One thing is for certain. The letter Tsadi, which is now pronounced Ts as in Bats, was not always changed. The sound was changed on a committee in Israel in 1913 called ועד הלשון העברית. Those on the committee wished for the letter to sound like the German Z. In the tenth century, a Jewish commentator named Dunash ibn Tamim wrote that Hebrew had three letters that Arabic did not have. The tsadi is not a letter that he mentioned as one of these letters. The implication is that it is pronounced like the letter is pronounced just like the Arabic letter Ṣād.

The Arabic letter Ṣād (ص) likely evolved from a lateral sound in earlier Semitic languages, reflecting a fascinating phonetic and morphological development over time. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Historical Linguistic Context

In modern Arabic, the letter Ṣād (ص) is pronounced as a voiceless pharyngealized alveolar fricative [sˤ]. It is produced by raising the back of the tongue toward the pharynx, creating a constriction while simultaneously narrowing the airflow at the alveolar ridge, similar to the English [s] but with a deeper, more emphatic resonance. The pharyngealization (or emphasis) affects neighboring vowels, making them sound darker or more rounded. This distinctive articulation contrasts with the non-emphatic س (Sīn) [s], which lacks the pharyngealization and has a lighter, clearer sound. Ṣād is a key emphatic consonant in Arabic phonology.

In Proto-Semitic, the phoneme that evolved into Arabic Ṣād (ص) is often reconstructed as a lateralized or emphatic sound, possibly pronounced like a velarized [sˤ] with lateral airflow or a lateralized emphatic fricative, likely [ɬʼ]. The way to pronounce thi s is like an S with the tongue raised a bit, while simultaneously constricting the middle of the throat backward, where the epiglottis is. Therefore the true sound may that the tongue is raised and a guttural “ayin” sound is also made.

This is based on comparison with other Semitic languages:

  • Hebrew: The cognate letter is צ (Tsade), which also shows lateral emphatic characteristics.

  • Ugaritic: The corresponding Ugaritic symbol indicates a lateralized sound.

  • Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic): It retains a lateralized articulation, showing continuity with its Proto-Semitic ancestor.

2. Evolution in Arabic

As Arabic evolved from Proto-Semitic, the original lateral quality was lost, and the sound shifted:

  • The lateral articulation became a pharyngealized voiceless alveolar fricative [sˤ].

  • This shift aligned with the broader phonetic system of Arabic, which prefers pharyngealization (emphasis in the back of the throat) over lateralization for its emphatic consonants.

3. Comparison with Hebrew

In Hebrew, צ (Tsade) may have also started as a lateralized sound but now is typically pronounced as an affricate [ts] or, in some dialects, as a pharyngealized or emphatic [sˤ]. This reflects a more diverse development, with some communities preserving remnants of the older articulation.

4. Implications for Script and Sound

  • The letter Ṣād in Arabic script derives from the Nabataean Aramaic script, which also underwent phonetic shifts.

  • Over time, as the Arabic language became more standardized, the original lateral quality was completely lost in pronunciation, though it remains a point of interest for historical linguists.

The change from a lateral sound to the pharyngealized [sˤ] in Arabic likely occurred during the transition from Proto-Semitic (around 3rd millennium BCE) to the emergence of Old Arabic (circa 1st millennium BCE). This was a gradual process influenced by phonetic shifts that took place in the broader context of the Semitic language family.

Proto-Semitic Origins

  • This sound was retained as a lateral in some early Semitic languages, such as Ugaritic and Geʿez.

2. Shift in Northwest Semitic

  • In Northwest Semitic languages (like Hebrew and Phoenician), the lateralized sound became an affricate or emphatic fricative, often represented as צ (Tsade), pronounced as [ts] or [sˤ].

  • Canaanite languages like Hebrew had already lost the lateral characteristic by around the 2nd millennium BCE, suggesting this process started early in the Levant.

3. Shift in Arabic (1st Millennium BCE)

  • The Nabataean Aramaic script, from which the Arabic script evolved, was in use around the 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE. By this time, the lateral feature of the sound had disappeared in the spoken language of Old Arabic.

  • During this period, Arabic was already exhibiting pharyngealization as a key feature, favoring pharyngealized [sˤ] over lateralized sounds. This change was likely complete by the pre-Islamic period (around 500 CE).

4. Key Timeline

  • 3000–2000 BCE: Proto-Semitic lateralized [ɬʼ] exists.

  • 2000–1000 BCE: Northwest Semitic languages lose the lateral characteristic, transitioning to affricates or pharyngealized fricatives.

  • 1000 BCE–500 CE: Old Arabic undergoes the transition from lateral [ɬʼ] to pharyngealized [sˤ], likely influenced by contact with Aramaic and internal phonetic shifts.

By the time of the Qur'anic Arabic (7th century CE), the change was fully realized, and Ṣād was consistently pronounced as [sˤ], with no trace of its earlier lateral articulation.

The Arabic Ṣād (ص) likely originated from a lateral sound in Proto-Semitic, but it evolved into a pharyngealized sound in Arabic, losing its lateral character over time. This mirrors the dynamic phonetic changes that have occurred across Semitic languages, showing both divergence and retention of ancient features.

The Hebrew letter Tsade (צ), originally pronounced as a lateralized emphatic fricative [ɬʼ] in Proto-Semitic, underwent a significant phonetic change over time. This shift from a lateralized sound to the more familiar affricate or emphatic fricative likely occurred during the transition from Proto-Semitic to Biblical Hebrew, between the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE.

1. Proto-Semitic (circa 3000–2000 BCE)

  • In Proto-Semitic, Tsade was likely pronounced as a lateral fricative [ɬʼ], similar to the Welsh "ll" but with emphasis.

2. Canaanite Shift (circa 2000–1000 BCE)

  • In the early Canaanite dialects, including pre-Hebrew, the lateral quality began to weaken, transitioning into a pharyngealized affricate [tsʼ] or [sˤ], similar to the Arabic Ṣād.

3. Biblical Hebrew (circa 1000–500 BCE)

  • By the time of Biblical Hebrew, the sound had fully transitioned into the affricate [ts], comparable to the modern pronunciation of Tsade. However, regional variations may have retained the older lateral sound in some dialects.

4. Post-Biblical Hebrew (circa 500 BCE onward)

  • In Mishnaic Hebrew and later forms of Hebrew, the pronunciation of Tsade as [ts] or [sˤ] became standard, and the lateral feature was entirely lost.

Summary

The shift from a lateralized sound to an affricate in Hebrew likely occurred between 2000 and 1000 BCE, coinciding with the broader phonetic changes in Northwest Semitic languages. By the time of Biblical Hebrew, the modern pronunciation of Tsade as [ts] was largely established.