Hebrew Chapter 5 Grammar

Mares (f.p.) SUSOTH

Horses (m.p.) SUSEEM

Plural feminine ending

Masculine plural ending

Signs (f.p.) OTHOTH

A. Monosyllabic nouns that have an unchangeable long vowel (ex. סוּסִים,אוֹתוֹת)

B. Polysyllabic nouns with shewa, or composite shewa in the first syllable (ex. יְשׁוּעוֹת)

דָּבָר becomes דְּבָרִים because the tone syllable has changed from בָר to רִים and so the open propretonic syllable דָּ must reduce to a shewa.

A. Two-syllable nouns with a closed first syllable (ex. מִזְבֵּחַ altar becomes מִזְבְּחוֹת) When the plural ending is added the accent moves back, because a closed, unaccented syllable is always short, but a shewa cannot reduce, the pretonic reduces. (Rule: if a propretonic cannot reduce, an i-class or u-class open pretonic often will reduce).

• B. Two-syllable nouns with an unchangeable vowel in the first syllable
• (Ex. שׁוֹפֵט judge becomes שִׁוֹפְטִים). Since וֹ cannot reduce to shewa, the pretonic reduces instead.

• אָבוֹת
• Fathers

אָנָשִׁים men

נָשִׁים women

דָּ֫תִּים houses

בָּנִים sons

יָמִים days

מִזְבְּחוֹת altars

עָרִים cities (f.pl.)