Sorry for the late reply, Jonathan. A contract noun is a two syllable noun with early accent, but with a diphthong-type pattern in the centre. There are basically two types: with yodh or with waw.
With yodh: איל זית קיץ With waw: מות Contract nouns contract when put into construct or plural. The yodh or waw, which is a kind of diphthong in the absolute form becomes mater lectionis in construct. The original form of these contract nouns was as a single syllable: ayl, zayt, qays; mawt. Both the yodh and waw were, therefore, originally contributing to the pronunciation, which is why they are not dispensable in the word, even in construct. Hebrew has unclustered the consonants into the current forms we know from Biblical Hebrew, but always retains the yodh or waw. One exception is the noun בית, which has an irregular plural. GEORGE ATHAS Dean of Research, Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au) Sydney, Australia
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