Chapter 15 — Peal Imperative Parsing Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch15: Peal Imperative

Instructions

For each numbered verb form, enter the Root (3 consonants, Peal perfect 3ms), PGN (person / gender / number), and Translation in the input fields. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer key row. Items 17–20 are negative imperative constructions (אַל / לָא + imperfect).

# Form Root PGN Translation
1
קוּם
קום 2ms Arise! / Stand up!
2
אֱמַר
אמר 2ms Say! / Tell!
3
כְּתֻב
כתב 2ms Write!
4
שְׁלַח
שׁלח 2ms Send!
5
עֲבֵד
עבד 2ms Do! / Serve! / Make!
6
שְׁמַע
שׁמע 2ms Hear! / Listen!
7
הַב
יהב 2ms Give!
8
פְּרֻק
פרק 2ms Deliver! / Atone!
9
בְּנוֹ
בנה 2mp Build! (to men)
10
הָבוּ
יהב 2mp Give! (to men)
11
אֱמַרוּ
אמר 2mp Say! (to men)
12
שְׁמַעוּ
שׁמע 2mp Hear! (to men)
13
כְּתֻבִי
כתב 2fs Write! (to a woman)
14
שִׁלְחוּ
שׁלח 2mp Send! (to men)
15
קוּמוּ
קום 2mp Arise! (to men)
16
עֲבֵדוּ
עבד 2mp Do! / Serve! (to men)
17
אַל תִּסְגֻּד
סגד 2ms (neg) Do not bow down! (urgent — אַל + jussive)
18
לָא תִּכְתֻּב
כתב 2ms (neg) You shall not write (general prohibition — לָא + imperfect)
19
אַל תֵּאמְרוּן
אמר 2mp (neg) Do not say! (urgent, to men — אַל + jussive)
20
לָא תִּסְגְּדוּן
סגד 2mp (neg) You shall not bow down (general, to men — לָא + imperfect)

Reflection Questions

  1. Items 1 (קוּם) and 3 (כְּתֻב) are both 2ms imperatives, yet item 1 begins with a long ū vowel while item 3 has a Shewa under the first radical. What accounts for this difference? What root type is each?
  2. Item 2 (אֱמַר) begins with aleph + hateph-Seghol. Is this the root aleph of אמר, or something else? Why does this form not follow the standard קְטֻל pattern?
  3. Items 7 (הַב) and 10 (הָבוּ) come from root יהב. Where did the initial yod go? Does the imperative use the same suppletive form as the imperfect (יִנְתֵּן)?
  4. Item 9 (בְּנוֹ) is the 2mp imperative of בנה. Strong-verb 2mp ends in וּ- (Shureq); this form ends in וֹ- (Holem). What root class is בנה, and why is the 2mp ending different?
  5. Items 17–20 are prohibitions using אַל or לָא + imperfect. What is the difference in meaning or usage between אַל + jussive (items 17, 19) and לָא + imperfect (items 18, 20)?