Chapter 16 — Peal Infinitive Construct Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch16: Peal Infinitive Construct

Instructions

For each numbered infinitive form, enter the Root (3 consonants, Peal perfect 3ms), the Prefix & Meaning (לְ = purpose/complement; כְּ = temporal "when"; none = bare), and the Translation. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer key row. Items 18–20 are Haphel infinitives (preview of Ch21).

Quick reference: Peal infinitive prefix = מִ- (Hireq). With לְ: לְמִ-. With כְּ: כְּמִ-. I-aleph/hollow: Tsere instead of Hireq → מֵ-. I-ayin: Seghol → מֶ-. Haphel infinitive: לְהַ-.
# Form Root Prefix & Meaning Translation
1
לְמִכְתַּב
כתב לְ — purpose / complement ("to") to write / in order to write
2
לְמֵאמַר
אמר לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); מֵ = I-aleph lengthening to say / in order to say
3
לְמֵיקַם
קום לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); מֵי = hollow (II-waw) pattern to arise / to stand up
4
לְמִנְפַּל
נפל לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); nun retained (I-nun infinitive) to fall (down)
5
כְּמִשְׁמַע
שׁמע כְּ — temporal ("when / upon") when hearing / upon hearing
6
לְמֶעְבַּד
עבד לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); מֶ = Seghol (I-ayin guttural) to do / to make / to serve
7
לְמִנְתַּן
נתן לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); nun retained (I-nun infinitive) to give
8
לְמִבְנֵא
בנה לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); ֵא ending = III-he infinitive to build
9
כְּמֵיקַם
קום כְּ — temporal ("when / upon"); מֵי = hollow pattern when arising / upon standing
10
לְמִסְגַּד
סגד לְ — purpose / complement ("to") to bow down / to worship
11
לְמִקְרַב
קרב לְ — purpose / complement ("to") to approach / to draw near
12
מִשְׁמַע
שׁמע none — bare infinitive (subject or construct head) hearing / the act of hearing
13
מִכְתַּב
כתב none — bare infinitive (subject or construct head) writing / the act of writing
14
לְמִשְׁלַח
שׁלח לְ — purpose / complement ("to") to send
15
כְּמִכְתַּב
כתב כְּ — temporal ("when / upon") when writing / upon writing
16
לְמִנְפַּל
נפל לְ — purpose / complement ("to"); nun retained (I-nun infinitive) to fall (down)
17
מֶעְבַּד
עבד none — bare infinitive; מֶ = Seghol (I-ayin) doing / making / the act of serving
18
לְהַחֲוָיָה
חוה לְ + הַ — Haphel infinitive ("to show / declare") — לְהַ- marks causative stem to show / to declare (Haphel)
19
לְהַשְׁנָיָה
שׁנה לְ + הַ — Haphel infinitive ("to change / alter") — לְהַ- marks causative stem to change / to alter (Haphel)
20
לְהוֹדָעָה
ידע לְ + הוֹ — Haphel infinitive ("to make known") — לְהוֹ- variant of causative prefix to make known / to inform (Haphel)

Reflection Questions

  1. Items 2 (לְמֵאמַר) and 3 (לְמֵיקַם) both show Tsere (ֵ) under the mem of the מִ- prefix rather than the expected Hireq (ִ). Both involve weak roots. What causes the lengthening in each case — is the cause the same or different? How can you tell the two forms apart?
  2. Items 4 (לְמִנְפַּל) and 7 (לְמִנְתַּן) retain their initial nun. In the Peal imperfect, I-nun roots assimilate their nun (e.g., יִפַּל). Why does the nun stay in the infinitive? What morphological feature of the מִקְטַל pattern prevents assimilation?
  3. Item 8 (לְמִבְנֵא) ends in אֵ-. Item 6 (לְמֶעְבַּד) ends in a plain ד. Both are weak verbs. What root class is each, and how does each weak root class affect the shape of the infinitive?
  4. Items 12 (מִשְׁמַע), 13 (מִכְתַּב), and 17 (מֶעְבַּד) appear without any prefix. What syntactic role(s) can a bare infinitive serve in Aramaic? What is the difference between a bare infinitive and one with לְ?
  5. Items 18–20 are Haphel infinitives (לְהַ- / לְהוֹ- prefix) rather than Peal infinitives (לְמִ-). How does recognizing the הַ-/הוֹ- causative marker help you distinguish Haphel infinitives from Peal ones at first glance?