Chapter 12 — Stem Identification Drill¶
Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch12: Introduction to Aramaic Verbs
Instructions¶
For each numbered item below, a verse from Daniel or Ezra is given with one verb underlined. Provide:
- Stem — identify which of the nine stems (Peal, Peil, Ithpeel, Pael, Ithpaal, Haphel, Hophal, Shaph'el, Ithhaph'al)
- Root — the three-letter root (use the lexical form convention: 3ms Peal perfect)
- Gloss — an English translation of the verb form as it appears in the verse
Use the diagnostic stem markers from BBA §12.9 to guide your identification.
Verb Drill¶
| # | Verse (Aramaic) | Reference | Stem | Root | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אֱדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל לְבֵיתֵהּ אֲזַל | Dan 2:17 | |||
| 2 | וּמִלְּתָא כְּתַב מַלְכָּא | Dan 6:26 | |||
| 3 | אֱדַיִן מַלְכָּא נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר נְפַל עַל-אַנְפּוֹהִי | Dan 2:46 | |||
| 4 | אֱדַיִן אֲמַר מַלְכָּא לְאַרְיוֹךְ | Dan 2:24 | |||
| 5 | כְּדִי הֲוָה דָנִיֵּאל מִתְחַנַּן | Dan 6:12 | |||
| 6 | וּמַלְכָּא שְׁלַח כְּנֵמָא | Ezra 5:17 | |||
| 7 | יְהַבְתְּ לִי חָכְמְתָא וּגְבוּרְתָא | Dan 2:23 | |||
| 8 | דִּי כָל-עַמְמַיָּא ... יִפְלוּן | Dan 3:7 | |||
| 9 | וְדָנִיֵּאל עֲבַד קַרְצֵי לְשַׁדְרַךְ | Dan 3:12 | |||
| 10 | מַלְכוּתָא עֲלָךְ קָמַת | Dan 4:33 | |||
| 11 | כְּעַן הוֹדַעְתַּנִי דִּי בְּעֵינָא מִנָּךְ | Dan 2:23 | |||
| 12 | דִּי-יְהַב מַלְכָּא הֲקִים | Dan 3:2 | |||
| 13 | בַּיְתָה דְּנָה הִתְבְּנִי | Ezra 5:16 | |||
| 14 | כָּל-חֲבוּל לָא הִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּהּ | Dan 6:23 |
Reflection Questions¶
-
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?
-
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?
-
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.
Answer Key¶
| # | Stem | Root | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peal | אזל | he went |
| 2 | Peal | כתב | the king wrote |
| 3 | Peal | נפל | he fell |
| 4 | Peal | אמר | the king said |
| 5 | Peal | הוה | when Daniel was |
| 6 | Peal | שׁלח | the king sent |
| 7 | Peal (2ms perf) | יהב | you gave |
| 8 | Peal (3mp impf) | נפל | they will fall |
| 9 | Peal | עבד | Daniel did / made |
| 10 | Peal (3fs perf) | קום | the kingdom has stood / returned |
| 11 | Haphel (2ms perf + 1cs suffix) | ידע | you have made known to me |
| 12 | Haphel (3ms perf) | קום | he set up / appointed |
| 13 | Ithpeel (3ms perf) | בנה | this house was built |
| 14 | Ithpeel (3ms perf) | שׁכח | no harm was found on him |
Answers to Reflection Questions¶
1. When no diagnostic prefix is present, a verb is identified as Peal by elimination — no doubling of the middle radical (which would signal Pael or Ithpaal), no he-prefix (Haphel/Hophal), no shin-prefix (Shaph'el), and no ית prefix (any ith-stem). Context (active meaning, transitive usage) confirms the identification.
2. הוֹדַע begins with a vowel-letter (holem waw: הוֹ-) because the root is I-waw (ידע begins with י, but the Haphel of ידע prefixes הַ- and the root's initial yod produces a compensatory vowel-letter in some forms). הֲקִים uses hateph-patach because the root קום is a hollow (II-waw) root — the patach under the he is a reduced vowel before the consonantal cluster. The difference reflects the phonological behavior of the specific root, not a difference in stem.
3. The Ithpeel (Aramaic Gt stem) is the reflexive/passive of the Peal (basic/simple G stem), equivalent in function to Hebrew Niphal; the Hebrew Hitpa'el is the reflexive/passive of the Piel (intensive D stem), equivalent in function to Aramaic Ithpaal.