The Munach (Hebrew: , also spelled ''Munah'' or ''Munakh''), translating to English as ''"to rest,"'' is a common
cantillation
Cantillation is the ritual chanting of prayers and responses. It often specifically refers to Jewish Hebrew cantillation. Cantillation sometimes refers to diacritics used in texts that are to be chanted in liturgy.
Cantillation includes:
* Chant
...
sound. In Sephardi and Oriental traditions it is often called Shofar holekh. It is marked with a
right angle below the corresponding word.
The munach is found in various groups, including the Katon, Etnachta, and Segol groups. One or more munachs can be followed by many different trope sounds, including
Zakef katon,
Etnachta,
Rivia,
Zarka
Zarqa ( ar, الزرقاء) is the capital of Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Its name means "the blue (city)". It had a population of 635,160 inhabitants in 2015, and is the most populous city in Jordan after Amman.
Geography
Zarqa is located in t ...
,
Segol
Segol (modern he, סֶגּוֹל, ; formerly , ''səḡôl'') is a Hebrew niqqud vowel sign that is represented by three dots forming an upside down equilateral triangle "ֶ ". As such, it resembles an upside down therefore sign (a becau ...
, and
Pazer. It is normally used when the number of syllables in a phrase are so long that an extra note is required to accommodate all the syllables.
The munach is normally a short note. But when it is the first of two munachs followed by a
Rivia, it has a longer melody. In this case it may also be called ''legarmeh'' (מֻנַּח לְגַרְמֵ֣הּ׀).
Appearances
The munach has the following appearances in the following sequences:
*Katan group:
Mahpach
Mahpach (Hebrew מַהְפַּ֤ך, with variant English spellings) is a common cantillation mark found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other books of the Hebrew Bible. It is part of the Katan group, and it frequently begins the group. The symbol for ...
-
Pashta
Pashta (Hebrew: ) is a common cantillation mark found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other books of the Hebrew Bible. It is part of the Katan group. Its mark symbol is identical to that of the Kadma.
While Kadma and Pashta use the same symbol, Pash ...
-Munach-
Zakef katan
*Etnachta group:
Mercha-
Tipcha-Munach-
Etnachta
*Segol group: Munach-
Zarka
Zarqa ( ar, الزرقاء) is the capital of Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Its name means "the blue (city)". It had a population of 635,160 inhabitants in 2015, and is the most populous city in Jordan after Amman.
Geography
Zarqa is located in t ...
-Munach-
Segol
Segol (modern he, סֶגּוֹל, ; formerly , ''səḡôl'') is a Hebrew niqqud vowel sign that is represented by three dots forming an upside down equilateral triangle "ֶ ". As such, it resembles an upside down therefore sign (a becau ...
*Rivia group: Munach-Munach-
Rivia *
*Pazer/Telisha: Munach-Munach-
Pazer (sometimes)-
Telisha ketana or gedola
* When there are two Munachs before a Rivia (''legarmeh''), there is generally a vertical line
(, ) drawn between the words to indicate this.
The munach as shown is not always present in all cases.
Occasionally, in the Katon group, a second Munach will be inserted. This occurs when the words have more syllables, and cannot be accommodated by a single munach.
[Outlines of Hebrew Accentuation By A. B. Davidson, page 58]
Munach occurs in the Torah 8777 times. Legarmeh occurs 283 times.
Total occurrences
Melody
Note that the melody for trope is different in Torah, Haftarah, and Megillot. Different Jewish communities also use different Torah tropes. The following should not be considered an exhaustive list of all possible cantillations.
Katon group
Etnachta group
Rivia group
The Munach preceding another Munach before a Rivia:
The Munach immediately preceding a Rivia:
Segol group
Before a Zarka:
Before a Segol:
Telisha group
References
{{Torah reading
Cantillation marks