Re: confession: roots

On Fri, 4 May 2001 17:28:27 -0500 Eric Christopherson <rakko@...>
writes:
> In Hebrew and other Semitic langs, there are a number of different
> ways to
> make a root into a word, with general guidelines as to what the
> resulting
> word would mean, but it's by no means regular. I can't think of any
> examples
> offhand...
>
>
> --
> Eric Christopherson / *Aiworegs Ghristobhorosyo
-

Here's an example:

the roots QPTz "jump", HLK "walk", and ShBR "break".

In the verbal paradigm _pa`al_ (also known as the "simple" or "easy"
_qal_ paradigm), the verbs from those roots mean just what i put next to
them:
liqfotz = to jump
lalekhet = to walk
lishbor = to break (something else, usually by accident)

In the verbal paradigm _pi`eil_, the "intensive" paradigm, the first two
develop not *strength* but *repetition*:
leqapeitz = to jump and jump and jump and jump...
lehaleikh = to wander around

but the third develops a forcefulness or intensiveness:
leshabeir = to smash


That was the only example i could think of at the moment... also, the
simple passive paradigm _nif`al_ has a few roots in it that aren't
passive at all!  (i've read that it was originally a reflexive paradigm,
which would explain that)


-Stephen (Steg)
 "FLOTZ! vehaya."