Hudío Grammar

Grammar

2.0 General Notes

• 2.0.1 In this study the Latin alphabet is used as it is too difficult to type the Hebrew letters.
• 2.0.2 Text in blue describes a Spanish influence.
• 2.0.3 Sentence order is subject, verb, (indirect object pronoun), direct object, (indirect object noun), other elements. (after the Spanish word order)

2.1 Stress

• 2.1.1 Most words are accented on the ultimate syllable.
• 2.1.2 A few words are accented on the penultimate syllable. These words are indicated by an acute accent on the vowel in the Latin transliteration, e.g., mélex, king.

2.2 The Verb

• 2.2.1 The verb has only two numbers, singular and plural.
• 2.2.2 Most verbs consist of a three-consonant stem to which vowels are added to specify meaning.
• 2.2.3 The verb agrees in person and number with its subject. The personal pronoun may be used for emphasis.
• 2.2.4 The verb is negated with lo placed immediately before the verb.
• 2.2.5 CaCaC is the form of the perfect verb, e.g., kaŧab, wrote, have written. This form is the lemma. Traditionally, the conjugation paradigm is given in the order 3rd, 2nd, and 1st persons.

person	singular	plural
3rd	kaŧav	kaŧvu
2nd	kaŧávta	kaŧávtem
1st	kaŧávti	kaŧávnu

• 2.2.6 A few verbs have biconsonantal stems. An important one is ba, came.

person	singular	plural
3rd	bam	báu
2nd	báta	bátem
1st	báti	bánu

• 2.2.7 CoCeC is the form of the active participle, e.g., koŧev, writing. This form is an adjective in function, e.g., ha-iš ha-koŧev, the writing man or the man who is writing; ha-iš koŧev, the man is writing.
• 2.2.8 In order to state that something exists, the word yeš is used, e.g., iš yeš, there is a man; ănašim yeš, there are men. The negative expression uses en, e.g., iš en, there is no man.
  • This construction is used to express possession, e.g., késef en lăiš, the man has no silver.
• 2.2.9 Verbs that end in a vowel, e.g., masa, found, are conjugated as follows:

person	singular	plural
3rd	masa	masu
2nd	masáŧa	masáŧem
1st	masáŧi	masánu

• 2.2.10 Although a juxtaposed noun and articleless adjective may constitute a predication, it is more common to use the verb haya, e.g., ha-iš haya tov, the man was good. (after the Spanish use of 'ser' and 'estar)
• 2.2.11 With the preposition lă, the verb means 'become', e.g., dawiđ haya lămélex tov, David became a good king.

2.3 The Noun

• 2.3.1 The Huđío noun belongs to one of two classes, masculine and feminine. In general, those nouns ending in -a are feminine and those ending in a consonant are masculine, although there are some exceptions.
• 2.3.2 There are two numbers, singular and plural. The singular is unmarked. The plural endings are –oŧ for feminine nouns and –im for masculine nouns, e.g., mélex (king), mălaxim; malka (queen), malkoŧ.
• 2.3.3 If the noun is disyllabic and the first syllable contains an a or e, then the vowel of the first syllable is reduced and the second vowel becomes a, e.g., davar, (word), dăvarim; book – séfer, săfarim.
• 2.3.4 A few nouns have irregular plurals: man – iš, ănašim; woman – iša, našim; city – ir, ărim; house - báyit, baŧim.
• 2.3.5 The Direct Object.
  • 2.3.5.1 When the direct object of a verb is a definite noun or is a proper name, it is preceded by the object marker eŧ-, e.g., ha-am ohev eŧ-Dawiđ, the people love David.
  • 2.3.5.2 If the object is indefinite, it is not marked, e.g., ha-iš koŧev davar, the man is writing a word.
• 2.3.6 Indirect object. The indirect object is formed with the preposition lă.
• 2.3.7 The suffix -a added to both proper and common nouns indicates motion toward, the latter with or without the article. It is never stressed.

2.4 The Construct Chain

• 2.4.1 The juxtaposition of two nouns serves to mark a modifying relationship. The first noun in such a chain is said to be in a construct state, e.g., ẋol ha-navi, the voice of the prophet.
• 2.4.2 A different form of the construct noun is preserved in bisyllabic nouns with unstressed a or e in the first syllable, which changes to ă, e.g., dăvar ha-mélex, the word of the king; but ná'ar ha-mélex, the attendant of the king.
• 2.4.3 Only the final noun may have the definite article e.g., ẋol ha-navi, the voice of the prophet, contrasts with ẋol navi, a voice of a prophet.
• 2.4.4 To express "a...of the..." the preposition lă is used, e.g., davar la-mélex, a word of the king.
• 2.4.5 An adjective may follow either noun of the chain, e.g., dăvar ha-mélex ha-tov, the word of the good king; dăvar ha-tov ha-mélex, the good word of the king.
• 2.4.6 Nouns in -a replace this ending with -aŧ, e.g., malkaŧ ha-'áreṡ, the queen of the land.
• 2.4.7 Plural nouns in -im change the ending to -e, e.g., yamim, seas, yame.

• 2.4.8 Irregular Construct Forms

house	bayiŧ	beŧ
death	maweŧ	moŧ
woman	iša	éšeŧ

2.5 Adjective

• 2.5.1 Adjectives agree in class and number with the nouns they modify.
• 2.5.2 Monosyllabic adjectives have the following forms.

	singular	plural
masculine	tov (good)	tovim
feminine	tov	tovoŧ

• 2.5.3 Disyllabic adjectives have the following forms.

	singular	plural
masculine	gađol (great)	găđolim
feminine	gađol	găđoloŧ

• 2.5.4 Adjectives ending in –e have the following forms.

	singular	plural
masculine	yafe (beautiful)	yafim
feminine	yafe	yafoŧ

• 2.5.5 The attributive adjective follows the noun and agrees with it in class and number, e.g., iš tov, a good man; ha-iš tov, the good man; ănašim tovim, good men; ha-ănašim tovim, the good men. (after the Spanish postnominal adjective)
• 2.5.6. A juxtaposed noun and articleless adjective, before or after the noun may constitute a predication, e.g., tov ha-iš , ha-iš tov, the man is good.
• 2.5.7. An adjective may be modified by a prepositional phrase in the predicate, e.g., ha-ir haya la-'am tova, the city is good for the people.
• 2.5.8. Adjectives may be used as nouns in two ways.
  • 2.5.8.1 The adjective with the definite article may mean "the one who is...", e.g., wise – haxam; the wise one – hă-haxam.
  • 2.5.8.2 The singular form may be used as an abstract noun with the addition of -a, e.g., evil - hara; wickedness - hara'a.
• 2.5.9 The Adjective kol, all, has the meaning "each, every, all, the whole". It is not inflected and precedes the noun it modifies, e.g., kol yom each day, every day; kol ha-yom, all day, the whole day; kol ha yamim, all the days.
• 2.5.10 The expression kol šer means "everything that/which". When the object of a verb it is preceded by eŧ-.

natan lo eth-kol šer qana. He gave him everthing that he had acquired.

• 2.5.11 With an adjective kol has an indefinite pronominal sense, e.g., kol ẋađash, anything new.
• 2.5.12 To express the comparative the preposition min- is used before the noun which is the basis of comparison.

ha-iš haya haxam min-ha-na'ar. The man is wiser than the boy.

• • 2.5.12.1 This construction is also used to express "too...for...".

ha'avođa haya kaša min-ha-iš. The work is too hard for the man.

• 2.5.13. The demonstrative adjective stands last in a series of adjectives, e.g., ha-iš ha-tov ha-ze, this good man.

this	ze
these	éle
that	hi
those	héna

2.6 The Definite Article

• 2.6.1. The definite article is ha- and is prefixed to the noun, e.g., word – davar, ha-davar; king - mélex, ha-mélex.
  • 2.6.1.2 If the noun begins with ha-, then the definite article is hă, e.g., hăhar, mountain; hăharim, mountains.
• 2.6.2. The noun with the definite article is also used to express the vocative, e.g., ha-mélex, O king!
• 2.6.3. There is no indefinite article.

2.7 The Pronoun

2.7.1 The Personal Pronouns

person	singular	plural
1st	ăni	ănánu
2nd	ăŧa	ăŧem
3rd	hu	hem

• • 2.7.1.1 These forms are used as the subjects of verbs, mostly of non-verbal sentences, ăni tov, I am good.
  • 2.7.1.2 These forms are used as the direct object, e.g., ăni ohev eŧ-hu, I love him.
  • 2.7.1.3 When it is the object of a preposition, a personal pronoun is suffixed to the preposition, e.g., with lă,

person	singular	plural
1st	lăni	lănánu
2nd	lăŧa	lăŧem
3rd	lăhu	lăhem

• • 2.7.1.4 The personal pronoun with min, from, is declined differently.

person	singular	plural
1st	minéni	minénu
2nd	minéŧa	minéŧem
3rd	minéhu	minéhem

2.7.2 The Demonstrative Pronoun

• 2.7.2.1 The demonstrative adjective without the definite article is used as the demonstrative pronoun, e.g., ze haya ha-iš, this is the man; éle haya ha-dăvarim, these are the words.

2.8 The Preposition

• 2.8.1 There are three types of prepositions.
• 2.8.2 The first type consists of the three prepositions bă (in), lă (to), and kă (like) that are prefixed to the noun, e.g., lămélex, to a king.
  • 2.8.2.1 When the noun is determined by the definite article, the two combine into a single syllable retaining the vowel of the article, e.g., lamélex, to the king. These words are proclitic and are pronounced as the first syllable of the word.
  • 2.8.2.2 If the noun begins with yă-, these prepositions become bi, li, and ki and replace the yă-, e.g., yărušaláim, Jerusalem; birušaláim, to Jerusalem.
  • 2.8.2.3 If the noun begins with Că-, these prepositions become bi, li, and ki and the ă is dropped, e.g., šămuel, Samuel; kišmuel, like Samuel.
  • 2.8.2.4 In all other cases these prepositions become ba, la, and ka and the ă is dropped, e.g., ẋalom, dream; baẋalom, in a dream.
• 2.8.3. The second type consists of those joined to the noun with a hyphen (maxaf). The most common are el- (to, towards), al- (on, upon), and min- (from), e.g., min-ha-bayiŧ, from the house.
• 2.8.4. The third and largest group consists of prepositions written as separate words, e.g., éṡel ha-bayiŧ, near the house.
• 2.8.5. A juxtaposed noun and prepositional phrase (or local adverb) constitute a predication, e.g., ha-na'ar babayiŧ , the young man is in the house.

2.9 The Adverb

• 2.9.1 The suffix –a added to a noun, proper or common, indicates motion toward, with or without the article, e.g., har, mountain; ha-hára, to the mountain.

2.10 The Conjunction

• 2.10.1 The coordinating conjunction "and" is u, and is prefixed to the noun, e.g., u-bayiŧ, and a house.

2.11 The Interrogative

• 2.11.1 Any sentence may be converted into a question by prefixing hă- to the first word.

hă-tova haya ha-'áreṡ. Is the land good?

2.12 The Relative Construction

• 2.12.1 A relative clauses is expressed with šer.

ha-kohen šer kaŧav eŧ-ha-séfer. The priest who wrote the book.

• 2.12.2. When the relative construction involves a preposition, šer is combined with the preposition as if it were a noun. e.g. lašer, to whom/which; min-šer, from whom/which; éṡel šer, near whom/which. (after the Spanish prepositional phrase)