The flexible מִן: construction
- מִן is a unique preposition
- It can be a Maqqef preposition, as in מִן־זָהָב
- It can also be an inseparable preposition: מִזָּהָב
- Both examples above literally mean “from gold”
- Note the spelling of the inseparable preposition:
- When we see
Mem+Hireq+Dagesh, we know it is מִן written as an inseparable preposition
- The נ has “assimilated” into the Dagesh Forte
- As we know by now, the Gutturals and Resh reject the Dagesh Forte:
- א ע ה ר have compensatory lengthening, so the Hireq becomes Tsere
- ח has virtual doubling, which as we remember means “virtually no doubling” in that the vowel under the מ remains a Hireq
- SQiN eM LeVY with a Sheva may reject the Dagesh
- As we know, there will never be any Compensatory Lengthening with a SQiN eM LeVY scenario
- When we see מִקְ, מִיְ or
Mem+Hireq followed by a SQiN eM LeVY letter and there is no Dagesh Forte, this may be a clue
- We should say to ourselves, “I don’t see a Dagesh Forte, but that’s a
SQiN eM LeVY letter. This may still be מִן.”