stem-form was not always sufficient to express at the same time differences both of gender and number, the distinction had to be farther indicated, in several cases, by special afformatives. Cf. the table, § 40 c.
[b] 2. The derivation and meaning, both of the preformatives and the afformatives, can still, in most cases, be recognized.
In the first pers. אֶקְטֹל, plur. נִקְטֹל, א is probably connected with אֲנִי, and נ with נָ֫חְנוּ; here no indication of gender or number by a special ending was necessary. As regards the vocalization, the Arabic points to the ground-forms ʾăqṭŭl and năqṭŭl: the ĭ of the 1st plur. is, therefore, as in the other preformatives, attenuated from a. The Seghôl of the 1st sing. is probably to be explained by the preference of the א for this sound (cf. § 22 o, but also § 51 p); according to Qimḥi, it arises from an endeavour to avoid the similarity of sound between אִקְטֹל (which is the Babylonian punctuation) and יִקְטִֹל, which, according to this view, was likewise pronounced iqṭōl.[1]
[c] The preformative ת of the second persons (תִּקְטֹל, ground-form tăqṭŭl, &c.) is, without doubt, connected with the ת of אַתָּה, אַתֶּם. &c., and the afformative ־ִי of the 2nd fem. sing. תִּקְטְלִי with the i of the original feminine form אַתִּי (see § 32 h). The afformative וּ of the 2nd masc. plur. תִּקְטְלוּ (in its more complete form, וּן, see m) is the sign of the plural, as in the 3rd pers., and also in the Perfect (§ 44 a). In the Imperfect, however, it is restricted in both persons to the masculine,[2] while the afformative נָה (also ןָ) of the 3rd and 2nd plur. fem. is probably connected with הֵ֫נָּה eae and אַתֵּ֫נָה vos (fem.).
[d] The preformatives of the third persons (י in the masc. יִקְטֹל, ground-form yăqṭŭl, plur. יִקְטְלוּ, ground-form yăqṭŭlû; ת in the fem. תִּקְטֹל, plur. תִָּקְטֹ֫לְנָה) have not yet met with any satisfactory explanation. With ת might most obviously be compared the original feminine
- ↑ Cf. § 24 e. In favour of the above view of Qimḥi may be urged the phonetic orthography אִשׁ (in Pr 18 אִישׁ), 2 S 14 (unless, with Perles, אָשֻׁב is to be read), Mi 6, for יֵשׁ, and אִישַׁי 1 Ch 2 for יִשַׁי (as verse 12). Also הַֽאֶזְכֶּה Mi 6 is probably for הַֽאִזְ׳ = הֲיִזְ׳, אפקד Is 10 for אנחמך ;יִטְקֹד Is 51 for יְנַֽחֲמֵךְ; and conversely יששכר is for אשש׳=אִישׁ שָׂכָר. Similarly, ישוי 1 S 14 is probably for אִשְׁיוֹ or אִשְׁיָה; in 2 S 23 ישׁב בשבת is, according to the LXX, an error for ישבשת=אִשְׁבּ֫שֶׁת. In Assyrian also the simple i corresponds to the Hebrew י as the preformative of the Impf. Qal.
- ↑ This is also the proper gender of the plural syllable û, ûn. In Hebrew, indeed, it is used in the 3rd plur. Perfect for both genders, but in the kindred languages even there only for the masculine, e.g. in Syriac qeṭálû, qeṭálûn, with the feminine form qeṭálên, in Western Aram. qeṭálû, fem. qeṭálā; in Arab. qătălû, fem. qătálnă, Eth. qătălû, qătălâ.
