1. CHAPTER 5 Duane A. Garrett & Jason S. DeRouchie A MODERN GRAMMAR FOR BIBLICAL HEBREW (B&H, 2009)

2. Gender and Number in Nouns CHAPTER 5

3. Gender & Number in Nouns Basic Pattern SgPl Masc סוּס horse סוּסִים horses Fem סוּסָה mare סוּסוֹת mares

4. Basic Pattern SgPl Masc סוּס horse סוּסִים horses Fem סוּסָה mare סוּסוֹת mares Noun Endings SgPlDual Mascnone ־־ִים ־־ ֫ ַיִם Fem ־־ֶת, ־־ָה ־־ַת or none ־־וֹת Gender & Number in Nouns

5. Key Points 1. Dual ending usually points to two of something 2. No neuter nouns (grammatically); every noun is either masc or fem 3. Distinguish natural & grammatical gender Noun Endings SgPlDual Mascnone ־־ִים ־־ ֫ ַיִם Fem ־־ֶת, ־־ָה ־־ַת or none ־־וֹת

6. Distinguishing Natural and Grammatical Gender Masculine (no ending) Feminine (with ending) Feminine (no ending) Dual אִישׁ man אִשָּׁה woman א ֫ ֶרֶץ land שָׁמַ ֫ יִ ם heaven אָב father תּוֹרָה law עִיר city יוֹמַ ֫ יִ ם two days יוֹם day דּ ֫ ַעַ ת know- ledge ע ֫ ַיִן eye עֵינַ ֫ יִ ם two eyes

7. Pluralizing Nouns No Change Monosyllabic nouns with unchangeable long vowel סוּסִים < סוּס (horse/horses) אוֹתוֹת < אוֹת (sign/signs) Polysyllabic nouns with Shewa or composite Shewa in 1st syllable יְשׁוּעוֹת < יְשׁוּעָה (salvation/ acts of salvation)

8. Pluralizing Nouns Propretonic Reduction Open propretonic/distant syllables reduce whenever possible נְבִיאִים < נָבִיא (prophet/prophets) זְקֵנִים < זָקֵן (elder/elders)

9. Pluralizing Nouns Pretonic Reduction Two-syllable nouns with a closed 1st syllable מִזְבְּחוֹת < מִזְבֵּחַ (altar/altars) Notes 1.If a distant syllable cannot reduce, a pretonic i- or u-class vowel may. 2. Because a closed, unaccented syllable is always short, the syllable / מִז / cannot reduce to Shewa, so the Tsere reduces when the plural ending is added.

10. Pluralizing Nouns Pretonic Reduction Two-syllable nouns with a closed 1st syllable מִזְבְּחוֹת < מִזְבֵּחַ (altar/altars) Two-syllable nouns with an unchangeable long vowel in the first syllable שׁוֹפְטִים < שׁוֹפֵט (judge/judges) Remember: When the propretonic/distant will not reduce, the reduction of the pretonic will most commonly happen only with i- or u-class vowels. A-class pretonic vowels will regularly NOT reduce ( e.g., מִשְׁפָּטִים < מִשְׁפָּט).

11. Pluralizing Nouns Irregular Plurals אָבוֹת < אָב (father/fathers) אֲנָשִׁים < אִישׁ (man/men) נָשִׁים < אִשָּׁה (woman/women) בָּתִּים < בַּ ֫ יִת (house/houses) בָּנִים < בֵּן (son/sons) יָמִים < יוֹם (day/days) מִזְבְּחוֹת < מִזְבֵּחַ (altar/altars) עָרִים < עִיר (city/cities)

12. Pluralizing Nouns No Change Monosyllabic nouns with unchangeable long vowel E.g., סוּסִים < סוּס (horse/horses) E.g., אוֹתוֹת < אוֹת (sign/signs) Polysyllabic nouns with Shewa or composite Shewa in first syllable E.g., יְשׁוּעוֹת < יְשׁוּעָה (salvation, acts of salvation) Propretonic Reduction Open propretonic syllables reduce whenever possible E.g., נְבִיאִים < נָבִיא (prophet/prophets) E.g., זְקֵנִים < זָקֵן (elder/elders) Pretonic Reduction Two-syllable nouns with a closed first syllable E.g., מִזְבְּחוֹת < מִזְבֵּחַ (altar/altars) BUT NOTE: מִשְׁפָּטִים < מִשְׁפָּט (judgment/judgments) Two-syllable nouns with an unchangeable long vowel in the first syllable E.g., שׁוֹפְטִים < שׁוֹפֵט (judge/judges) Irregular Plurals אָבוֹת < אָב אֲנָשִׁים < אִישׁ נָשִׁים < אִשָּׁה בָּתִּים < בַּ ֫ יִת בָּנִים < בֵּן יָמִים < יוֹם מִזְבְּחוֹת < מִזְבֵּחַ עָרִים < עִיר