LAN 404 BEGINNING HEBREW II

Class IV: Definite Article and Conjunction Waw

Dr. Esa Autero

Definite article and conjunction Waw

1.1 Introduction Definite and indefinite article in English

Noun is definite when preceded by “the” (definite article) The teacher, the mountain

Noun is indefinite when preceded by “a/an” or no article An apple, a teacher (indefinite article) OR apple, teacher (no article)

Definite article in Hebrew There is only definite article in Hebrew (no indefinite article in Hebrew)

�מ� ל�ך may be translated as “king” or “a king”

Hebrew words w/o definite article are indefinite Exceptions: proper nouns (e.g. Egypt) & nouns w/ possessive pronouns (my ear)

Definite article and conjunction Waw

2.1 Hebrew Definite Article Form of Hebrew definite article

�מ� ל�ך “king” or “a king”

A noun is made definite by adding the Hebrew definite article (ה�) in front of the noun AND adding Daghesh Forte in the first consonant of the noun

� ל�ך � “king” or “a king” מ� ל�ך מ�ה� “the king”

Definite article

ל� �מ�ה� ך

Add the definite article = ה�־ ־־

+ Daghesh Forte in the first letter

Definite article and conjunction Waw

Hebrew words with a definite article – examples

Indefinite noun Definite noun

�ב י אנ A prophet ��ב י אה�נ The prophet

�ק� ןז An elder ק��� ןה�ז The elder

�ס סו A horse �ס ה�ס�ו The horse

ש��פ�ט A judge פ�ט���ה�ש The judge

Definite article and conjunction Waw

The article and initial begadkephat consonants With begadkephat initial Daghesh Lene changes into Daghesh Forte

Nothing visibly changes, but Daghesh Lene is now Daghesh Forte

Indefinite noun Definite noun

ית ב� A house ית ה� ב� The house

ר� �ד� ך A road ר� ה� �ד� ך The road

ב�ו�ר� ג A warrior ב�ו�ר � ה�ג The warrior Daghesh Lene changes

into Daghesh Forte

no visible changes

Definite article and conjunction Waw

The article and initial guttural consonants What to do with Daghesh Forte when first consonant is guttural (or ר)?

guttural consonants do not take Daghesh Forte

1) Compensatory lengthening

Initial Pathach (short a) of the definite article ( lengthens (ה�

to Qamets (long a) ה�

Definite article compensates for the loss

of Daghesh Forte by lengthening vowels

Basic patterns for compensatory vowel lengthening:

1) Pathach to Qamets (�� (ב�� ב

2) Hireq to Tsere ( � (ב�� ב

3) Qibbuts to Holem ("� (ב�� ב

Definite article and conjunction Waw

Examples of vowel lengthening

Indefinite noun Definite noun

יש�א A man א יש�ה� The man

ש���הא A woman א ש���הה� The woman

אש�ר� A head/leader אש�ה�ר� The head

ירע A city ע ירה� The city

Definite article and conjunction Waw

2) Virtual doubling

When ה or ח is the first consonant of a noun virtual doubling

Nothing happens – (rejection of Daghesh Forte w/o the lengthening of Pathach)

Pathach does not lengthen in either example

Indefinite noun Definite noun

ה�יכ�ל A palace ה�ה�יכ�ל The palace

חו�מ�ה A wall ה�חו�מ�ה The wall

Definite article and conjunction Waw

3) Irregular Seghol vowel Unaccented nouns that begin with ה�, �ע or ח� ( ח�may also be accented),

have Seghol (short e) without the Daghesh Forte ( ה� )

Indefinite noun Definite noun

םח�כ� Wise man םה�ח�כ� The wise man

Definite article and conjunction Waw

The article with initial � מ� and י With few exceptions, words that begin with � .give up Daghesh Forte מ� or י

Daghesh Forte given up but Pathach is not lengthened This is similar to virtual doubling with gutturals – however, the Shewa under

the first consonant is Vocal per similarity to basic form of the article w/ Daghesh Forte

Indefinite noun Definite noun

י �ל�ד םי Boys י �ל�ד םה�י The boys

��ל י ר�ג םמ� Spies י ��ל ר�ג םה�מ� The spies

Definite article and conjunction Waw

Vowel changes Basic rules (see previous slides) + exceptions NOTE: concentrate on stable elements – things that do not change

prefix (vowels and Daghesh change) ה� - Stem of the word does not change (almost always)

Examples of words that have slight irregularities (Qamets under 1st consonant)

Indefinite noun Definite noun

ר�ץא � Earth ר�ץה� א� The earth

�םע People ע�םה� The people

�� ןג Garden �� ןה�ג The garden

ה�ר Mountain ה�ה�ר The mountain

רו�ןא Ark א�רו+ןה� The ark

Definite article and conjunction Waw

2.2 The Conjunction � ו � is the most frequent word in the Hebrew Bible (<50,000x) ו

On average 2.5x per verse Always prefixed to another word (never stand-alone)

has four basic spelling possibilities depending on the word it is attached to ו

1) Before most consonants, the conjunction appears as � ו ב�ד � ו ע� and a servant

�א ש���ה and a woman ו

�ה�א ש���ה and the woman ו

Definite article and conjunction Waw

2) Two situation when the conjunction appears differently

a) It is spelled � “BUMP” rule (פ, מ, ב) before labials ו begadkephat consonants will loose the Daghesh Lene with the conjunction

Conjunction Waw and the “BUMP” rule

���י � + ב ןו �ב�י ןו and between

ית + � ו ב� ית � ו ב� and a house

ל� + � �מ�ו ך ל� �מ� �ו ך and a king

+ � ו�ר� ע�הפ�

�פ�ר� ע�הו and Pharaoh

Definite article and conjunction Waw

b) The conjunction ו is also spelled as Shureq (� before most (וconsonants having Vocal Shewa

Exception to the rule: if the conjunction ו is prefixed to a word that

begins with the syllable � then the syllables contract to י

�ד�ה �הו � + י �ד�ה ו הו ו and Judah

Conjunction Waw and Shureq

� � + נ ע�ר יםו � �נ ע�ר יםו and young men

� � + ז ע�ר יםו � �ז ע�ר יםו and seeds

+ � ופ�ר י םס�

פ�ר י �ס� םו and books

+ � ו� א�לש��מו

� �ש��מו א�לו and Samuel

Definite article and conjunction Waw

3) Before a reduced Hateph vowel – the conjunction is spelled with the corresponding short vowel of the Hateph vowel.

One important exception: ים + ו �אל�ה ים א.ל�ה ו

Conjunction Waw and Hateph volwels

+ � ו ים��ש אנ

� יםו��ש אנ and men

+ � א.מ�תו � א.מ�תו and truth

� + ח/ל י ו �ח/ל י and sickness ו

Definite article and conjunction Waw

4) The conjunction may be spelled with a Qamets � before וmonosyllabic words and certain word with initial accent

How do you know when a word starts with ו and when it is a conjunction? Only six words in the Hebrew Bible that start with the consonant ו The words occur only 18x in the Hebrew Bible in total

When you see a word with an initial ו it is most likely the conjunction ו

Conjunction Waw and Qamets vowel

� + צ� אןו Sheep צ�� אןו and sheep

+ � וח� םל�

Bread ח� � םל�ו and bread

Definite article and conjunction Waw

Practice Workbook p. 21, no: 1-5, 10-15

p. 22, no: 1-10

Homework Workbook p. 23, no:1-9 “Bible Translation” Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook Vocabulary quiz (Ch. 5) on words pp. 46-47 (5.9)

EXAM I POSTPONED BY ONE WEEK Exam I: Tue 9/29/2015