Modern Hebrew: An Essential Grammar

Most such roots repeat the same two consonants (reduplicative roots), e.g. ---, or are based on nouns that have four consonants, e.g. ---, yielding the verb ‘computerize’. Hebrew‘computer’ finds it particularly convenient to turn foreign nouns into verbs in thisway, thus: ' roots torpedo torpedoed, was torpedoedSuch verbs and action nouns have the same vowel pattern as if they hadthree consonants. Using the verbs ‘ruined’, ‘was ruined’, ‘became ruined’:PI’EL:PU’AL:HITPA’EL:Action nouns:, ,. . . , ,. . . , ,. . . ,. . . , ,.. . . ,,. . . , ,. . . ,. . . , , ruination. . , , , Note: Where the middle letters (root consonant 2 and 3) involve , , ,‘schoolbook Hebrew’ usually requires consonant 2 to be soft and consonant 3to be hard. But there are numerous exceptions, particularly in foreign-originwords like ‘telephoned’, ‘subsidized’.54 ’ õ roots " roots ( standing for theRoots whose first consonant is are calledfirst consonant of any root). Examples of verbs with " roots:93