Qoph
Qoph (also spelled Qof, Kof, or Koph) is the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It has a numerical value of 100 in the system of gematria. The letter is pronounced as a voiceless uvular plosive, similar to the "k" sound in English but articulated further back in the vocal tract.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The name "Qoph" is thought to derive from a word meaning "monkey" or "ape" in Semitic languages. This is reflected in the ancient pictographic representation of the letter, which resembles a head and neck of a monkey.
Phonetics[edit | edit source]
In modern Hebrew, Qoph is pronounced as a voiceless uvular plosive [q]. This sound is not found in standard Modern Hebrew and is often replaced by the voiceless velar plosive [k]. However, in some dialects and in liturgical Hebrew, the original uvular pronunciation is preserved.
Numerical Value[edit | edit source]
In the system of gematria, Qoph has a numerical value of 100. This makes it a significant letter in various Kabbalistic and mystical traditions, where numbers are often used to derive deeper meanings from texts.
Usage in Hebrew[edit | edit source]
Qoph is used in various contexts within the Hebrew language. It appears in many common words and names, such as:
- קוף (Qof) - Monkey
- קהל (Qahal) - Congregation
- קודש (Qodesh) - Holy
Related Letters[edit | edit source]
Qoph is related to several other letters in the Semitic alphabets, including:
Unicode[edit | edit source]
In Unicode, the Hebrew letter Qoph is represented as U+05E7.
See Also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External Links[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD