=1992|title=College Yiddish|location=New York|publisher=YIVO Institute for Jewish Research|pages=27–8|author-link=Uriel Weinreich}} the letter (known as {{lang|yi-Latn|vov}}) is used for several orthographic purposes in native words:

• Alone, a single vov {{lang|yi|ו}} represents the vowel {{IPAblink|u}} in Northern Yiddish (Litvish) or {{IPAblink|i}} in Southern Yiddish (Poylish and Galitzish).{{cn|date=August 2023}}
• The digraph {{lang|yi|וו}}, "{{lang|yi-Latn|tsvey vovn}}" ('two vovs'), represents the consonant {{IPAblink|v}}.
• The digraph {{lang|yi|וי}}, consisting of a vov followed by a {{lang|yi-Latn|yud}}, represents the diphthong [{{IPA|oj}}] or [{{IPA|ɛɪ}}].{{cn|date=August 2023}}

The single vov may be written with a dot on the left when necessary to avoid ambiguity and distinguish it from other functions of the letter. For example, the word {{lang|yi-Latn|vu}} 'where' is spelled {{lang|yi|וווּ}}, as {{lang|yi-Latn|tsvey vovn}} followed by a single vov; the single vov indicating {{IPAblink|u}} is marked with a dot in order to distinguish which of the three vovs represents the vowel. Some texts instead separate the digraph from the single vov with a silent aleph.

Loanwords from Hebrew or Aramaic in Yiddish are spelled as they are in their language of origin.

File:Syriac letter shapes Waw.PNG

In the Syriac alphabet, the sixth letter is ܘ. Waw (ܘܐܘ) is pronounced [w]. When it is used as a mater lectionis, a waw with a dot above the letter is pronounced [o], and a waw with a dot under the letter is pronounced [u]. Waw has an alphabetic-numeral value of 6.

{{charmap

|05D5|name1=Hebrew Letter Vav

|0648|name2=Arabic Letter Waw

|0718|name3=Syriac Letter Waw

|0805|name4=Samaritan Letter Baa

|FB35|name5=Hebrew Letter Vav With Dagesh

|FB4B|name6=Hebrew Letter Vav With Holam

}}

{{charmap

|10386|name1=Ugaritic Letter Wo

|10845|name2=Imperial Aramaic Letter Waw

|10905|name3=Phoenician Letter Wau

}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Waw (letter)}}{{Arabic language}}{{Hebrew language}}

{{Northwest Semitic abjad}}

Category:Phoenician alphabet

Category:Arabic letters

Category:Hebrew letters

Category:Urdu letters

Category:Vowel letters