Chapter 20 — Hithpaal / Ithpaal Stem Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch20: The Hithpaal and Ithpaal Stems

Instructions

For each numbered Hithpaal/Ithpaal verb form from Daniel or Ezra, enter: Stem (Hithpaal — note metathesis if present), Conjugation (Perfect / Imperfect / Imperative / Infinitive / Participle), Root (3 consonants, Peal 3ms form), PGN (Person-Gender-Number, or N/A for infinitive), and Translation. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer key row.

Hithpaal marker: אִתְ-/הִתְ- prefix AND dagesh forte in R2 — both features together.    Metathesis: sibilant R1 (שׁ, שׂ, ס) swaps with the taw → prefix becomes הִשְׁתַּ-/אִשְׁתַּ-.    Perfect 3ms: אִתְקַטַּל (Pathach + dagesh-Pathach in R2 — contrast Pael Tsere in R2).    Imperfect 3ms: יִתְקַטַּל (יִתְ- prefix).    Participle: מִתְקַטַּל (מִתְ- prefix).    vs. Ithpeel: same prefix but Ithpeel has no dagesh in R2.
# Form Stem Conjugation Root PGN Translation
1
הִשְׁתַּכַּח
Hithpaal (metathesis) Perfect שׁכח 3ms it/he was found (Dan. 5:11: "an extraordinary spirit was found in him"; metathesis: שׁ+תִ → שְׁתַּ; dagesh forte in כ = D-stem)
2
אִתְחַשַּׁב
Hithpaal (no metathesis — R1 = ח, not a sibilant) Perfect חשׁב 3ms it was reckoned / considered (אִתְ- prefix + dagesh forte in שׁ (R2) = Hithpaal; no metathesis because R1 = ח)
3
יִתְחַבַּל
Hithpaal Imperfect חבל 3ms it will be destroyed / harmed (Dan. 6:23: no wound was found on Daniel; יִתְ- = Hithpaal imperfect prefix; dagesh forte in ב (R2))
4
הִשְׁתַּכַּחוּ
Hithpaal (metathesis) Perfect שׁכח 3mp they were found (Dan. 6:5: "no accusation was found against Daniel"; ‑וּ suffix = 3mp; same metathesis prefix הִשְׁתַּ-)
5
מִשְׁתַּכַּח
Hithpaal (metathesis) Participle שׁכח ms being found / was found (Dan. 5:12: מִ- prefix + metathesis שְׁתַּ- + dagesh in כ = Hithpaal participle ms)
6
הִתְנַדַּב
Hithpaal (no metathesis — R1 = נ) Perfect נדב 3ms he volunteered / gave himself freely (Hithpaal reflexive function; הִתְ- prefix + dagesh forte in ד (R2) + Pathach)
7
הִתְמְלִּי
Hithpaal Perfect מלא/מלי 3ms (III-he) he was filled (Dan. 3:19: Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury; הִתְ- prefix + מְ (R1) + לִּ (dagesh in R2) + י (III-he ending))
8
יִתְרוֹמַם
Hithpaal Imperfect רמם/רום 3ms he will exalt himself (Hithpaal reflexive; יִתְ- prefix; hollow/geminate root → רוֹמַם; dagesh in final מ)
9
אִתְקַטַּל
Hithpaal Perfect קטל 3ms he was killed / killed himself (model root paradigm form; אִתְ- + Pathach under ק + dagesh-Pathach in ט = standard Hithpaal perfect 3ms)
10
הִשְׁתַּוִּי
Hithpaal (metathesis) Perfect שׁוה 3ms (III-he) he became equal / was made like (two complexities: metathesis of שׁ + taw → הִשְׁתַּ-; III-he root gives ‑וִּי ending; dagesh in ו (R2))
11
מִתְנַדְּבִין
Hithpaal Participle נדב mp volunteering / those who volunteer themselves (Ezra 7:16: הַמִּתְנַדְּבִין = "those who give themselves freely"; מִתְ- prefix + dagesh in ד (R2) before ‑ִין suffix)
12
תִּתְחַשַּׁב
Hithpaal Imperfect חשׁב 3fs / 2ms she/it will be reckoned / you will consider (תִּתְ- prefix = 3fs or 2ms Hithpaal imperfect; dagesh forte in שׁ (R2); no metathesis)
13
אִתְקַטַּלוּ
Hithpaal Perfect קטל 3mp they were killed / killed themselves (model root; אִתְ- prefix + Pathach-dagesh-Pathach in ט + ‑וּ suffix = 3mp perfect)
14
מִתְקַטַּל
Hithpaal Participle קטל ms being killed / the one being killed (model root; מִתְ- prefix + dagesh-Pathach in ט = Hithpaal participle ms; contrast Pael active participle מְקַטֵּל with Tsere and no מִתְ-)
15
הִשְׁתַּכַּחַת
Hithpaal (metathesis) Perfect שׁכח 3fs she/it was found (3fs suffix ‑ַת after the Hithpaal perfect stem; metathesis prefix הִשְׁתַּ- + dagesh in כ)
16
יִתְקַטְּלוּן
Hithpaal Imperfect קטל 3mp they will be killed (model root; יִתְ- + ‑וּן suffix = Hithpaal imperfect 3mp; R2 = Shewa + dagesh before vocalic suffix)
17
אִתְנַדַּבְנָא
Hithpaal Perfect נדב 1cp we volunteered / gave ourselves freely (אִתְ- prefix + dagesh in ד (R2) + ‑נָא = 1cp perfect suffix; same ‑נָא used in Peal and Pael 1cp)
18
לְהִתְקַטָּלָה
Hithpaal Infinitive קטל N/A to be killed / to kill oneself (model root; לְ prefix + הִתְ- infix + Pathach under ק + dagesh-Qamets in ט + ‑ָה suffix; contrast Pael infinitive לְקַטָּלָה which lacks הִתְ-)
19
אֶתְחַשַּׁב
Hithpaal Imperfect חשׁב 1cs I will be reckoned / I will consider (אֶתְ- prefix = 1cs Hithpaal imperfect; aleph takes segol; dagesh forte in שׁ (R2))
20
מִשְׁתַּכְּחָן
Hithpaal (metathesis) Participle שׁכח fp being found (fp) / those (f) being found (מִ- + metathesis שְׁתַּ- + dagesh in כ + ‑ָן = fp participle suffix; metathesis applies to participle prefix מִשְׁתַּ- just as in הִשְׁתַּ-)

Reflection Questions

  1. Items 1 (הִשְׁתַּכַּח) and 5 (מִשְׁתַּכַּח) both come from root שׁכח. Both are Hithpaal, different conjugations. (a) How does the metathesis prefix change between the perfect and the participle? (b) What feature confirms both are Hithpaal and not Ithpeel?
  2. Item 2 (אִתְחַשַּׁב) has שׁ at R2, yet no metathesis occurs. Why not? Explain the metathesis rule precisely: what triggers it and what does not.
  3. Item 9 (אִתְקַטַּל) and a hypothetical Ithpeel form אִתְקְטִל look very similar. Write both forms and identify the precise phonological difference. Why is this difference sufficient to identify the stem?
  4. Item 10 (הִשְׁתַּוִּי) involves two complicating factors. (a) What is the root and what class of weak root is it? (b) What metathesis has occurred? (c) How does the III-he nature of the root affect the 3ms perfect ending?
  5. Item 18 (לְהִתְקַטָּלָה) is an infinitive. Compare it to the Pael infinitive לְקַטָּלָה. What single morphological element has been added, and what does it signal about the stem?