Chapter 20 — Hithpaal / Ithpaal Stem Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch20: The Hithpaal and Ithpaal Stems

Instructions

For each numbered Hithpaal/Ithpaal verb form from Daniel or Ezra, enter: Stem (Hithpaal — note metathesis if present), Conjugation (Perfect / Imperfect / Imperative / Infinitive / Participle), Root (3 consonants, Peal 3ms form), PGN (Person-Gender-Number, or N/A for infinitive), and Translation. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer key row.

Hithpaal marker: אִתְ-/הִתְ- prefix AND dagesh forte in R2 — both features together.    Metathesis: sibilant R1 (שׁ, שׂ, ס) swaps with the taw → prefix becomes הִשְׁתַּ-/אִשְׁתַּ-.    Perfect 3ms: אִתְקַטַּל (patach + dagesh-patach in R2 — contrast Pael tsere in R2).    Imperfect 3ms: יִתְקַטַּל (יִתְ- prefix).    Participle: מִתְקַטַּל (מִתְ- prefix).    vs. Ithpeel: same prefix but Ithpeel has no dagesh in R2.
# Form Stem Conjugation Root PGN Translation
1
הִשְׁתַּכַּח
Stem: Hithpaal (metathesis)  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: שׁכח  |  PGN: 3ms  |  Trans: it/he was found (Dan. 5:11: "an extraordinary spirit was found in him"; metathesis: שׁ+תִ → שְׁתַּ; dagesh forte in כ = D-stem)
2
אִתְחַשַּׁב
Stem: Hithpaal (no metathesis — R1 = ח, not a sibilant)  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: חשׁב  |  PGN: 3ms  |  Trans: it was reckoned / considered (אִתְ- prefix + dagesh forte in שׁ (R2) = Hithpaal; no metathesis because R1 = ח)
3
יִתְחַבַּל
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Imperfect  |  Root: חבל  |  PGN: 3ms  |  Trans: it will be destroyed / harmed (Dan. 6:23: no wound was found on Daniel; יִתְ- = Hithpaal imperfect prefix; dagesh forte in ב (R2))
4
הִשְׁתַּכַּחוּ
Stem: Hithpaal (metathesis)  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: שׁכח  |  PGN: 3mp  |  Trans: they were found (Dan. 6:5: "no accusation was found against Daniel"; ‑וּ suffix = 3mp; same metathesis prefix הִשְׁתַּ-)
5
מִשְׁתַּכַּח
Stem: Hithpaal (metathesis)  |  Conj: Participle  |  Root: שׁכח  |  PGN: ms  |  Trans: being found / was found (Dan. 5:12: מִ- prefix + metathesis שְׁתַּ- + dagesh in כ = Hithpaal participle ms)
6
הִתְנַדַּב
Stem: Hithpaal (no metathesis — R1 = נ)  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: נדב  |  PGN: 3ms  |  Trans: he volunteered / gave himself freely (Hithpaal reflexive function; הִתְ- prefix + dagesh forte in ד (R2) + patach)
7
הִתְמְלִּי
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: מלא/מלי  |  PGN: 3ms (III-he)  |  Trans: he was filled (Dan. 3:19: Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury; הִתְ- prefix + מְ (R1) + לִּ (dagesh in R2) + י (III-he ending))
8
יִתְרוֹמַם
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Imperfect  |  Root: רמם/רום  |  PGN: 3ms  |  Trans: he will exalt himself (Hithpaal reflexive; יִתְ- prefix; hollow/geminate root → רוֹמַם; dagesh in final מ)
9
אִתְקַטַּל
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: קטל  |  PGN: 3ms  |  Trans: he was killed / killed himself (model root paradigm form; אִתְ- + patach under ק + dagesh-patach in ט = standard Hithpaal perfect 3ms)
10
הִשְׁתַּוִּי
Stem: Hithpaal (metathesis)  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: שׁוה  |  PGN: 3ms (III-he)  |  Trans: he became equal / was made like (two complexities: metathesis of שׁ + taw → הִשְׁתַּ-; III-he root gives ‑וִּי ending; dagesh in ו (R2))
11
מִתְנַדְּבִין
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Participle  |  Root: נדב  |  PGN: mp  |  Trans: volunteering / those who volunteer themselves (Ezra 7:16: הַמִּתְנַדְּבִין = "those who give themselves freely"; מִתְ- prefix + dagesh in ד (R2) before ‑ִין suffix)
12
תִּתְחַשַּׁב
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Imperfect  |  Root: חשׁב  |  PGN: 3fs / 2ms  |  Trans: she/it will be reckoned / you will consider (תִּתְ- prefix = 3fs or 2ms Hithpaal imperfect; dagesh forte in שׁ (R2); no metathesis)
13
אִתְקַטַּלוּ
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: קטל  |  PGN: 3mp  |  Trans: they were killed / killed themselves (model root; אִתְ- prefix + patach-dagesh-patach in ט + ‑וּ suffix = 3mp perfect)
14
מִתְקַטַּל
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Participle  |  Root: קטל  |  PGN: ms  |  Trans: being killed / the one being killed (model root; מִתְ- prefix + dagesh-patach in ט = Hithpaal participle ms; contrast Pael active participle מְקַטֵּל with tsere and no מִתְ-)
15
הִשְׁתַּכַּחַת
Stem: Hithpaal (metathesis)  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: שׁכח  |  PGN: 3fs  |  Trans: she/it was found (3fs suffix ‑ַת after the Hithpaal perfect stem; metathesis prefix הִשְׁתַּ- + dagesh in כ)
16
יִתְקַטְּלוּן
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Imperfect  |  Root: קטל  |  PGN: 3mp  |  Trans: they will be killed (model root; יִתְ- + ‑וּן suffix = Hithpaal imperfect 3mp; R2 = shewa + dagesh before vocalic suffix)
17
אִתְנַדַּבְנָא
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Perfect  |  Root: נדב  |  PGN: 1cp  |  Trans: we volunteered / gave ourselves freely (אִתְ- prefix + dagesh in ד (R2) + ‑נָא = 1cp perfect suffix; same ‑נָא used in Peal and Pael 1cp)
18
לְהִתְקַטָּלָה
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Infinitive  |  Root: קטל  |  PGN: N/A  |  Trans: to be killed / to kill oneself (model root; לְ prefix + הִתְ- infix + patach under ק + dagesh-qamets in ט + ‑ָה suffix; contrast Pael infinitive לְקַטָּלָה which lacks הִתְ-)
19
אֶתְחַשַּׁב
Stem: Hithpaal  |  Conj: Imperfect  |  Root: חשׁב  |  PGN: 1cs  |  Trans: I will be reckoned / I will consider (אֶתְ- prefix = 1cs Hithpaal imperfect; aleph takes segol; dagesh forte in שׁ (R2))
20
מִשְׁתַּכְּחָן
Stem: Hithpaal (metathesis)  |  Conj: Participle  |  Root: שׁכח  |  PGN: fp  |  Trans: being found (fp) / those (f) being found (מִ- + metathesis שְׁתַּ- + dagesh in כ + ‑ָן = fp participle suffix; metathesis applies to participle prefix מִשְׁתַּ- just as in הִשְׁתַּ-)

Reflection Questions

  1. Items 1 (הִשְׁתַּכַּח) and 5 (מִשְׁתַּכַּח) both come from root שׁכח. Both are Hithpaal, different conjugations. (a) How does the metathesis prefix change between the perfect and the participle? (b) What feature confirms both are Hithpaal and not Ithpeel?
  2. Item 2 (אִתְחַשַּׁב) has שׁ at R2, yet no metathesis occurs. Why not? Explain the metathesis rule precisely: what triggers it and what does not.
  3. Item 9 (אִתְקַטַּל) and a hypothetical Ithpeel form אִתְקְטִל look very similar. Write both forms and identify the precise phonological difference. Why is this difference sufficient to identify the stem?
  4. Item 10 (הִשְׁתַּוִּי) involves two complicating factors. (a) What is the root and what class of weak root is it? (b) What metathesis has occurred? (c) How does the III-he nature of the root affect the 3ms perfect ending?
  5. Item 18 (לְהִתְקַטָּלָה) is an infinitive. Compare it to the Pael infinitive לְקַטָּלָה. What single morphological element has been added, and what does it signal about the stem?