2

In Biblical Hebrew, what is the "internal passive with characteristic u vowel"?

Improve this question
2

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

It sounds like you are referring to the adjectival form "qatul", in which the u vowel is inserted between the second and third letters of the root. It denotes the passive of a pa'al verb, usually functioning to modify a noun. For example, etz shatul (Psalms 1).

Improve this answer
6
  • 1
    Meaning "a tree planted"
    – Shalom
    Commented May 11, 2011 at 2:12
  • 2
    Another good one is Genesis 30:33, ganuv (from the root gnb), "any such sheep are stolen"
    – Shalom
    Commented May 11, 2011 at 2:13
  • Where gnb is the root for "steal"
    – Shalom
    Commented May 11, 2011 at 2:14
  • Isn't that a passive participle rather than an adjective?
    – Andrew J. Brehm
    Commented May 11, 2011 at 8:38
  • @Andrew J. Brehm - Yes, it is the passive participle. Biblical Hebrew didn't have much in the way of actual adjectives. However, it functionally serves what English speakers would consider an adjectival role and in later Hebrews came to be used as such.
    – WAF
    Commented May 11, 2011 at 11:11
1

It refers to forms like

  • huf'al, passive of hif'il: hukhtav הוכתב
  • pu'al, passive of pi'el: dubar דובר

And also to the extinct qal internal passive, found only rarely and in altered form in Hebrew, e.g. yullad ילד ) יולד), Ruth 4:17.

Improve this answer
1
  • Welcome to judaism.SE and thanks very much for contributing your grammatical expertise!
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Commented May 11, 2011 at 14:25

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .