| Title | Some Notes on Melody: Saʿadya Gaon and Why ‘naghma’ Means ‘vowel’ in Judaeo-Arabic |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Nick Posegay(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0464.10 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0464/chapters/10.11647/obp.0464.10 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Nick Posegay; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-03-07 |
| Long abstract | The article explores the historical and linguistic contexts behind the use of the term naghma in medieval Judaeo-Arabic to signify ‘vowel’, a meaning distinct from its Classical Arabic usage denoting ‘melody’, ‘tone’, or ‘sound’. Focusing on Saʿadya Gaon’s work, particularly his Al-Qawl fī al-Nagham and his Hebrew grammar, the study highlights how the term evolved in Jewish linguistic traditions. Saʿadya used naghma to describe the seven vowels of Tiberian Hebrew, connecting linguistic analysis with musicological concepts prevalent in Arabic and Jewish intellectual circles of the medieval period. By equating vowels with musical notes, he introduced a metaphysical layer to Hebrew grammar, suggesting that vocalisation carried both linguistic and spiritual significance. This innovative usage influenced subsequent Judaeo-Arabic and Masoretic texts, embedding the term in the medieval Jewish linguistic tradition. |
| Page range | pp. 311–340 |
| Print length | 30 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Landing Page | Full text URL | Platform | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0464/chapters/10.11647/obp.0464.10 | Landing page | https://books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp.0464.10.pdf | Full text URL |
Nick Posegay (PhD, University of Cambridge) has served as a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge, specialising in Arabic and Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts and interfaith exchange in the intellectual history of medieval Semitic languages. He also studies Syriac scribal culture, Masoretic thought, and the history of Geniza collections. He is author of Points of Contact: The Shared Intellectual History of Vocalisation in Syriac, Arabic, and Hebrew (University of Cambridge Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Open Book Publishers, 2021) and co-author (with Melonie Schmierer-Lee) of The Illustrated Cairo Genizah (Gorgias, 2024).