Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

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is evident, accordingly, that if the 5th form were identical with the Hebrew the vocalization 710 of the Imperfect would have been with u,
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and not with a; consequently we must consider the Arabic infa'al as having only one single preformative, the, herein resembling the 5th form, which, combining with the particle of the causative, has produced the Hebrew Hitpa'el
Original theme or Pal J. Reflective theme. Internal reflective theme. Reciprocal theme.............
Cansative theme
Causat. and Refl. theme.<
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(.Ar. Ass) נפעל
מפעל
Eimple.
ren (Aram. ? Ass.) n (Arab. Sab. Ass.)
התפעל
סינפעל
[JANUARY, 1875.
In the 10th form likewise, apart from the prosthetic alef, which is wanting in Sabaan, it may be observed that the preformative ro is composed of the causative D, which supplants the in the dialects, and of the reflective n, so that this form answers to the Hebrew Hitpa'el.
The following table presents a view of the most-used forms in the Semitic languages, and the arrangement of the voices from the simple to the compound:
(Heb.Sab.Arab. Aram. Eth.)
As we have just seen, the Semitic languages use the three letters n, s, and n (, ) sometimes simply and sometimes combined, in order to form derived voices, for the purpose of indicating an action which strikes by its external effect. These letters, which are visibly pronominal themes, serving also for the inflection of nouns, and constituting a real link between these two categories of words, show that the verb and noun were originally confused in the linguistic corception of the Semites. The most powerful instrument used in these languages to discriminate between the verbal and the nominal idea was the tonic accent, so well conserved in Hebrew, thus: verb-habál, a "to wound," noun- an, hebel "a wound;" verb-gadál, "to become great," noun- godel (godl) "greatness;" verb-gamas yop "to grasp," noun-pop "fist."
The Semitic nations, which manifest so delicate a perception in picturing the movements of the
Emphatic.
(Ar. Eth. Sab. ?) Sn (Ar. Eth.Sab. ?)
ספָּעל
סתפעל
(Aram. Ass. Eth. Minean (Eth. Sab. dial. ") and Hadr. dial.) Causat. and Recipr. theme. (Heb. Sab.) Recipr. and Refl. theme... Ser (Rabbinic Heb. Ass. Aram.)
Energetic.
פעל
(Aram. Ass. Eth. Min. & (Eth. Sab. dial. ?) (Eth. Sab. dial. ?) Hadr. dial.)
en (Aram.)
(.Ass) פתעל {? .Ass) נפתל
ספעל
(.(He) התפעול
סתפעל
(Eth. Sab. dial.)
mind that produce action, have come short as to the manner of indicating the succession of actions. They have not conceived of time as a determined and fixed period, but appear r: ther to have considered it as a point always receding. which cannot be seized, and which may be spoken of in a relative sense only. Accordingly Semitic verbs possess originally no special designation to distinguish time in the modern sense of the word. From a Semitic point of view the names Past and Future, applied by ind genous grammarians to the chief verbal inflections, arc inaccurate; these forms indicate neither an absolute Past nor an absolute Future; they merely designate a relative succession floating between a distant past and a distant future; the names of Perfect and Imperfect, denuded of every idea of time, are more convenient. The Perfec! points out the act as completed in an absolute state, whilst the Imperfect designates the same in a