Etnachta

Etnachta (Hebrew: אֶתְנַחְתָּא, with variant English spellings) is one of the most common cantillation marks in the Torah and Haftarah. It is the anchor for the Etnachta group, which in full consists of four different trope sounds, not all of which are always present. These are Mercha, Tipcha, Munach, and its namesake Etnachta.

etnahta
אֶתְנַחְתָּ֑א ֑ ט֑וֹב
cantillation
Sof passuk׃  paseq׀
etnakhta/atnakh֑  segol֒
shalshelet֓  zaqef qaton֔
zaqef gadol֕  tifcha/tarkha֖
rivia/ravia’֗  zarqa֘
pashta֙  yetiv֚
tevir֛  geresh/gerish֜
geresh muqdam֝  gershayim/shenei gerishin֞
karnei pharah֟  telisha gedola/talsha֠
pazer (gadol)֡  atnah hafukh֢
munakh/shofar holekh֣  mahapakh/shofar mehupakh֤
merkha/ma’arikh֥  merkha kefula/terei ta’amei֦
darga֧  qadma֨
telisha qetana/tarsa֩  yerah ben yomo֪
ole֫  illuy֬
dehi֭  zinor֮

The Etnachta group marks the end of the first segment of a verse. Therefore, it never occurs more than once in a single verse.

An example is in the first verse of the Book of Genesis, the statement that God created is marked with an Etnachta, showing the completion of God’s creation.

The Hebrew word אֶתְנַחְתָּא translates into English as pause. This name is given because of its central location within a verse.

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