1. LAN 404 Beginning Hebrew II
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Class III: Nouns
Dr. Esa Autero

2. Hebrew Nouns 1.1 Introduction to nouns English noun
A word that indicates a person, place, thing, idea
E.g. prophet, David, Jerusalem etc.
Singular or plural – plural word add “s/-es” or irregular
Prophets; wishes; mice
Hebrew nouns – indicates a person, place, thing, idea
Singular, plural, or dual (= two eyes, two hands)
Masculine or feminine
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3. Gender of the Hebrew nouns indicates a pattern of inflection
Hebrew nouns – paradigm
Hebrew nouns:
Singular, plural OR dual (a pair of something)
Masculine (masc.) OR feminine (fem.) – some nouns are both masc./fem.
Masc. nouns are endingless
Dual ending same for masc. & fem.
Masculine nouns
Feminine nouns
Sg.
סוּס
Horse
תּוֹרָה
Law
Pl.
סוּסִים
Horses
תּוֹרוֹת
Laws
Dual
סוּסַ֫יִם
Two horses
תּוֹרָתַ֫יִם
Two laws
Masc.sg.= endingless
Common feminine endings:
תּוֹרָה, –ָה
בַּת, –ַת
בְּרִית, –ִית
מַלְכּוּת, –וּת
תּוֹרוֹת, –וֹת
*Hb. malkkut = kingdom/dominion

4. Hebrew Nouns סוּס תּוֹרָה סוּסִים תּוֹרוֹת סוּסַ֫יִם תּוֹרָתַ֫יִם
Lexical form of Hebrew words
Singular form
 Plural forms are not found in dictionaries
Masculine nouns
Feminine nouns
Sg.
סוּס
Horse
תּוֹרָה
Law
Pl.
סוּסִים
Horses
תּוֹרוֹת
Laws
Dual
סוּסַ֫יִם
Two horses
תּוֹרָתַ֫יִם
Two laws

5. Hb. Words always in dual form
Hebrew Nouns
Exceptions to the rules
Endingless feminine nouns
א֫בֶן, אֶ֫רֶץ, עִיר
(stone) (land) (city)
Abnormal pluralization & “perpetual duals”
Sg. noun of one gender takes the pl. ending of the other gender
אָבוֹת אָב
שָׁנִים שָׁנָה
שָׁמַ֫יִם, מִצְרַ֫יִם, מַ֫יִם
(water) (Egypt) (heaven[s])
Endingless feminine nouns
Hb. Words always in dual form

6. Hebrew Nouns נָשִׁים אִשָּׁה ֹת וֹת עֵדֹת עֵדוֹת עֵדָה
Irregular stem change – most difficult to identify
Some Hb. nouns alter consonantal stem
אֲנָשִׁים אִישׁ
נָשִׁים אִשָּׁה
Defective spelling of וֹת –
ֹת וֹת
עֵדֹת עֵדוֹת עֵדָה
“Congregation”
 Longer spelling is called plene (= full)
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7. Hebrew Nouns שִׁירִים שִׁיר אוֹתוֹת אוֹת חֲלוֹמוֹת חֲלוֹם
Basic patterns of noun pluralization
Most nouns have significant vowel changes w/ addition of pl. endings
מֶ֫לֶךְ (king) מְלָכִים (kings)
Due to shift in accent & change in syllable structure
1) Pluralization with no vowel changes
שִׁירִים שִׁיר
אוֹתוֹת אוֹת
חֲלוֹמוֹת חֲלוֹם
*Words: Engl. song, sign, dream

8. Hebrew Nouns דָּבָר (word)  דְּבָרִים(words)
2) Pluralization with propretonic reduction
Two syllable nouns* that have Qamets or Tsere in the first* syllable, undergo “propretonic reduction”  As plural ending is added, Qamets or Tsere reduce to Shewa
דָּבָר (word)  דְּבָרִים(words)
לֵבָב (heart)  לְבָבוֹת (hearts)
Nouns with initial guttural letter prefer Hateph Pathach
עָנָן (cloud)  עֲנָנִים (clouds)
חָצֵר (courtyard)  חֲצֵרוֹת (courtyards)
Nouns with vowel letter in the 1st syllable do not change
כּוֹכָב (star)  כּוֹכָבִים
*with accent on the last syllable
*or pretonic

9. Hebrew Nouns מֶלֶךְ (king) סֵ֫פֶר (book) בַּ֫עַל (lord)
3) Pluralization of Segholate nouns
All two-syllable nouns accented on the 1st syllable are Segholate nouns (often w/ two Segholate vowels)
Include masculine and feminine nouns
מֶלֶךְ (king) סֵ֫פֶר (book) בַּ֫עַל (lord)
 Vocal Shewa or Hateph vowel under 1st consonant & Qamets under 2nd
 Always the same vowel pattern
מֶ֫לֶךְ (king) מְלָכִים (kings)
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (life) נְפָשׁוֹת (lives)
סֵ֫פֶר (book) סְפָרִים (books)
נַ֫עַר (boy) נְעָרִים (boys)
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10. Hebrew Nouns חִצִּים חֵץ
4) Pluralization of geminate [= gemini, twins] nouns
Originally two of the same root consonants in the same word
Now generally the “lost twin” only visible in plural form as Daghesh Forte
עַמִּים עַם
חִצִּים חֵץ
לְבָבוֹת לֵבָב(heart; true geminate w/ 2 same root consonants visible)
People
Arrow
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11. Hebrew Nouns אִישׁ אֲנָשִׁים אִשָּׁה נָשִׁים עִיר עָרִים אָב אָבוֹת
5) Irregular pluralization
A selection of the most common irregular plurals
Singular
Plural
אִישׁ
Man
אֲנָשִׁים
Men
אִשָּׁה
Woman
נָשִׁים
Women
עִיר
City
עָרִים
Cities
אָב
Father
אָבוֹת
Fathers
בַּ֫יִת
House
בָּֽתִּים
Houses
בַּת
Daughter
בָּנוֹת
Daughters
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12. Hebrew Nouns Practice Homework Workbook p. 15, no: 2-10
p. 17 “Advanced, Part 1” (if time)
Homework
Workbook p. 16, no:16-25; p. 16, “Feminine nouns” & p. 17 “Segholate nouns”
Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook
Vocabulary quiz on words p. 25 (3.12) & p. 36 (4.10) next week
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13. Hebrew Nouns Earli VoweEa
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