14: Qal Perfect and Imperfect: Weak Roots Flashcards
What kind of roots does the Hebrew have?
- Strong
- Weak
What characteristics does the strong root have?
- Strong roots are “regular.”
- They follow the standard paradigm (קטל) exactly.
What characteristics does the weak root have?
- Weak roots are “irregular.”
- They vary from the standard paradigm (קטל) in predictable ways.
How is the “weakness” of weak roots designated?
- By its location - using the roman numerals I, II, or III to identify the location of the weakness in the first, second or third letter
- By its nature - For example, roots with gutturals are weak, because gutturals have characteristics that cause the verbal forms of these roots to vary from the standard paradigm.
עָבַד is a I Guttural verb.
In what one way do I Guttural verbs vary from the standard paradigm?
Where the standard paradigm has a sheva (ְ ), I Guttural verbs have a chatef-patach (ֲ ) or a chatef-segol (ֱ ).
What are some characteristics of I, II and III Gutturals weak verb categories?
- Gutturals prefer a chatef vowel instead of a sheva(esp. vocal sheva)
- Gutturals prefer patachs as vowels under and preceding them.
- Gutturals (and ר) cannot receive a dagesh. Often the preceding vowel will be lengthened to compensate.
Where does the weak root I Guttural differ from the Qal Perfect paradigm?
The qal pf follows the standard paradigm except in the 2mp and 2fp forms, where the sheva ( ְ ) is replaced by chatef-patach ( ֲ ).
What are the three ways the I Guttural varies from the Qal Imperfect standard paradigm?
- Sheva ( ְ ) under the first root letter is replaced by chatef-patach ( ֲ ) or chatef-segol ( ֱ ),
- the vowel under the prefix will be the corresponding short vowel (patach [ַ] or segol [ֶ]), and
- in the 2fs, 3mp and 2mp the first sheva ( ְ ) becomes patach ( ַ ).
Why do III Alef verbs vary from the standard paradigm?
Because alef is silent when it closes a syllable.
What is the characteristic of III Alef weak verb category?
- The א will become silent and lose its value as a consonant whenever it would close a syllable. This often leads to the loss of a silent sheva and/or the lengthening of the preceding vowel.
How does the III Alef verbs changes in the Qal Perfect?
- there is no sheva ( ְ ) written under the alef and
- compensatory lengthening takes place: the expected short patach ( ַ ) is lengthened to medium qamets ( ָ ).
And because the tav ( ת ) of the suffixes is now preceded by a vowel, the alef being silent, the weak dagesh is lost
How does the III Alef changes in the Qal Imperfect?
- In forms where alef would close a syllable, compensatory lengthening takes place
- the expected short patach ( ַ ) is lengthened to medium qamets ( ָ ), except in the 3fp and 2fp, which have a segol ( ֶ )
בָּכָה
he cried
בָּנָה
he built, fortified
גָּלָה
he revealed, went away
