Lesson8: Imperative. Infinitive.

and Numerals Part l: have imperatives, All the stemsand conjugations whosefunction is largely is, functionin our language,that commands. analogous the imperative's to forms of the The forms of the imperatives usually are basedon the 2nd-person imperfectverb. Essentially, they are shortened versionsof theseforms; the prefixes Thus, from the G-2fs imperfectform'i'lFlF and suffixesa.re usuallytruncated. we get the G-f.s.imperative'.:{t! . The taw prefrxhasbeeneliminated andthe ftnal nun has alsobeeneliminated.Furthermore, falls on the because stress the secondsyllable,the original lulvowel hasbeenpreserved.

G-stem
m.s. f.s.
m.p.
_1' _

D-stem
-jt'iJ -Jt'tJ

H-stem(Haphel) (Aphel) and

:1]!
'1il!
-' r i--l . . r J l
rrir

lrifi_] / :Fifts
--i-,rrJr11

J" ':l - " : - l i l Jr

Jl'lJSt

rrF!
--t'T'-

llFt:i_] / llt-tft!
--ri-tl-t'tJt
t':-T':

I . D... : rt

r lJl tJ

I tJt'tJ

r --ill,t-r'tlN

Noticethattheffi.S., m.p.,andf.p. imperatives theD- andFVA-stems in are perfect identical therespective formsof theD- andH/A-sterns. to Part2. All the stems conjugations haveinfinitiveswhichfunctionin a manner and also infinitives. similar English to Theirformsareslightlydifferent. the G-stem, infinitiveshavea memprefix, In the while in the otherstems theydo not.

tn:n

G-stem

D-stem
I l-ji'iJ
tl-

H-stem A-stem /
--=-I
tJl tJt rT;-Tt:r ./

, l| ?l 'Jlli ? - l r a

tJt\

Notice,now,thatthe G-stem the only stemthathasamemprefixon the is infinitive.Contrast to theway participles formedin eachof these this are stems, wheretheD- andFVA-stems theonesthatcarrya memprefix.Thus,if a verbal are form hasa memprefix it is eithera G-stem infinitiveor a D-, IVA-stemparticiple.

Introductory Lessonsin Arqmqic by Eric D. Reymond

63

Part3: Numbers Numbers l-10 Cardinal

I

'Tt_]

nouns Usedwith masc.

Usedwith fem.nouns

il-ln

2
a J

J'-lF / csh. 'lFl

-n h| l| | ./t'l

n)n
ninn L/l)t
-tlt

4 5 6 8 9

nJJi:N
-lti>rn
I mJt-Jl I

tJf -iN
I
-tlt

I [ ' tt' v J

I rlLr Of i illJ

- rr-rri
-'r'tl'\El
| | ,Jl-Jt I

rr- rri
-t

-r

I l/

l-Jl
" f

hh
;

t |)JUJ|'I
-t it.r tt
T: -

lcrli-

)JUJt'l

tttt!F

-rilt rr 10 I I lvit/ Onecuriosity thatAramaicshares with otherSemiticlanguages thatthenumbers is 3-10thataremasculine in.fornr modifyfeminine nouns numbers are and that "seven feminine in.form,modifymasculine nouns. Thus,to express kings"one wouldwrite:j'!?F illftD or illliD j':?F (thenumeral comeeither can before "seven queens" wouldwrite: or afterthe nounit modifies). But, to express one or the numbers like adjectives, are in ]?)n JJltlJ IJIU'i?)8. Although cardinal thattheymodifynouns, theydo not occurin the emphatic/determined and state rarelyappear the construct in only state before noun. the
q

The"teens"do not occurin BiblicalAramaic, we mayconjecture following but the forms, together with themultiples ten,whichhaveonlya single of form for both masculine feminine nouns. and ll-70 Cardinal Numbers
Usedwith masc.nouns 1l
-itt

Used with fem. nouns

--fftll
":T

twv
- - i

ta

--

il|
D I

IItYJllt|ill

Fr-Ft

l2 13 20 23 (literally,20 3) and 30 40 50 60

-tfttlt
IYJ)/

r-tn
-h-

-rilrrr

tui)J t [ | ,/t'l
- i :

--rirrr - htt tuJ)/ tt./t'l

i|!-fntt

.tY1 | | ./\ r'r I

- hnr rr-rilrrt

tuJ)J

rr- hn I | | ,/l'l

'l'llllt
'?I llllt Ft
ttFritt

I l:lv
61

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

64
70 80 90 100 200 277o00 and70and7) 300 1000
rri tttitt

-l$'l JJf
I 1+uJ
| |

t r Firi I l'l\4J

t r r//r\Jn )
'r r ttitiFf

| )/vJi'l

nNn
'itiND

'l'nNn (This form.) is a dual

n$bn)n

1?r\

To express what corresponds English "first", "second","third", "fourth", "fifth", to In etc.,oneusesordinalnumbers. Aramaicthesehavethe "gentilic ending"l-ayl, exceptthe word for "second".Like for the cardinalnumbers,thereare different forms for masculineand feminine nouns.Usually theseappearafter the noun they Also like adjectives, ordinal numbersappear modifir, like ordinary adjectives. the Furthermore, otheradjectives, like in an absolute and emphatic/determined state. thesecan be usedaloneas nounsand can appearin plural forms, to mean"the first ones","the secondones",etc. (Due to the lack of evidence,many of theseforms are educated euesses.)

I OrdinalNumbers -5
Usedwith masc.nouns I

with fem.nouns Used

2
J
a

'n')F / N'n')Fl or N'ri')Fl

5 yodhof the form Noticethatlike gentilicnouns, therearecases wherethe original 'aleph. hasbeen replaced by

Exercise 8a.
(Remember the shorter form of of the Write in Aramaic followingphrases. the that numbers 3-10modifies masculine nouns, longerform modifiesfeminine the nouns). onebook two lettersfrom two kings from four scribes threerecords
Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond
65

five yearsin six countries (i.e.,lands) palaces eightkingdoms seven for these nineslaves tencities for elevenmenfrom twelvenations thirteen houses the first son the first kingdom the second city thethird man the fourth animal

Exercise 8b.
Read followingaugmented the version Daniel7.1-7.(Thetextis augmented of in several It includes parentheses ways. in wordsthatarenot in the originalbiblical manuscripts, whichhelpmakesense theAramaic. but of Some confusing words havebeeneliminated, whichareindicated with ellipses. Furthermore, graphic inconsistencies the representation corrected.) in are Consult glossary the end the at of the lessons wordsyou do not know.Thereyou will find verbslistedunder for perfect theG-3rns formandadjectives listedin thern.s. abs.state.

Nnr')-np .'lTn! n''];'T -lbNt )*t::t |'T:IJ ;'TTn

,l t: ':

2.

rttr\J

srr.\ rrrrrD NrnU rn:l-) JJi-lN l-lp1 ,1 _r r\rJ_,/ , I _ : lt,r i _

'-_:

..

.'.

.'T

3.

Nl-jnNJj'iq NF:lnjp)q l?rt-t jl'n rrt-'tr!'!

4

-lql-'-T 'i'lJ] ill-lts: NflFfP ;-T?

:llf'-JF-'--T n'l;] ;''lT[ "lll ;-T'EJ
i':T7 l.;J. lD:N l-t:l , , ,,,4 r,'j-.u lf ?ll-)p1 s{-rq-'in n!'irll = nn.-;-t -1,\,J t4,,:
|.

Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond

66

lr) illFl illllri .'-:R$ r-r$l nJ'n

:.:itiY J tt= l t't 7 | ;

')lt-\ 'D'lP;-T? N'llL_'-lql l'-rD$jll -ln:! '-lnN :l-lNlri'''li'li''lTn :nN: n::T

-:' 'Ti T -i"_i "T T: -

:?tj,tEr: ri )f'lltt/ I'lt)=J ,t ,/) !

| l,/t

-tn:

l-t t ll)

Ftrt.i:l/l

-n--rai:,.\r rll ILJYJ

6.

:r=:t-f ,,

=4

/ -t : n i f r - i ? l,:lr:r;

ll

l : l I Jl J- I r-D| !] . F i

n) :'nf iF)q1 Nf1'i1) ;rgt-tr3l i'ulr-t

1

]'51

:tht iT

zr

-tnNl N.').') .'ttnl n'']i'lnTn;l):T-lrt I n'li't

N-'l'i:l'N!'irnl ':nb'N] il)'nl
t, | ' : ' T : " : r : "-i "t Y i T

ilDTnl i't):* 'll-ll-t a) h-E-'-.1'l'iul

: t T :

;'T'IJ':-]i'Tl'nl:N'l
' T '.

N!J.'n-r?-'in x'irl i1?5:;-r'?ilrN?$rDt nllqn

'i':-lD'] ;':T -lUiJ ) ;:T'nlD':1 Consider followr*' the
In thefirst line of ,r"rrl I , the lastword,ilT,[, is theG-3msperfectfrom theroot ilTfl ("to see") is franslated saw." "he and In thesecond of verse , thelastword,fiT!)[i-]l), is a D-3mpimperfect, line 1 from theroot )n'l 1"tofrighten").Thefinal letteris a pronoun suffix,indicating the "him", referring Daniel. objectof the verb;hereit is a 3mspronoun, to In thefirst line of verse thepredicate madeup of a participle [) anda G2, is fif 1csperfect "I form of "to be" (f'l'liT),resulting thetranslation saw"or, "I was in watching." This combination participle plusa perfect of form of "to be" is rather in common this passage indicates continuous and a actionin thepast. In the second of verse notethe vowelunderthewaw conjunction. line 2, In the first line of verse therearetwo clauses, 4, bothlacka verbalpredicate. The predicate in eachcase, prepositional is, phrase. a jlE'-lD is a In thesecond of verse theverb line 4, passive perfect,3mp. G-stem In thethird line of verse the verbn?'Pl is a G-stem 4, passive perfect, while 3fs, passive theverbf i:T]is a G-stem perfect, 3ms.Thenounlf ?ll is "dual" in form. In otherwords,it is not a singular noun,nor a plural,but indicates something that appears a pair.This form is usedwith several as pairs. nouns thatcomein Originallyeverynounwould havehada dualform, thoughthis wasno longerthe
Introductory Lessonsin Aramaic by Eric D. Reymond
()/

,T

'

.-

case thetime the Book of Danielwaswriffen.Only certain by nouns a dual had form,mostlybodyparts. In thethird line of verse5, thepluralform of the activeparticiple j'lF$ is here usedin an impersonal way, andtranslated if it werea passive as verb:"It wastold . . ." Thisis a relatively feature BiblicalAramaicsyntax. common of Whenyou find a m.p.participle a 3mpperfect imperfect or or verbwith no clearsubject, thenyou cutn assume impersonal an subject, translate verbasa passive English. and the in Often,in these cases, is the grammatical whatever objectof the verbin Biblical Aramaic will become subject yourtranslation. the in In thefifth lineof verse 7,thewordfor "horns," i'.ili?, is in thedual. Verbs: "to nl: : H-stem stirup" (H-part., n['ln ) f.s., : "to "to H-stem crush"(H-part. ?P1 G-stem: be shattered", Pfi]n) i]]iT : "to be" ("I was": n.'.!.iJ) i''li[i : "to see" Notehow a participle used is together with a perfect forrnof the;11i1 "to "to EtlP: G-stem arise",H-stem setup," "to install",Hp-stem be setup" "to

(tr'PiJ)
Particles: "belonging to" | - "to",but alsoownershop,

Introductory Lessonsin Arqmaic by Eric D. Reymond

68