Chapter 18 — Peil and Ithpeel Stem Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch18: The Peil, Hithpeel, and Ithpeel Stems

Instructions

For each numbered verb form from Daniel or Ezra, enter: Stem (Peil or Ithpeel), Conjugation (Perfect / Imperfect / Participle), Root (3 consonants, Peal perfect 3ms), and Translation. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer key row.

Peil perfect: Hireq-Yod on R2 (e.g., רְמִי, כְּתִיב).    Peil imperfect: Tsere on R2 after standard prefix (e.g., יִקְטֵל).    Ithpeel perfect: אִתְ- or הִתְ- prefix.    Ithpeel imperfect: יִתְ- before R1.    Ithpeel participle: מִתְ- prefix.    Metathesis: sibilant R1 switches with tāw — look for הִשְׁתַּ- / יִשְׁתַּ-.
# Form Stem Conjugation Root Translation
1
רְמִי
Peil Perfect 3ms רמה he was thrown / was cast (III-he: R3 he → yod)
2
אִתְכְּנִישׁ
Ithpeel Perfect 3ms כנשׁ he was gathered / they gathered together (אִתְ- prefix)
3
יִתְנְסַח
Ithpeel Imperfect 3ms נסח it will be torn out / uprooted (יִתְ- = Ithpeel imperfect marker)
4
שְׁבִיק
Peil Perfect 3ms שׁבק it was left / abandoned (qəṭīl pattern: Shewa + Hireq-Yod)
5
הִשְׁתְּכַח
Hithpeel Perfect 3ms שׁכח it was found (metathesis: הִתְ + שׁ → הִשְׁתְּ-; root = שׁכח)
6
כְּתִיב
Peil Perfect 3ms (or Peal passive ptcp) כתב it is written / was written (formulaic: "it is written")
7
יִתְבְּנֵא
Ithpeel Imperfect 3ms בנה it will be built (III-he root: final ‑ēʾ ending)
8
חֲבִיל
Peil Perfect 3ms חבל it was destroyed / ruined (guttural R1 ח takes Hateph Pathach: חֲ-)
9
הִשְׁתַּנִּי
Hithpeel Perfect 3ms שׁנה it was changed (metathesis + III-he; dagesh forte in nun)
10
אִתְמְלִי
Ithpeel Perfect 3ms מלא it was filled / he was filled (III-aleph root; אִתְ- prefix)
11
יִשְׁתַּנֵּא
Ithpeel Imperfect 3ms שׁנה it will be changed (metathesis: יִתְ + שׁ → יִשְׁתַּ-; Dan. 7:25)
12
סְגִיד
Peil Perfect 3ms סגד he was worshiped / it was bowed down to (from סגד "to bow down/worship")
13
מִתְכַּנְּשִׁין
Ithpeel Participle mp כנשׁ being gathered / gathering together (mp; מִתְ- = Ithpeel ptcp prefix)
14
יִתְמְחֵא
Ithpeel Imperfect 3ms מחא it will be struck / smitten (יִתְ- prefix; III-aleph root: final -ēʾ)
15
קְטִילוּ
Peil Perfect 3mp קטל they were killed (qəṭīl stem + 3mp -וּ ending)
16
אִתְקְטִלְנָא
Ithpeel Perfect 1cp קטל we were killed / we killed ourselves (אִתְ- prefix + 1cp -נָא ending)
17
יִתְּבְנֵא
Ithpeel Imperfect 3ms בנה it will be built (variant spelling of יִתְבְּנֵא; dagesh forte in tāw)
18
הִתְחַסְּנַת
Hithpeel Perfect 3fs חסן she/it was strengthened / prevailed (הִתְ- prefix + 3fs -ַת ending)
19
יִתְחַסְּנוּן
Ithpeel Imperfect 3mp חסן they will be strengthened / will prevail (יִתְ- prefix + 3mp -וּן ending)
20
הִשְׁתְּכַחַת
Hithpeel Perfect 2ms שׁכח you were found (Dan. 5:27: "you were found deficient"; metathesis; 2ms -ַת ending)

Reflection Questions

  1. Items 1 (רְמִי) and 9 (הִשְׁתַּנִּי) are both passive perfects but look completely different. What specific features identify each as a derived-stem passive form, and which stem does each belong to?
  2. Items 5 (הִשְׁתְּכַח) and 11 (יִשְׁתַּנֵּא) both involve metathesis. For each: (a) identify the root, (b) explain which consonants switched, and (c) explain why metathesis occurred.
  3. Item 13 (מִתְכַּנְּשִׁין) is an Ithpeel participle. What does the prefix מִתְ- tell you about the stem and verbal category? How would the same root appear in the Peal active participle?
  4. Items 6 (כְּתִיב) and 15 (קְטִילוּ) both show the qəṭīl pattern. Item 6 could be either a Peil perfect 3ms or a Peal passive participle. What contextual clue would help you decide?
  5. Items 3 (יִתְנְסַח) and 7 (יִתְבְּנֵא) are both Ithpeel imperfects. What shared feature identifies them as Ithpeel? How does the III-he root of item 7 affect the final form compared to item 3?