Prefixes in Hebrew

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Further information on Hebrew grammar: Hebrew grammar and Hebrew verb conjugation

There are several prefixes in the Hebrew language which are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning. In Hebrew, the letters that form those prefixes are called "formative letters" (Hebrew: אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ, Otiyot HaShimush). Eleven of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet are considered Otiyot HaShimush. These letters are Aleph (א), Bet (ב), He (ה), Vav (ו), Yud (י), Kaf (כ), Lamed (ל), Mem (מ), Nun (נ), Shin (ש), and Tav (ת). A mnemonic to remember these letters is איתן משה וכלב (Eitan, Moshe, v'Kalev), which translates to "Ethan, Moses, and Caleb."

Otiyot haShimush

Prefixes in Hebrew serve multiple purposes. A prefix can serve as a conjunction, preposition, definite article, or interrogative. Prefixes are also used when conjugating verbs in the future tense and for various other purposes.

Conjunctions

Prefix Meaning Comments Examples
Template:Hebrew (Vav) and, but Vav-conjunctive, cf. Vav-consecutive can make the "v" sound (/v/) or the "u" sound (/u/). If it is used with other prefixes, this is always the first prefix.

Inseparable prepositions

Prefix Meaning Comments Examples
Template:Hebrew (Lamed) to, for The Inseparable Prepositions are pointed:
  1. Normally with Sheva.
  2. Before a Sheva they take Chirik.
  3. Before Template:Hebrew they take Chirik, but the Sheva under the Template:Hebrew falls away.
  4. Before a T'nua Chatufa they assume the corresponding short vowel.
  5. Before Template:Hebrew they take Tzere and the T'nua Chatufa under the Template:Hebrew disappears.
  1. Template:Hebrew l'melech (to a king)
  2. Template:Hebrew lim'lochim (to kings)
  3. Template:Hebrew lihudah (to Judah)
  4. Template:Hebrew la'ari (to a lion)
  5. Template:Hebrew lelohim (to God)
Template:Hebrew (Bet) in, with, by
  1. Template:Hebrew b'melech (in a king)
  2. Template:Hebrew bim'lochim (in kings)
  3. Template:Hebrew bihudah (in Judah)
  4. Template:Hebrew ba'ari (in a lion)
  5. Template:Hebrew belohim (in God)
Template:Hebrew (Kaf) as, like
  1. Template:Hebrew k'melech (as a king)
  2. Template:Hebrew kim'lochim (as kings)
  3. Template:Hebrew kihudah (as Judah)
  4. Template:Hebrew ka'ari (as a lion)
  5. Template:Hebrew kelohim (as God)

Other prepositions

Prefix Meaning Comments Examples
Template:Hebrew (Mem) from
  1. Before ordinary letters (excluding the gutturals and Template:Hebrew) it is Template:Hebrew followed by a Dagesh Chazak.
  2. Before gutturals and Template:Hebrew it is Template:Hebrew.
  3. Before the definite article (Template:Hebrew) it is Template:Hebrew as in 2, and the article remains intact; or it becomes Template:Hebrew plus Template:Hebrew.
  1. Template:Hebrew mimelech (from a king)
  2. Template:Hebrew meadam (from a man)
  3. Template:Hebrew or Template:Hebrew mehamelech or min hamelech (from the king)

Definite article

Prefix Meaning Comments Examples
Template:Hebrew (He) the Before ordinary letters (i.e. excluding gutturals and Template:Hebrew) it is Template:Hebrew followed by a Dagesh Chazak.
Before the weaker gutturals Template:Hebrew and Template:Hebrew it is Template:Hebrew.
Before the harsh gutturals Template:Hebrew it is Template:Hebrew.
Before an unaccented Template:Hebrew and Template:Hebrew and always before Template:Hebrew it is Template:Hebrew.
Before an accented Template:Hebrew and Template:Hebrew it is Template:Hebrew.
  • When used with the Bet, Kaf or Lamed prepositional prefix it is omitted; instead the vowel on the preposition is changed.
  • If He is used with other prefixes, the He is always the last prefix before the root.
  • Template:Hebrew uvayom[3] (and on the day: note that the ve (on) combines with the ha (the) to become va (on the)).

Interrogative

Prefix Meaning Comments Examples
Template:Hebrew (He) Used to indicate a question Can usually be distinguished from the definite article because it is vowelized with a chataf patach

Conjugation of verbs

Main article: Hebrew verb conjugation
Prefix Meaning Examples
Template:Hebrew (Alef) When prefixed to a verb stem, indicates first person, singular, future tense. I will.
Template:Hebrew (Yud) When prefixed to a verb stem, indicates third person, future tense. (Number and gender depend on suffixes.) He will or They will.
Template:Hebrew (Nun) When prefixed to a verb stem, indicates first person, plural, future tense. We will.
Template:Hebrew (Tav) When prefixed to a verb stem, indicates one of the following:
  • third person, singular, feminine, future tense. She will
  • second person, future tense. (Number and gender depend on suffixes.) You will
  • In biblical Hebrew, third person, plural, feminine, future tense. They will

Other uses

Prefix Meaning Comments Examples
Template:Hebrew (Shin) that, which, who, whom
Template:Hebrew (Vav (letter)) changes past tense to future tense and vice versa Used mostly in Biblical Hebrew as vav-consecutive (compare vav-conjunctive). Pronounced "va" when changing future tense to past tense. Usually pronounced "v'" or "u" when changing past tense to future tense.

(compare yomar[8]-he will say)

(compare ahavta[10]-you loved)

Non Otiyot HaShimush

These prefixes (Hebrew: תְּחִלִּית t'hilit) often come from loanwords from English (Latin, Greek, etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms. Other prefixes are native to Hebrew (ex. rav). When the Hebrew prefix does not line up in similarity to the English, Greek, or Latin one that is because it is of Hebrew origin.

Prefix Origin Hebrew Meaning Examples
ex- Latin Template:Hebrew eks former
un-/non- English/ Latin Template:Hebrew i/Template:Hebrew non negation
in-/il-/im-/ir- Latin/ Biblical Hebrew[11] Template:Hebrew i not, opposite of
a- Greek Template:Hebrew a lacking in, lack of
prae- Latin Template:Hebrew pre/Template:Hebrew trom/Template:Hebrew kedam before
pro- Greek Template:Hebrew pro for, on the side of
inter- Latin Template:Hebrew inter/Template:Hebrew ben between, among
intra- Latin Template:Hebrew intra/Template:Hebrew tokh/Template:Hebrew pnim inside
para- Greek Template:Hebrew para beside, beyond
homo- English
(from Greek homos) 		Template:Hebrew homo same
hetero- English
(from Greek heteros) 		Template:Hebrew hetero, Template:Hebrew hetro different
di-/bi- Greek/English Template:Hebrew du two
geo- Greek Template:Hebrew geo relating to the earth or its surface
retro- Latin Template:Hebrew retro backwards
semi- Latin Template:Hebrew semi half
hemi- Greek Template:Hebrew hemi half
electro- English Template:Hebrew elektro electric, electricity
anti- Greek Template:Hebrew anti opposite
infra- Latin Template:Hebrew infra below, beneath
mono- English
(from Greek monos) 		Template:Hebrew mono/Template:Hebrew had one, sole, only
uni- Latin Template:Hebrew had one
poly- Greek Template:Hebrew poli many
multi- Latin Template:Hebrew multi/Template:Hebrew rav many
tele- Greek Template:Hebrew tele at a distance
super- Latin Template:Hebrew super/Template:Hebrew al/Template:Hebrew al over, above, more than, better
hyper- Greek Template:Hebrew hiper extra specially, over, high
tri- Greek Template:Hebrew tri three
re- Latin Template:Hebrew re again, back
sub- Latin Template:Hebrew tat under, lower than, less than
extra- Latin Template:Hebrew ekstra/Template:Hebrew hutz outside
neo- Greek Template:Hebrew neo new
proto- Greek Template:Hebrew av first, original, father
socio- French Template:Hebrew sotzyo society, social, sociological
hydro- Greek Template:Hebrew hidro relating to water, or using water
hypo- Greek Template:Hebrew hipo under or below something, low
iso- English
(from Greek isos) 		Template:Hebrew izo equal
meta- Greek Template:Hebrew meta after, along with, beyond, among
mega- English
(from Greek megas) 		Template:Hebrew mega very large, million
micro- English
(from Greek micros) 		Template:Hebrew mikro minute size, 1/1,000,000
trans- Latin Template:Hebrew trans across
idio- English
(from Greek idios) 		Template:Hebrew idyo individual, personal, unique
pyro- Greek Template:Hebrew piro fire
auto- Greek Template:Hebrew oto self

See also

References

  1. ^ Genesis 3:16.
  2. ^ Exodus 12:16.
  3. ^ Exodus 12:16.
  4. ^ Jeremiah 31:19.
  5. ^ Esther 1:18.
  6. ^ Ecclesiastes 2:11.
  7. ^ Genesis 1:6.
  8. ^ Genesis 31:8.
  9. ^ Leviticus 19:18.
  10. ^ Genesis 22:2.
  11. ^ 1 Samuel, 4:21

External links

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