Lesson7: Imoerfect.

Participles, Prepositions

Part 1:
The imperfect form of the verb indicatesactionsnot yet complete,and so can often
be translatedwith the English presentor future. It also expressesmodal nuances,
which are communicatedin English throughcomplementaryverbs"should",
"would", "could", etc.

Its form is characterizedby a combinationof prefixesand suffixes(in contrastto

the perfect's exclusiveuse of suffixes).Again, predictingthe correctforms of the
verb in the variousstemsis easyif you know the root, the themevowel, and the
seriesof prefixes/suffixesfor eachperson/number/gender.

The themevowel is the vowel that appearsin the last syllableof the 3ms imperfect
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(or a resh),in which casethe /e/
( ) shiftsto lal ( _) in accordance with the phonologicalrulesof Aramaic(seethe
-lnN
abovenoteto [Les. 5, part I ]).

In the G-stem,the themevowel is lesspredictable.The most commonis the short

/u/ vowel. This is found with rootslike lif ("to write"). Otherrootshavea short
lal,llke the root connectedto speaking(lDN), or the root that indicatesdressing
$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.

Consideringthe following paradigms,whereverlllJ has a /u/, theseverbs takelal.

They are otherwisecompletelyanalogousto lllf . A very few roots havea theme
'ill)
vowel of lel( ), rootstitce)5: ("to fall") and ("to give"), which will be
discussedlater.

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond 53

Thefollowingparadigmisolatesthedistinctivesuffixesandprefixesof eachform
of the imperfect.
-tF-t.i ri
3ms JI'IJ
Jl ,J

:N:
3fs Jt'tJt'l R

2ms =n?
-jt'iJt'l F
rt|t-\F-F rrt
2fs I Jl'rJr'l
I
JtiJ F
i.l

,"\
lcs tn:$ \.i':

.r\qF-.t lFl! r
3mp l'r-,li'rJ
t::
11
I
3fu .r-Fq! :n:r
IJr'rJ
lr::'
1lv

2^p r . 'i r- tJFt-'Fr J t ' r

I
rirl -r
'r.l
r_j F

t:: l'r
|' rr F-rF rt
2fp I Jl'l-Jl'l
lr:: I '
JtlJ F
l.l

lFl r
lcp 1 . : '

Introductory Lessonsin Aramqic by Eric D. Reymond 54

Exercise7a.
Understandingtheprefixesandsuffixesattached to theG-stemimperfectand
thebasicprinciplesof vowelreduction,allowsyou to predictwhat
understanding
theverbalformswill look like in theD- andH-stems.

Fill out the followingchartfor the verbl[1], consultingthe AnswersAppendixas

needed.
G-imperfect D-imperfect H-imperfect Alternative
form of the H-
stemwith no iJ

3ms '' : _ :
3fs

2ms a

ttt--h
. :

rttF-F
2fs I Jl'lJl'l
l-ll,l-Jl'l

lcs ]F]:N
. , : f
]F]:N lFl:ir$
' _ : - - i

tt-Ft!t
3mp l1:ntl l'l-rl'lJt i

3fp tr;:

tlqFrrF

2mp i'rJi'rJi'l
zfp r
]Ji'rJy

lcp

Notethe alternativeformsof theH-stem(Haphel),calledthe A-stem(or, Aphel),

sinceit lacksthedistinctiveheh prefrx.TheA-stemoccurssporadically in Biblical
Aramaicandeventuallysupplants the olderH-stemin laterdialectsof Aramaic.

Exercise7b.
Parsethe following forms, describingstem,person,gender,number,and root.

lnln Thishastwopossible
parsings.
j':nlrl
[ntroductory Lessonsin Arqmaic by Eric D. Reymond 5s
rrlhnn
| | / /t-t, I

'ltnl'
lr-i-:

ui)n:
": -:
NlUN

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
the G-participle,becausethey both havea memprefix.

As with the G-participles,the D and H-participlescan be usedas nounsor as

predicates.

Their mostcommonforms are qivenbelow:

D-stem H-stem (Haphel)and A-stem (Aphel)

ms lFrfn :n:iln lF:E
f s. illFfn ;l:i:]:;ln nlli:E

m.p T':Fllb l':Fl:ilD l'lFfD

f.p.. ]lF:n
lT:
-: ]lnfnn
lT: :
-: l:F:n
lr; : -

Part3:
Like nouns,prepositions
cantakesuffixedpronouns.
Theirparadigrn
is entirely
predictable:

Exercise7c.
In the followingchart,theprepositions ! and! arelike ) in theirform.The
prepositions lD andEIJ aresimilarto each otherin thattheybothactuallyhavea
doubledsecondradical(i.e.,minnand 'imm), something thatis only indicatedin
theorthography by a dot whena suffix followsthem.Theprepositions )9- and
EIP bothtakesuffixesasif theyweremasculinepluralnouns.

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond 56

Fill out theblanksin the followinschart.
':1 lr lt
, =1 1n F t,t
4 tl.,

lcs ,? 'r.1l'\
t )- tl,/
' JY:

't
2ms 1, It
:l2j\
' l ' l nf

2fs t:.' )lJ

3ms n, r -| |i tA) - -
'
t
tl)
lt:

3fs e2 :'?llt

lcp N)) t-
N)tn
2mp E:, E:'r9
Zfp l+(

3mp Eil) F-htt

i

3fp tir)
t":

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond )/

Part 4.
A final few nominal patternscan be studied,as they are occasionallyfound 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."
Similarly,lJUn "bed"froml:U G: "to lie" andnl'lp ("altar")from nlT G :
"to sacrifice".Thesamepatternfits with the taw-prefixed
wordslike i'T[i]Ui
"praise,glory"from n:U D : "to praise."

Other,moreconfusingpatternsalsoexist:

singular
Nounsthatendin gentilics(endingin Ay)
etymological y (Theseareusuallynamesof ethnic,

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

abs.: NQ-l? (throne) ;1:-ll3(lion) ':ltl;J'

(, : lol)
const.: NQ-l?(?) il:-f$ 'Jl;'l]

emph/det.: N]Dl? N]:-llt (?) N"'T:l;'l'

plural
abs.: ]]D-l!
I T T : T
T']'-]N
I TT : - ]"J:l;J'/]'N-l:lil'
| r : |
' ? i

const.: nlpl! nll-]lt ':ltli'l: / 'N:f:li'].l

N[r]?l?
emph./det.: Nfll-lls N'J:li'T'
.'Tt

Notein relationto the gentilicnounsthatoneoccasionally findsformsin whichthe

'i'NJ:l;l'
'aleph.
originalyodhhasbeenreplaced by an for]".]ilIil] *d'NJ:li'l'
n ttat-t
IOf l'lt l .

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond 58

Exercise7d.
']l:li'T'
Fill out the chartbelow, accordingto the patternof

sing.abs. sing.cstr. sing. pl. abs. pl. cstr. pl.

emoh./det. emoh./det.
r:'f i
tit

("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?|-\ 't_'I|s
(?)
:Tnill$
ITTT-i
:j'F$ $his is theonly formattested
in BA.)
etc.

For theword "father"notethatthepluralhasa feminineending.For "brother",

notethatthe fl in thepluralform is virtuallydoubled.

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond 59

Exercise7e.
Translatethe following passagefrom Ezra 4.14-15,vocalizingthe six forms
without vowels.For words you do not know. usethe vocabularylist that follows
the passage.

-"':T
N:n7n N7f';'t n7n
t : :
?lD-?l ]JJ!
' "lr: r | - :

NInF)*;? l'-'XN?N?Inn::rp1
*r)n) *:piintN:n)uil:r-rIJ
'T N',:]:J--tlD3 -'lPl' 'T
]nill$
-lf ':l--llo=
ijl: n''l N:: nlu*iln']

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

I : -
' T T T T :' I

Noticethatin line 4, the initial verbis 3msin form andrefersto thePersianking,

whilethefollowingverbsare2msforms,alsoreferringto thePersian king.The
initial useof the 3msis perhapsout of deference to theking's superiorstatus.

Vocabulary:
Nouns:
jl:l : "record"(do[rdn)(pl. emph./det.: Nt!'l:T) rn
l?'it : "palace"(sing.emph./det.: Nf!'il; m
n ?n : "salt"(sing.emph./det.:Nll )F) rn
ir]:! : "dishonor"(sing.cstr.:n]:W) f
;11-lP: "city" f.

Adjectives:
-jt-tl-t : o'prop€f"
'T-ln : "rebellious"

Introductorv Lessonsin Arqmaic bv Eric D. Revmond 60

Verbs:
fP! : D-stem"to seek"
;1i[1: G-stem"to see"(G-inf.:il]lJF)
JJ]] : G-stem"to know","to understand" (G-impf.9fl]) ,
H-stem"to makeknown"(H-perf.D-]'1;1)
n ?n : G-stem"to salt"i.e.,to donatesalt,or to eatsalt.
:
Pj! G-stem."to suffer"
H-stem:"to injure"
nlU : H-stem"to find"

Particles/Adverbs:
I : "in" --- Notethatwhena shewathatrepresents a murmuredvowelis prefixed
to a word thatbeginswith a murmuredvowel,the first munnuredvowelbecomes
-flD -'llD3* ---'-l!Of
shortlil, andthesecondbecomes :: J -
silent: - : : _ + (bispar).

L- -- L-
)=P-)1 : "corresponding
to"
"-ThP- )3 : "because"

: "now"
l!!

Note the three setsof "near" demonstrativepronouns,all identicalin meaning

("this"/"these").

Sing.("this") Plural ("these")

FirstSet
masc. ;1)? l'?N (andi'l?N and)N)
fem. N? T',N
SecondSet
masc. :T:1 1?||
fem. :.il 1?N

Third Set
'l:1?
masc. l+ .l XXXXX
fem. ?-l? XXXXX

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond 6l

Thereis only onesetof "far" demonstratives
("that"/ "those"),thoughonly the
masculineformsareattested:
Sins. ("that") Plural ("those")
masc. N:IiT T1,]N
*fem. $'lJ* T'IN*

Introductorv Lessonsin Aramaic bv Eric D. Revmond 62