and with Mappiq, since the ה is consonantal; but the weakening to ־ָה is also found, see below, g.
[e] 3. The variety of the suffix-forms is occasioned chiefly by the fact that they are modified differently according to the form and tense of the verb to which they are attached. For almost every suffix three forms may be distinguished:
(a) One beginning with a consonant, as ־֫נִי, ־֫הוּ, ו (only after î), ־֫נוּ, ם (הֶם), &c. These are attached to verbal forms which end with a vowel, e.g. יִקְטְל֫וּנִי; קְטַלְתִּ֫יהוּ, for which by absorption of the ה we also get קְטַלְתִּיו, pronounced qeṭaltîu; cf. § 8 m.
[f] (b) A second and third with what are called connecting vowels[1] (־ַ֫ נִי, ־ֵ֫ נִי), used with verbal forms ending with a consonant (for exceptions, see § 59 g and § 60 e). This connecting vowel is a with the forms of the perfect, e.g. קְטָלַ֫נִי, קְטָלָ֫נוּ, קְטָלָם (on קְטָלֵךְ, the ordinary form of the 3rd masc. perf. with the 2nd fem. suffix, cf. below, g); and e (less frequently a) with the forms of the imperfect and imperative, e.g. יִקְטְלֵ֫הוּ, קָטְלֵם; also with the infinitive and participles, when these do not take noun-suffixes (cf. § 61 a and h). The form וֹ also belongs to the suffixes of the perfect, since it has arisen from ־ָ֫ הוּ (cf., however, § 60 d). With ךָ, כֶם, the connecting sound is only a vocal Šewâ, which has arisen from an original short vowel, thus ־ְךָ, ־ְכֶם, e.g. קְטָֽלְךָ (qeṭālekhā), or when the final consonant of the verb is a guttural, ־ֲךָ, e.g. שְׁלָֽחֲךָ. In pause, the original short vowel (ă) reappears as Seghôl with the tone ־ֶ֫ ךָ (also ־ָ֫ ךְ, see g). On the appending of suffixes to the final וּן of the imperfect (§ 47 m), see § 60 e.
[g] Rem. 1. As rare forms may be mentioned sing. 2nd pers. masc. ־ְכָה Gn 27, 1 K 18, &c., in pause also ־ֶ֫ כָּה (see below, i); fem. כִי, ־ֵ֫ כִי ψ 103, 137. Instead of the form ־ֵךְ, which is usual even in the perfect (e.g. Ju 4, Ez 27), ־ָךְ occurs as fem. Is 60 (as masc. Dt 6, 28, Is 30, 55 always in pause); with Munaḥ Is 54, Jer 23.—In the 3rd masc. הֹ Ex 32, Nu 23; in the 3rd fem. ־ָה without Mappîq (cf. § 91 e) Ex 2, Jer 44; Am 1, with
- ↑ We have kept the term connecting vowel, although it is rather a superficial description, and moreover these vowels are of various origin. The connective a is most probably the remains of the old verbal termination, like the i in the 2nd pers. fem. sing. קְטַלְתִּ֫יהוּ. Observe e.g. the Hebrew form qeṭāl-ani in connexion with the Arabic qatala-ni, contrasted with Hebrew qeṭālat-ni and Arabic qatalat-ni. König accordingly prefers the expression ‘vocalic ending of the stem’, instead of ‘connecting syllable’. The connective ē, aŒ¬, as Prätorius (ZDMG. 55, 267 ff.) and Barth (ibid. p. 205 f.) show by reference to the Syriac connective ai in the imperf. of the strong verb, is originally due to the analogy of verbs ל״י (מְחֵנִי = מְחֵינִי from meḥainî), in which the final ê was used as a connecting vowel first of the imperat., then of the impf. (besides many forms with a, § 60 d), and of the infin. and participle.
