14.11 Lesson 14 Qal Perfect Conclusion

Once we know the common characterists, we can manage the exceptions

  • Characteristics of Qal Perfect
    • No preformative_
    • Perfect sufformative (except 3ms)
    • \(Pre =\) קָ (i.e. \(V_1=\bar A\))
    • \(V_2 = A\)
  • Exceptions common to all:
    • \(V_1\) will be reduced with 2mp/2fp “heavy sufformative”
    • \(V_1\) will be reduced if there is a pronominal suffix as required by propretonic reduction - Lesson 19
    • 3fs/3cp have \(V_S=A\) displaced by a Sheva required by finite sufformatives
    • Stative verbs may cause other \(V_S\) changes
  • Exceptions specific to weak verbs:
    • \(V_1 =A\) (Patach) if Biconsonantal or Geminate 1st or 2nd Person
    • Gutturals take Hateph vowels instead of Vocal Sheva
    • A third guttural can cause Compensatory Lengthening or other changes to \(V_2\)
    • 3ה verbs are in a unique class
    • Absence of a root consonant causes various changes (see below as needed)

MISSING A ROOT CONSONANT?

Do not memorize these characteristics now.

You can refer back to these clues if you encounter a word that doesn’t seem to fit the Qal Perfect form because it is missing a root consonant.

Geminate and Biconsonantal verbs cause many changes; however, they are relatively infrequent. As opposed to studying all of the rules, we recommend beginning students focus their time on mastering the common Geminate and Biconsonantal vocabulary in Anki.

  • If \(V_1\) is accented, it is BICONSONANTAL or GEMINATE
  • 1st or 2nd person: look at the vowel before the sufformative
    • \(\hat I\) = 3ה
    • וֹ ּ = GEMINATE
    • ְ = BICONSONANTAL
    • תּ ַ (where Tav is the sufformative) = 3נ/ת
    • נּוּ ַ in the 1cp = 3נ
  • 3rd Person
    • Dagesh Forte in what looks like \(R_2\) = GEMINATE
    • \(V_1\) is accented and no Dagesh in \(R_2\) = BICONSONANTAL
    • \(V_2\) accented as usual = 3ה