Darga

Darga
דַּרְגָּ֧א‎ ֧‎ תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת‎
cantillation
Sof passuk ׃‎   Paseq ׀‎
Etnakhta/atnakh ֑‎   Segol ֒‎
Shalshelet ֓‎   Zakef katan ֔‎
Zakef gadol ֕‎   Tifcha/tarkha ֖‎
Rivia ֗‎   Zarka ֘‎
Pashta ֙‎   Yetiv ֚‎
Tevir ֛‎   Geresh ֜‎
Geresh muqdam ֝‎   Gershayim ֞‎
Karne parah ֟‎   Telisha gedola/talsha ֠‎
Pazer ֡‎   Atnah hafukh ֢‎
Munakh/shofar holekh ֣‎   Mahpach ֤‎
Merkha/ma’arikh ֥‎   Mercha kefula ֦‎
֧‎   Qadma ֨‎
Telisha qetana/tarsa ֩‎   Yerah ben yomo ֪‎
Ole ֫‎   Illuy ֬‎
Dehi ֭‎   Tsinnorit ֮‎

Darga (Hebrew: דַּרְגָּא) is a cantillation mark commonly found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other books. The symbol for the darga resembles a backwards Z.[1]

The darga is usually followed by a Tevir.[2] It is most often found in places where a Tevir clause has two words which are closely related.[3] The Hebrew word דַּרְגָּא translates into English as step. With the Hebrew word tevir meaning "broken," the combination of darga tevir means "broken step."

Darga can also be followed by a Munach Rivia,[4] and can (rarely) be followed by a Mercha Kefula, an altogether rare trope.[5]

Total occurrences

Book Number of appearances
Torah 1091[6]
   Genesis 253[6]
   Exodus 221[6]
   Leviticus 171[6]
   Numbers 237[6]
   Deuteronomy 209[6]
Nevi'im 710[7]
Ketuvim 637[7]

Melody

The Ashkenazic darga is recited in a fast, downward slope, as follows:

The Sefardic darga is ascending, and the Moroccan darga is descending with a waver in the middle.[8]

References

  1. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 45
  2. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 113
  3. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 168
  4. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, pages 102-03
  5. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 111
  6. ^ a b c d e f Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 6
  7. ^ a b Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 5
  8. ^ "טעמי מקרא".