The Realisation of Ṣere in Contemporary Hebrew

The article examines the phonological realisation of ṣere in contemporary Hebrew, with a specific focus on Mizraḥi Hebrew and General Israeli Hebrew (GIH). It contrasts historical Ashkenazi traditions, where ṣere is often realised as a diphthong ([ej]), with Sephardi and Mizrahi traditions, which favour a monophthongal realisation ([e]). Based on a corpus of Mizraḥi Hebrew speakers, the study shows that the monophthongal realisation overwhelmingly dominates, with diphthongal realisations occurring rarely and primarily in loanwords, proper nouns, and fixed expressions. Sociolinguistic factors, such as fluency in Judaeo-Arabic, play a role in reinforcing the monophthongal trend. The findings suggest that while ṣere’s realisation aligns with traditional Mizraḥi phonology, its diphthongal occurrences reflect broader linguistic influences and are often associated with phonological or sociolinguistic motivations.