Chapter 12 — Stem Identification Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch12: Introduction to Aramaic Verbs

Instructions

For each numbered verb (shown in bold in the Aramaic clause), enter the Stem, Root, and Gloss in the input fields. Click ▶ Answer to check your response. Use the controls below to show or hide all answers at once, or clear all inputs.

# Aramaic Clause Ref Stem Root Gloss
1
אֱדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל לְבֵיתֵהּ אֲזַל
 Dan 2:17
Stem: Peal  |  Root: אזל  |  Gloss: he went
2
וּמִלְּתָא כְּתַב מַלְכָּא
 Dan 6:26
Stem: Peal  |  Root: כתב  |  Gloss: the king wrote
3
אֱדַיִן מַלְכָּא נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר נְפַל עַל-אַנְפּוֹהִי
 Dan 2:46
Stem: Peal  |  Root: נפל  |  Gloss: he fell
4
אֱדַיִן אֲמַר מַלְכָּא לְאַרְיוֹךְ
 Dan 2:24
Stem: Peal  |  Root: אמר  |  Gloss: the king said
5
כְּדִי הֲוָה דָנִיֵּאל מִתְחַנַּן
 Dan 6:12
Stem: Peal  |  Root: הוה  |  Gloss: when Daniel was (doing/praying)
6
וּמַלְכָּא שְׁלַח כְּנֵמָא
 Ezra 5:17
Stem: Peal  |  Root: שׁלח  |  Gloss: the king sent
7
יְהַבְתְּ לִי חָכְמְתָא וּגְבוּרְתָא
 Dan 2:23
Stem: Peal (2ms perf)  |  Root: יהב  |  Gloss: you gave
8
דִּי כָל-עַמְמַיָּא ... יִפְּלוּן
 Dan 3:7
Stem: Peal (3mp impf)  |  Root: נפל  |  Gloss: they will fall (note I-nun: nun assimilates)
9
וְדָנִיֵּאל עֲבַד קַרְצֵי לְשַׁדְרַךְ
 Dan 3:12
Stem: Peal  |  Root: עבד  |  Gloss: Daniel did / brought charges
10
מַלְכוּתָא עֲלָךְ קָמַת
 Dan 4:33
Stem: Peal (3fs perf)  |  Root: קום  |  Gloss: the kingdom has stood / been restored
11
כְּעַן הוֹדַעְתַּנִי דִּי בְּעֵינָא מִנָּךְ
 Dan 2:23
Stem: Haphel (2ms perf + 1cs obj suffix)  |  Root: ידע  |  Gloss: you have made known to me
12
דִּי-יְהַב מַלְכָּא הֲקִים
 Dan 3:2
Stem: Haphel (3ms perf)  |  Root: קום  |  Gloss: the king had set up / erected
13
בַּיְתָה דְּנָה הִתְבְּנִי
 Ezra 5:16
Stem: Ithpeel (3ms perf)  |  Root: בנה  |  Gloss: this house was built
14
כָּל-חֲבוּל לָא הִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּהּ
 Dan 6:23
Stem: Ithpeel (3ms perf)  |  Root: שׁכח  |  Gloss: no harm was found on him

Reflection Questions

  1. In items 1–10 (all Peal forms), what is the single most reliable way to identify a Peal verb when no diagnostic prefix is present? What information besides the stem marker helps you?
  2. Items 11–12 are Haphel forms. Compare the prefix of each: הוֹדַע (item 11) uses a vowel-letter (holem waw), while הֲקִים (item 12) uses hateph-patach. What causes this difference, and what does it tell you about the root type?
  3. Items 13–14 are Ithpeel forms. A Hebrew student might initially confuse the הִתְ prefix of the Ithpeel with the הִתְ prefix of the Hebrew Hitpa'el. State in one sentence what the functional difference is between these two stems.