Title: Hebrew Grammar Quest / 2. Lessons 4-11 / Lesson 10 / Lesson 10 B. Grammar
Tags: Grammar hebrew::ch_10 015

Prompt: What determines if a construct chain is definite or indefinite?
Answer: The definiteness or indefinetness of the last/absolute word in the chain.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.4

Q: Differentiating Construct from Absolute: What can indicate that a noun is in its ABSOLUTE state?
- It is [What can't construct words ever visibly be?]
- [...] vowel in the penult [...]
A: visibly definite (article, pronomial suffix, or is a proper noun); Long; (Note: an unchangable long vowel could potentially be Construct)
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.5

Prompt: What indicates that a noun IS in the construct state (give three examples)?
Answer: • Followed by a Maqqef (־)
• Ends in  בֵי or בֵה
• Penult has reduced vowel (some exceptions)
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.5

Prompt: What word does a construct chain describe?
Answer: A construct chain describes the first noun in a chain.
[E.g., 'servant of the son of the king' describes the servant]
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.1

Prompt: A construct chain describes the first ____ in the chain.
Answer: A construct chain describes the first NOUN in a chain.
An adjective that begins a chain functions as an attributive adjective.  It describes the first noun (which is often the absolute noun).
[E.g., 'wise of heart' describes 'heart', not 'wise'.]
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.1

Prompt: What sets the definiteness of every word in a construct chain?
Answer: The last word in a chain sets the definiteness of every word in the chain.
[E.g., '[the] word of THE KING']
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.1

Prompt: By itself, will a word in a construct state have any indication that it is definite?
Answer: No. A construct word can't have anything to make itself visibly definite:
(1) NOT a proper noun
(2) NO article
(3) NO pronominal suffix
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.5

Prompt: What ending always indicates that a noun is a construct plural (or dual)?
Answer: Tsere+Yod
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.6

Q: From a Study Verse this Lesson: וּדְבַר־יְהוָה (and the word of the LORD)
You can tell this is a construct chain from two things:
1. The [...] joining "word" and "Adonai,"
2. The vowels in וּדְבַר have [...]  as compared to the absolute form
A: maqqef; shortened
Back Extra: In דָבָר , the Qamets under the ד shortened due to propretonic reduction. The Patach under the ב is because the accent has shifted to (Adonai) causing בַר to now be a closed and unaccented syllable.  As we learned way back in Lesson 3, closed and unaccented prefers short vowels.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.7

Q: How do you make an initial translation of a construct chain?
[...]
A: Add "of" after every word in the chain, except for the last word.
Back Extra: Example: "The door of the house of David", which you can later render as "the door of David's house"
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.1

Q: Translate
כָּל־
[...]
A: All of
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.7

Q: Where do adjectives go in a construct chain?
[...]
A: Adjectives go after the entire chain.
Back Extra: No intervening words are allowed in a chain.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.2

Q: Word-final:
י  ִ | י ַ | י ֵ
 | [...] | |  | [...] | | [...]
A: 1CS Type I Suffix; 1CS Type II Suffix; Construct dual/plural ending
Reference: Similar Suffixes

Q: אֲבִי | אָבִי
[...] | [...]
A: father of; my father
Reference: Confusing Words
Back Extra: אֲבִי - reduced vowel in penult
אָבִי - long vowel, not vowel letter = absolute
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.7

Q: אֲחִי | אָחִי
[...] | [...]
A: brother of; my brother
Reference: Confusing Words
Back Extra: אֲחִי = reduced vowel in penult
אָחִי = long vowel, not vowel letter
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.7

Q: אֵשׁ | אֵ֫שֶׁת
[...] | [...]
A: fire; wife of
Reference: Confusing words
Other fields (not shown on cards):
HGQ Book Section: 10.7

Q: Differentiating Construct from Absolute: What can indicate that a noun is in its ABSOLUTE state?
- [...] penult
- Diphthong בַ֫יִ or בָ֫וֶ - Construct states never have a diphthong
- [...] Noun Ending: בָה or בִים or בֶה
A: Accented; Absolute