What is "dagesh"

n. A symbol used in Hebrew script to denote a geminated consonant, or a consonant pronounced as a plosive as opposed to as a fricative.

'''Dagesh

ּ

rowspan=3 | IPA

:

Israeli

rowspan=3 | Transliteration

: none
( SBL transliteration system)

Israeli

Same appearance

Example

דָּגֵשׁ

"Dagesh" in Hebrew. The first diacritic (the centre dot) is a dagesh.

Other Niqqud

Shva Hiriq Zeire Segol Patach Kamatz HolamDagesh Mappiq Shuruk Kubutz Rafe Sin/Shin Dot

The dagesh is a diacritic used in the Hebrew alphabet. It was added to the Hebrew orthography at the same time as the Masoretic system of niqqud (vowel points). It takes the form of a dot placed inside a Hebrew letter and has the effect of modifying the sound in one of two ways.

An identical mark called mappiq, has a different phonetic function, and can be applied to different consonants; the same mark is also employed in the vowel shuruk.

Dagesh and mappiq symbols are often omitted in writing. For instance, is often written as . The use or omission of such marks is usually consistent throughout any given context. The two functions of dagesh are distinguished as either kal (light) or ḥazak (strong).