Suffixes in Hebrew

There are several suffixes in Hebrew which are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning. Suffixes are used in the Hebrew language to form plurals of nouns and adjectives, in verb conjugation of grammatical tense, and to indicate possession and direct objects. They are also used for the construct noun form. The letters which form these suffixes (excluding plurals) are called "formative letters" (Hebrew: אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ, Otiyot HaShimush).

Gender and number

Due to noun-adjective agreement rules, these apply to nouns and to adjectival modifiers. In some cases, a masculine plural noun will have a feminine plural suffix and vice versa, but the adjectival modifiers are always the same.

Suffix Meaning Examples
ָ ה   (Kamatz and He) feminine singular
  • סוּסָה susa (mare)
  • סוּסָה טוֹבָה susa tova (good mare)
ִ ים   (Chirik, Yud and Final Mem) masculine plural
  • סוּסִים susim (horses)
  • סוּסִים טוֹבִים susim tovim (good horses)
וֹת (Cholam and Tav) feminine plural
  • סוּסוֹת susot (mares)
  • סוּסוֹת טוֹבוֹת susot tovot (good mares)
ַ יִם   (Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Mem) masculine and feminine noun dual form
  • יָדַיִם yadayim (two hands)

Construct state

Suffix Meaning Examples
ַ ת   (Patach and Tav) Changes a singular feminine noun to the construct form. of תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה Torat Moshe (Torah of Moses)
ֵ י   (Tzere and Yud) Changes a plural masculine noun to the construct form. of סִפְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁה Sifre q'dusha (Books of holiness)

Pronominal suffixes

Singular nouns

Suffix Meaning Examples
ִ י   (Chirik and Yud) First person, singular possessive. My
  • סוּסִי susi (my horse)
  • תּוֹרָתִי torati (my law)
ְ ךָ   (Shva and Final Khaf with Kamatz) Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסְךָ suskha (your horse)
  • תּוֹרָתְךָ toratkha (your law)
ֵ ךְ   (Tzere and Final Khaf with Shva) Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֵךְ susekh (your horse)
  • תּוֹרָתֵךְ toratekh (your law)
וֹ ( Cholam male) Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
  • סוּסוֹ suso (his horse)
  • תּוֹרָתוֹ torato (his law)
ָ הּ   (Kamatz and He with Mappiq) Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
  • סוּסָהּ susah (her horse)
  • תּוֹרָתָהּ toratah (her law)
ֵ נוּ   (Tzere and Nun with Shuruk) First person, plural possessive. Our
  • סוּסֵנוּ susenu (our horse)
  • תּוֹרָתֵנוּ toratenu (our law)
ְ כֶם   (Shva, Khaf with Segol and Final Mem) Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסְכֶם suskhem (your horse)
  • תּוֹרַתְכֶם toratkhem (your law)
ְ כֶן   (Shva, Khaf with Segol and Final Nun) Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסְכֶן suskhen (your horse)
  • תּוֹרַתְכֶן toratkhen (your law)
ָ ם   (Kamatz and Final Mem) Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
  • סוּסָם susam (their horse)
  • תּוֹרָתָם toratam (their law)
ָ ן   (Kamatz and Final Nun) Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
  • סוּסָן susan (their horse)
  • תּוֹרָתָן toratan (their law)

Plural nouns

Suffix Meaning Examples
ַ י   (Patach and Yud) First person, singular possessive. My
  • סוּסַי susai (my horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתַי torotai (my laws)
ֶ יךָ   (Segol, Yud and Final Khaf with Kamatz) Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֶיךָ susekha (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֶיךָ torotekha (your laws)
ַ יִךְ   (Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Khaf with Shva) Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסַיִךְ susayikh (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתַיִךְ torotayikh (your laws)
ָ יו   (Kamatz, Yud and Vav) Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
  • סוּסָיו susav (his horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתָיו torotav (his laws)
ֶ יהָ   (Segol, Yud and He with Kamatz) Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
  • סוּסֶיהָ suseha (her horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֶיהָ toroteha (her laws)
ֵ ינוּ   (Tzere, Yud and Nun with Shuruk) First person, plural possessive. Our
  • סוּסֵינוּ suseinu (our horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵינוּ toroteinu (our laws)
ֵ יכֶם   (Tzere, Yud, Khaf with Segol and Final Mem) Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֵיכֶם suseikhem (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶם toroteikhem (your laws)
ֵ יכֶן   (Tzere, Yud, Khaf with Segol and Final Nun) Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֵיכֶן suseikhen (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶן torateikhen (your laws)
ֵ יהֶם   (Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Mem) Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
  • סוּסֵיהֶם suseihem (their horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶם torateihem (their laws)
ֵ יהֶן   (Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Nun) Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
  • סוּסֵיהֶן suseihen (their horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶן torateihen (their laws)

Conjugation of verbs

Qal Perfect

Suffix Meaning Examples
תִּי (Tav with Hiriq male) 1st person sg. I did שָׁמַרְתִּי shamarti (I kept)
תָּ (Tav with Kamatz) 2nd person, masc. sg. You did שָׁמַרְתָּ shamarta (you kept)
תְּ (Tav with Sh'va) 2nd person, fem. sg. You did שָׁמַרְתְּ shamart (you kept)
- (None, Base form) Qal perfect Did
3rd person, masc. sg. He did
שָׁמַר shamar (kept/he kept)
ָ ה   (Kamatz and He) 3rd person, fem. sg. She did שָׁמְרָה shamra (she kept)
נוּ (Nun with Shuruk) 1st person pl. We did שָׁמַרְנוּ shamarnu (we kept)
תֶּם (Tav with Segol and Final Mem) 2nd person, masc. pl. You did שְׁמַרְתֶּם shmartem (you kept)
תֶּן (Tav with Segol and Final Nun) 2nd person, fem. pl. You did שְׁמַרְתֶּן shmarten (you kept)
וּ (Shuruk) 3rd person pl. They did שָׁמְרוּ shamru (they kept)

Imperfect

Suffix Meaning Examples
ִי   (Chirik male) Second person, feminine singular. You will do
  • תִּשְׁמְרִי tishm'ri (you will keep)
וּ (Shuruk) Third and Second person, masculine plural. They will do, You will do
  • יִשְׁמְרוּ yishm'ru (they will keep)
  • תִּשְׁמְרוּ tishm'ru (you will keep)
נָה (Nun with Kamatz and He) Third and Second person, feminine plural. They will do, You will do
  • תִּשְׁמֹרְנָה tishmorna (they will keep)
  • תִּשְׁמֹרְנָה tishmorna (you will keep)

Imperative

Suffix Meaning Examples
ִ י   (Chirik male) Feminine singular. do! שִׁמְרִי shimri (keep!)
וּ (Cholam male) Masculine plural. do! שִׁמְרוּ shimru (keep!)
נָה (Nun with Kamatz and He) Feminine plural. do! שְׁמֹרְנָה shmorna (keep!)

Diminutive

Suffix Meaning Examples
וֹן (Cholam male and Final Nun) Diminutive, sometimes masculine
  • סֵפֶר sefer (book) → סִפְרוֹן sifron (booklet)
  • מַחְשֵׁב machshev (computer) → מַחְשְׁבוֹן machshevon (calculator)
  • מִטְבָּח mitbach (kitchen) → מִטְבָּחוֹן mitbachon (kitchenette)
ִ ית   (Chirik male and Tav) Diminutive, sometimes feminine
  • שַׂק saq (sack) → שַׂקִּית saqqit (bag)
  • כַּף kaf (spoon) → כַּפִּית kappit (teaspoon)

Loanwords

These sufixes (Hebrew: סוֹפִית sofit) often come from loanwords from English (Latin, Greek, etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms.

Suffix Origin Hebrew Meaning Examples
-graphy Ladino גְרַפְיָה- -grafya field of study; writing
  • גֵּאוֹגְרַפְיָה geografya (hard g) geography
  • קָלִיגְרַפְיָה qaligrafya calligraphy
-ic/-ical Biblical Hebrew/ English ִי- i of or pertaining to
  • נוֹסְטַלְגִּי nostalgi nostalgic
  • פּוֹלִיטִי politi political
  • מִיתִי miti mythic(al)
-ian/-an/-ish Biblical Hebrew/ English ִי- i belonging to
  • רוּסִי rusi Russian
  • אוּטוֹפִּי utopi utopian
  • גֶּרְמָנִי germani (hard g) German
  • בְּרִיטִי briti British
  • פּוֹלִיטִיקַאי politiqai politician
  • קוֹמִיקַאי qomiqai comedian
-ar English ָרִי- ari pertaining to
  • מוֹלֶקוּלָרִי molequlari molecular
  • לִינֵאָרִי lineari linear
  • קַוִּי qavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
-ism English יזְם- -izm movement; discriminatory belief
  • לִיבֶּרָלִיזְם liberalizm liberalism
  • סֶקְסִיזְם seqsizm sexism
-kinesis Greek קִינֶזִיס- -qinezis movement, motion
  • טֶלֶקִינֶזִיס teleqinezis telekinesis
  • פְּסִיכוֹקִינֶזִיס psikhoqinezis psychokinesis
-logy (and -ology) Ladino לוֹגְיָה- -logya branch of learning
  • בִּיוֹלוֹגְיָה biyologya (hard g) biology
  • טְרִילוֹגְיָה trilogya trilogy
-mania Greek מַנְיָה- -manya obsession
  • פִּירוֹמַנְיָה piromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromania
  • קְלֶפְּטוֹמַנְיָה qleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
-maniac English מָן- -man person with obsession
  • פִּירוֹמָן piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniac
  • קְלֶפְּטוֹמָן qleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
-oid English וֹאִיד- -oid similar, but not the same
  • אַנְדְּרוֹאִיד android android
  • הוּמָנוֹאִיד humanoid humanoid
-onym English וֹנִים- -onim name
  • אֶפּוֹנִים eponim eponym
  • הֶטְרוֹנִים hetronim heteronym
-scope English סְקוֹפּ- -sqop instrument for viewing
  • טֶלֶסְקוֹפּ telesqop telescope
  • מיקרוסקופ miqrosqop microscope
-esque French ֶסְקָה- -esqa resembling
  • בּוּרְלֶסְקָה burlesqa burlesque
  • הוּמוֹרֶסְקָה humoresqa humoresque
  • גְּרוֹטֶסְקִי grotesqi grotesque
-y Ladino יָה- -ya having the quality of
  • קוֹמֶדְיָה qomedya comedy
  • הִיסְטוֹרְיָה historya history
  • פִילוֹסוֹפְיָה filosofya philosophy
-meter English מֶטֶר- -meter measuring device;
units of measure
  • בָּרוֹמֶטֶר barometer barometer
  • קִילוֹמֶטֶר qilometer kilometer
-nik Yiddish/Russian נִיק- nik one connected with
  • מוֹשַׁבְנִיק moshavniq moshav member/resident
  • נוּדְנִיק nudniq bothersome person
gollark: Some stuff isn't hashable due to it, the weirdness with tuple[i] += and all, the `[[0] * 3]` thing.
gollark: Python has some stuff immutable and some mutable and it's actually bad.
gollark: Persistent data structure good?!
gollark: I asked the committee and they said so.
gollark: Make it immutable, bee. Macron is a purely functional language.

See also

References

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