Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/243



The close relation which exists between some classes of the weak verbs (e.g. between and,  and ,  and ,  and ) appears not only in their similarity or identity of inflexion, or their mutual interchange of certain forms, but especially from the fact that frequently the same root (radix bilittera, see ) recurs in various weak stems of similar meaning. The meaning accordingly is inherent in the two constant root-consonants, while the third consonant̤, which is weak (and the particular class of weak verbs with it), does not establish any difference in the meaning. Thus from the root there occur with the same meaning, , ; and from the root  there are , ,.

In this manner the following classes are related in form and meaning:

1. Verbs and  in which the first and third consonants are the same in both, as being essential to the meaning; e.g.  and ;  and ;  and.

2. Verbs and ; e.g.  and,  and  (yāqōs̆) to lay snares. Moreover, stems belonging to the classes mentioned in 1 (especially ) are frequently related also to verbs and, e.g.  and ;  and ;  and ;  and. Verbs are less frequently connected with these classes, e.g.  and, &c.

3. Verbs and  (in which the first two consonants form the real body of the stem) are sometimes related to each other, and sometimes to the above classes. To each other, in and,  and  (cf. ); to verbs of the other classes, in  and ,  and , &c.

4. Verbs and, on which cf. Grimm, ''Journal of Bibl. Lit.'', 1903, p. 196; e.g. and,  and ,  and ,  and ,  and ,  and ,  and ,  and.

5. Verbs and ; e.g.  and  (New Hebrew; in O.T. only  ) to circumcise,  and,  (in ) and ; cf. also, with , from.

It often happens, when two kindred weak verbs are in use with the same meaning, that both are defective, i.e. do not occur in all the forms. Since, however, those tenses and forms which are not in use in the one verb are generally supplied by the other, they mutually complete one another, and thus form together, as it were, an entire