Re: Construct States

vardi wrote:

> Steg Belsky wrote:
> >
>
<big snip>

>
> > In Modern Israeli Hebrew, they sometimes do strange things, such as
> > coining new words by running a construct compound together.
> >
> > _migdal or_ = "tower of light"
> > (plural - _migdalei or_)
> >
> > --->> _migdelor_ = "lighthouse"
> > with the plural form _migdelorim_.
> >
>
> Hmmm - that is what the dictionary says. But I've never heard any one
> use that plural - I'll check with a few people at the office today! I
> suspect many people might flip it back to a "norma" construct and say
> migdalei or as the plural.
>
>
    It was evening here when I read my e-mail today (it still is :-) ) so I
haven't had a chance to ask around at my own place of work. When I asked my
(sabra) son for his opinion, he answered "migdelorim" as in the dictionary. But
he also reminded me of something else. The word for school is "bet sefer" and
though it's usually pronounced as a single word, it continues to
be regarded at some level as two words and is pluralised as "btei sefer" as in
a good construct. (It is also written as two words.)  However, when one wishes
to speak of only one school, since it is a construct, one puts the /ha/ (=the)
before the second word of the construct, not at the beginning as is usual for
nouns. Thus, /ha-bait/ (=the house), but /bet ha-sefer/ (=the school, or
literally, house of the book).  My son then asked, how one refers to  _the_
lighthouse. /ha-migdalor/
or /migdal ha-or/. (I don't think anybody uses the latter. ) If not, it's a
sign that migdalor is considered one word and not really a construct, no matter
what its history.
    Along the same lines, there is the word for "traffic light" /ramzor/, which
I understand is a combination of / remez/ (=hint)
and /or/ (= light). Plural, as far as I've ever heard it, is /ramzorim/ not
/ramzei  or/  and the definite is /ha-ramzor/, not /remez ha-or/.
    Just thought I'd throw my two agorot's worth in.

    Dan Sulani

--
 likehsna  rtem  zuv  tikuhnuh  auag  inuvuz  vaka'a.

 A  word  is  an  awesome  thing.