Qal Participle Paradigms — Active and Passive

BBH Chapter 22 · Reference file

Active Participle — Strong Roots

The active participle inflects for gender and number like an adjective. It does not inflect for person.

Key marker: Active participle = holem-waw on R1 + tsere on R2. The ms absolute is the citation form. The fs absolute adds ת with a seghol pattern. The plural reduces R2 to shewa.

Strong B-class (Guttural R3)

Patach furtive before guttural R3 (ע, ח, ה) in the singular; vowel shift in plural.

I-gutt (R1 = ח, ה, ע, א)

Active Participle — Weak Roots

III-ה Roots

The final ה is retained and the tsere is replaced by seghol:

Key marker: III-ה active ptc. ms = holem-waw + seghol + ה. Compare IC (רְאוֹת = וֹת) and IA (רָאֹ֣ה = qamets + holem + ה retained).

Biconsonantal Roots

Key marker: Biconsonantal active ptc. ms is very short (2 letters visible). Distinguish from biconsonantal IC (same form + preposition) and IA (same form, no preposition). The context (with noun agreement, definite article, predicate use) confirms ptc.

I-י Roots

Key marker: I-י active ptc. retains the yod (יוֹשֵׁ֖ב, יוֹלֵ֖ד). This contrasts sharply with the contracted I-י IC forms.

I-נ Roots

Nun is retained in the active participle (no assimilation):

I-aleph Roots

Passive Participle

The passive participle follows the qatûl pattern (qamets + shureq) for strong roots. It is much rarer than the active participle.

Strong Roots — Full Inflection (שמר)

Key marker: ms absolute = qamets + shureq. All other forms: shewa R1 + shureq. The qamets disappears in non-ms-absolute forms (qamets is pretonic lengthening; it shortens to shewa when the stress shifts).

Common Lexicalized Passive Participles

Passive Participle — Weak Roots

Full Inflection Table

Summary: Active vs. Passive Diagnostic