Hebrew: מְעִיל

[Ali Smith]

Hi,

וַיִּתֵּ֨ן עָלָ֜יו אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֗נֶת וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אֹתוֹ֙ בָּֽאַבְנֵ֔ט וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ אֶֽת־הַמְּעִ֔יל וַיִּתֵּ֥ן עָלָ֖יו אֶת־הָאֵפֹ֑ד וַיַּחְגֹּ֣ר אֹת֗וֹ בְּחֵ֙שֶׁב֙ הָֽאֵפֹ֔ד וַיֶּאְפֹּ֥ד ל֖וֹ בּֽוֹ׃
(ויקרא ח ז)

The word מְעִיל means 'coat' in classical Hebrew. I had two questions about it: what was the vowel in the first syllable and why did it disappear?

Thanks!

 

[brustad]

I think the vowel in the first syllable was a short u. That is the only vowel that could disappear in a pretonic syllable. Example: חֲלוֹם and בְּכוֹר.

 

[Hamster Huey]

Or the first vowel could have been a short i. But definitely not a short a.

 

[Ali Smith]

Why could it have been a short i or a short u but not a short a?