Semitic Root languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals".[ 1]
Triconsonantal roots
A triliteral or triconsonantal root (Hebrew: שרש תלת-עצורי, šoreš təlat-ʻiṣuri ; Arabic: جذر ثلاثي, jiḏr ṯulāṯī ; Syriac: ܫܪܫܐ, šeršā ) is a root containing a sequence of three consonants.[ 2]
Semitological abbreviation
Hebrew name
Arabic name
Morphological category
Hebrew Form
Arabic form
Approximate translation
G verb stem
פָּעַל
(קָל )
pa‘al (or qal)
fa‘ala
فَعَلَ
(Stem I)
3rd. masc. sing perfect
kataḇ כתב
kataba كتب
"he wrote"
1st. plur. perfect
kataḇnu כתבנו
katabnā كتبنا
"we wrote"
3rd. masc. sing. imperfect
yiḵtoḇ יכתוב
yaktubu يكتب
"he writes, will write"
1st. plur. imperfect
niḵtoḇ נכתוב
naktubu نكتب
"we write, will write"
masc. sing. active participle
koteḇ כותב
kātib كاتب
"writer"
Š verb stem
הִפְעִיל
hip̄‘il
af‘ala
أَفْعَلَ
(Stem IV)
3rd. masc. sing perfect
hiḵtiḇ הכתיב
aktaba أكتب
"he dictated"
3rd. masc. sing. imperfect
yaḵtiḇ יכתיב
yuktibu يكتب
"he dictates, will dictate"
Št(D) verb stem
הִתְפָּעֵל
hitpa‘el
istaf‘ala
استَفْعَلَ
(Stem X)
3rd. masc. sing perfect
hitkatteḇ התכתב
istaktaba استكتب
"he corresponded" (Hebrew), "he asked (someone) to write (something), had a copy made" (Arabic)
3rd. masc. sing. imperfect
yitkatteḇ יתכתב
yastaktibu يستكتب
(imperfect of above)
Noun with m- prefix and original short vowels
mip̄‘al
מִפְעָל
maf‘al
مَفْعَل
singular
miḵtaḇ מכתב
maktab مكتب
"letter" (Hebrew), "office" (Arabic)
References