Lesson7: Imoerfect.

Participles, Prepositions Part 1: The imperfect form of the verb indicatesactionsnot yet complete,and so can often modal nuances, be translated with the English presentor future. It also expresses in which are communicated English throughcomplementary verbs"should", "would", "could", etc. Its form is characterized a combinationof prefixesand suffixes(in contrastto by perfect's exclusiveuse of suffixes).Again, predictingthe correctforms of the the verb in the variousstemsis easyif you know the root, the themevowel, and the seriesof prefixes/suffixes eachperson/number/gender. for The themevowel is the vowel that appears the last syllableof the 3ms imperfect in form. For the D- and H-stems,every root hasthe samethemevowel lel ( ..), unless it has a guttural(N, ;1, n, IJ) as a third-consonant a resh),in which casethe /e/ (or ( ) shiftsto lal ( _) in accordance with the phonological rulesof Aramaic(seethe -lnN abovenoteto [Les. 5, part I ]). In the G-stem, themevowel is lesspredictable. most commonis the short the The /u/ vowel. This is found with rootslike lif ("to write"). Otherrootshavea short lal,llke the root connected speaking(lDN), or the root that indicatesdressing to $Jlr), or the root indicatingwieldingpower (E)U). lJsually,rootswith a perfect like E)tp *ith lel ( ) as the secondvowel, have imperfectswith an lal theme vowel. Considering following paradigms, the whereverlllJ has a /u/, theseverbs takelal. They are otherwisecompletelyanalogous lllf . A very few roots havea theme to 'ill) vowel of lel( ), rootstitce)5: ("to fall") and ("to give"), which will be later. discussed

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

53

isolates distinctive of Thefollowingparadigm the suffixes prefixes eachform and of the imperfect. 3ms 3fs 2ms 2fs lcs 3mp
-tF-t.i
Jl ,J ri

JI'IJ Jt'tJt'l

:N:

-jt'iJt'l rt|t-\F-F I Jl'rJr'l

=n? F
rrt JtiJ

I ,"\

i.l

tn:$
\.i':

.r\qF-.t t:: .r-Fq! lr::'

l'r-,li'rJ

11
I

lFl! r

3fu
2^p 2fp
lcp

IJr'rJ

1
lv rirl

:n:r
-r r_j F

r . 'i r t Ft-'F J t ' r -J r t:: |' rr F-rF I Jl'l-Jl'l lr::

l'r
rt JtlJ

'r.l
l.l
F

I ' lFl r

1 . : '

Introductory Lessonsin Aramqic by Eric D. Reymond

54

7a. Exercise
imperfect and attached theG-stem to the and Understanding prefixes suffixes allowsyou to predictwhat of the understanding basicprinciples vowelreduction, theverbalformswill look like in theD- andH-stems. Appendix as the Fill out the followingchartfor the verbl[1], consulting Answers needed.
G-imperfect D-imperfect H-imperfect Alternative form of the Hstemwith no iJ

3ms 3fs

'' : _ :

2ms 2fs lcs

ttt--h

I Jl'lJl'l

rttF-F l-ll,l-Jl'l

]F]:N
. , : f

]F]:N

lFl:ir$
' _ : - - i

3mp 3fp

l1:ntl
tr;:

tt-Ft!t

l'l-rl'lJt

tlqFrrF

2mp zfp
lcp

i'rJi'rJi'l r ]Ji'rJy

Notethe alternative formsof theH-stem(Haphel), calledthe A-stem(or, Aphel), prefrx. heh sinceit lacksthedistinctive TheA-stemoccurs in sporadically Biblical Aramaicandeventually supplants olderH-stemin laterdialects Aramaic. the of

Exercise 7b.
Parsethe following forms, describingstem,person,gender,number,and root.

parsings. two lnln Thishas possible

j':nlrl

[ntroductory Lessonsin Arqmaic by Eric D. Reymond

5s

rrlhnn

'ltnl'

| /

/t-t,

ui)n: ": -:
NlUN

lr-i-:

Part2'. The forms of the D- and H-participlesare easyto learn,basedon your familiarity with the patternsof the perfectand imperfectverb forms. They are distinct from because they both havea memprefix. the G-participle, As with the G-participles, D and H-participlescan be usedas nounsor as the predicates. Their mostcommonforms are qivenbelow: D-stem H-stem (Haphel)and A-stem (Aphel)

ms
f s. m.p f.p.
.

lFrfn
illFfn T':Fllb ]lF:n
lT: -:

:n:iln
;l:i:]:;ln l':Fl:ilD ]lnfnn
lT: : -:

lF:E
nlli:E l'lFfD l:F:n
lr; : -

Part3: prepositions takesuffixed pronouns. Like nouns, can Theirparadigrn entirely is predictable:

Exercise 7c.
In the followingchart,theprepositions and! arelike ) in theirform.The ! prepositions andEIJ aresimilarto eachotherin thattheybothactually havea lD 'imm), something is only indicated radical(i.e.,minnand in doubled second that )9theorthography a dot whena suffix followsthem.Theprepositions and by pluralnouns. EIP bothtakesuffixes if theyweremasculine as

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

56

Fill out theblanksin the followinschart.

lcs

,?
1,
It

':1

=1

1n
'r.1 l'\

F t,t

lr lt

4
t) -

tl.,
'

tl,/
JY:

2ms 2fs 3ms 3fs

lcp

:l2j\l n 't 'l' f

t:.' )lJ

n,

r - |i tA - | )
'

tl)
t lt:

e2
N))
t-

:'?llt

N)tn

2mp Zfp 3mp 3fp

E:,
l+(

E:'r9

Eil)

F-htt
i

tir)
t":

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

)/

Part 4. A final few nominal patternscan be studied,as they are occasionally found in Aramaic texts. Thereare many nounsthat have a prefixed memor taw at their beginning.Nouns -lJp "to like "l!JJB "work" are formed from the basicroot do" or "make."

lJUn "bed"froml:U G: "to lie" andnl'lp ("altar")from nlT G : Similarly, "to sacrifice". same pattern with the taw-prefixed The fits wordslike i'T[i]Ui "praise, glory"from n:U D : "to praise." patterns exist: Other,moreconfusing also singular Nouns thatendin
etymological y

(ending Ay) gentilics in

(These usually are names ethnic, of

liTll"1;ltT[il",H,il":,0,;
lud.un or Jew.)

abs.: const.:

NQ-l? (throne) ;1:-ll3(lion) (, : lol) il:-f$ NQ-l?(?) N]:-llt (?)

':ltl;J' 'Jl;'l] N"'T:l;'l'

emph /det.: N]Dl?

plural abs.:

]]D-l!
I T T : T

T']'-]N
I TT : -

]"J:l;J'/]'N-l:lil'
| r : | ' ?

const.:

nlpl!

nll-]lt

':ltli'l: / 'N:f:li'].l
N'J:li'T'
.'Tt

N[r]?l? emph./det.:

Nfll-lls

Notein relationto the gentilicnouns findsformsin whichthe thatoneoccasionally 'i'NJ:l;l' 'aleph. yodhhasbeen original replaced an by for]".]ilIil] *d'NJ:li'l'
IOf
n ttat-t

l'lt l .

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

58

7d. Exercise
Fill out the chartbelow, accordingto the patternof
abs. sing.
r:'f
tit

']l:li'T'
pl. cstr. pl. emoh./det.

sing.cstr. sing.
emoh./det.

pl. abs.

("Babvlonian"
r.:?Dt:

(Chaldaean")

Thereare, of course,many more peculiarnouns,but thesemust be learned individually. Especiallyimportantare the forms of fatherand brother,both of which are attested only with suffixes,making their other forms a matterof conjecture. Considerthe suffixed forms. singular

'lt3

Jr:x .':l:$
'i]:llt_\ ilrl|l N::I]N E::I]N 'l::llN
t"

Ei']:llN

jilrr$
plural

'nF?|-\
:Tnill$
ITTT-i

't_'I|s (?)
:j'F$ $his is theonly formattested BA.) in

etc.

For ending. "brother", For theword "father"notethatthepluralhasa feminine notethatthe fl in thepluralform is virtuallydoubled.
Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond
59

Exercise 7e.
Translate following passage from Ezra 4.14-15,vocalizingthe six forms the without vowels.For words you do not know. usethe vocabularylist that follows the passage.

N:n7n N7f';'t n7n

t : :

-"':T ?lD-?l ]JJ!

' "lr: r | :

NInF) l'-'XN?N?In *;? n::rp1 *r)n) *:piintN:n)u il:r-rIJ

]nill$ 'T N',:]:J--tlD3 -'lPl' 'T
-lf ':l--llo= nlu*iln']

ijl: n''l N::

j':)F npTl;tnl ill-lD ill-li?1l Nflri? "':T

I : ' T T T T :' I

Noticethatin line 4, the initial verbis 3msin form andrefersto thePersian king, whilethefollowingverbs 2msforms,alsoreferring thePersian are to king.The initial useof the 3msis perhaps of deference theking's superior out to status. Vocabulary: Nouns: : "record" (do[rdn)(pl. emph./det.: Nt!'l:T) rn jl:l l?'it : "palace" (sing. emph./det.: Nf!'il; m n ?n : "salt"(sing. Nll emph./det.: )F) rn ir]:! : "dishonor" (sing. n]:W) f cstr.:

: ;11-lP "city" f.
Adjectives: -jt-tl-t : o'propf" 'T-ln : "rebellious"

Introductorv Lessonsin Arqmaic bv Eric D. Revmond

60

Verbs: fP! : D-stem seek" "to "to ;1i[1: G-stem see"(G-inf.:il]lJF) "to (G-impf.9fl]) , JJ]] : G-stem know","to understand" "to H-stem makeknown"(H-perf.D-]'1;1 ) : G-stem salt"i.e.,to donate or to eatsalt. "to n ?n salt, : "to Pj! G-stem. suffer" "to H-stem: injure" nlU : H-stem find" "to Particles/Adverbs: that a vowelis prefixed I : "in" --- Notethatwhena shewa representsmurmured to a word thatbegins with a murmured vowel,the first munnured vowelbecomes -flD + - -'llD3* ---'-l!Of short andthesecond lil, becomes silent: - : : _ : : J (bispar).

)=P-)1 : "corresponding to" "-ThP- )3 : "because" l!! : "now"

L- -- L-

Note the three setsof "near" demonstrative pronouns,all identicalin meaning ("this"/"these").
Sing.("this") Plural ("these")

FirstSet
masc. fem. SecondSet masc. fem.

;1)?

i'l?N and)N) l'?N (and

N?

T',N

:T :1 :.il
'l:1?
l+ .l

1?||
1?N

Third Set masc.

fem.

?-l?

XXXXX XXXXX

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

6l

("that"/ "those"), thoughonly the Thereis only onesetof "far" demonstratives masculine formsareattested:
Sins. ("that") masc. *fem. Plural ("those")

N:IiT $'lJ*

T1,]N

T'IN*

Introductorv Lessonsin Aramaic bv Eric D. Revmond

62