diff --git a/content/number_plural.rst b/content/number_plural.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..30803f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/number_plural.rst @@ -0,0 +1,290 @@ +:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/number_plural.rst + +.. _number_plural: + +Number Plural +============= + +Summary +------- + +The plural form of a term refers to two or more of that item. + +Article +------- + +In Biblical Hebrew, a term with plural form usually refers to multiple persons or objects. However, Biblical Hebrew +can use the plural form of a word to express many different meanings about a singular entity. + +Form +---- + +Nouns and adjectives +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +:ref:`Feminine` plural nouns and adjectives usually end in וֹת- (holem waw + taw). + +:ref:`Masculine` plural nouns and adjectives usually end in ־ִים (hireq-yod + final mem). + +.. csv-table:: Plural Noun Paradigm + + Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss + masculine plural absolute,סוּסִים,susim,stallions + masculine plural construct,סוּסֵי,suse,stallions of + feminine plural absolute,סוּסוֹת,susoth,mares + feminine plural construct,סוּסוֹת,susoth,mares of + +.. csv-table:: Plural Adjective Paradigm + + Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss + masculine plural absolute,טוֹבִים,tovim,good + masculine plural construct,טוֹבֵי,tove,good + feminine plural absolute,טוֹבוֹת,tovoth,good + feminine plural construct,טוֹבוֹת,tovoth,good + +Other terms +~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Besides nouns, a plural term can be recognized by a variety of changes +to the form. These changes differ greatly from each other and are hard +to sum up in a simple, helpful way. This paradigm shows a sample of the +kinds of changes that signal a plural form for :ref:`verbs`, independent :ref:`personal pronouns`, +the :ref:`direct object marker` with a pronominal suffix, +and :ref:`pronominal suffixes`. + +.. csv-table:: Qal Suffix Conjugation Plural Forms + + Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss + common plural first person,קָטַלְנוּ,qatalnu,we killed + second person masculine plural,קְטַלְתֶּם,qetaltem,you killed + second person feminine plural,קְטַלְתֶּן,qetalten,you killed + common plural third person,קָטְלוּ,qatlu,they killed + common plural first person,נִקְטֹל,niqtol,we will kill + second person masculine plural,תִּקְטְל,tiqtelu,you will kill + second person feminine plural,תִּקְטֹלְנָה,tiqtolenah,you will kill + third person masculine plural,יִקְטְלוּ,yiqtelu,they will kill + third person feminine plural,תִּקְטֹלְנָה,tiqtolenah,they will kill + +.. csv-table:: Independent Personal Pronoun Plural Forms + + Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss + second person masculine plural,אַתֶּם,'attem,you + second person feminine plural,אַתֵּנָה,'attenah,you + third person masculine plural,הֵם / הֵמָּה,hem / hemmah,they + third person feminine plural,הֵן / הֵנָּה,hen / hennah,they + +.. csv-table:: Direct Object Marker with Pronominal Suffix Plural Forms + + Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss + second person masculine plural,אֹתְכֶֶם,'othekhem,you + second person feminine plural,אֹתְכֶֶן,'thekhem,you + third person masculine plural,אֶתְהֶם / אֹתָם,'ethhem / 'otham,them + third person feminine plural,אֶתְהֶן / אֹתָן,'ethhen / 'othan,them + +.. csv-table:: Pronominal Suffix Plural Forms + + Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss + second person masculine plural,לָכֶם / -כֶם,lakhem / -khem,(to) you + second person feminine plural,לָכֶן / -כֶן,lakhen / -khen,(to) you + third person masculine plural,לָהֶם / -הֶם / - ָם,lahem / -hem / -am,(to) them + third person feminine plural,לָהֶן / -הֶן / - ָן,lahen / -hen / -an,(to) them + +Function +-------- + +:ref:`Nouns` marked as plural +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +.. _number_plural-common: + +Common Plural +^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +The common plural expresses more than one of a thing. + +.. csv-table:: Example: ECC 10:7 + + רָאִ֥יתִי **עֲבָדִ֖ים** עַל־סוּסִ֑ים + ra'ithi **'avadim** 'al-**susim** + I-have-seen **servants** on\_\ **horses**. + I have seen **servants** on **horses**. + +The term אֲלֹהִים can function as a common plural, but it most often functions as a :ref:`majestic` +plural (see example below). + +.. csv-table:: Example: JDG 5:8 + + יִבְחַר֙ **אֱלֹהִ֣ים** חֲדָשִׁ֔ים + yivhar **'elohim** hadashim + And-they-chose **gods** new + When they chose new **gods** + +.. _number_plural-complex: + +Complex Plural +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +Some nouns can be singular or plural even though they appear in plural form. For example, the term שָׁמַיִם can be translated into +English as "heaven" or "heavens", and the term מַיִם can be translated in English as "water" or waters", depending on the context. + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 1:1 + + בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם + bereshith bara 'elohim 'eth **hashamayim** + In-beginning he-created God [dir.obj] **the-heavens** + In the beginning God created the **heavens** + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 1:2 + + וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י **הַמָּֽיִם**\ ׃ + weruah 'elohim merahefeth 'al-pene **hammayim** + and-the-Spirit-of God was-moving on\_the-face-of **the-waters**. + The Spirit of God was moving on the surface of the **waters**. + +Biblical Hebrew can use the plural form for actions that have multiple processes or an action involving a collective noun +(see example Gen 4:10 below, "bloods" = "bloodshed"). + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 50:3 + + כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן יִמְלְא֖וּ יְמֵ֣י הַחֲנֻטִ֑ים + ki ken yimle'u yeme **hahanutim** + for so are-filled days-of **the-embalmings**. + for that was the full time for **embalming**. + +.. csv-table:: Example: JER 13:27 + + נִֽאֻפַ֤יִךְ וּמִצְהֲלוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ ... רָאִ֖יתִי + **ni'ufayikh umitshalothayikh** ... ra'ithi + **Your-adulteries and-your-neighings** ... I-have-seen + I have seen **your adultery and neighing** + +.. _number_plural-majestic: + +Majestic Plural +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +The plural form can also express a collective, intensive or superlative sense of a singular item (or kind of item). +For example, the noun אֲלֹהִים (God) appears in the plural form but usually refers to the singular entity "God". + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 1:1 + + בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים + insert transliteration + In-beginning he-created **God** + In the beginning **God** created + +.. csv-table:: Example: Job 40:15 + + הִנֵּה־נָ֣א בְ֭הֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֣יתִי + insert transliteration + [dem.part]\_[exh.part] **behemoth** [rel.part]\_I-made + Look now at **the behemoth**, which I made + +.. _number_plural-abstract: + +Abstract Plural +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +Some plural nouns in Biblical Hebrew are translated as singular in other +languages. In English, abstract plurals are often singular and have +endings like -ness, -hood, and -ship. + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 19:11 + + הִכּוּ֙ בַּסַּנְוֵרִ֔ים + hikku **bassanwerim** + they-hit **with-the-blindnesses** + they struck them **with blindness** + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 21:7 + + כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי בֵ֖ן **לִזְקֻנָֽיו**\ ׃ + ki-yaladti ven **lizqunayw** + for\_I-bore son **to-his-old-ages** + yet I have borne him a son **in his old age**! + +:ref:`Adjectives` marked as plural +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Generally, plural adjectives (also :ref:`active` and :ref:`passive` +adjectival participles) use the :ref:`common plural`. + +.. csv-table:: Example: DEU 8:12 –– attributive adjective with common plural + + וּבָתִּ֥ים **טֹובִ֛ים** תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃ + uvottim **towvim** tivneh weyashavetta + and-houses **good** you-will-built and-you-will-live + and when you build **good** houses and live in them + +.. csv-table:: Example: JER 33:22 –– adjectival participle with common plural + + וְאֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֖ם מְשָׁרְתֵ֥י אֹתִֽי + insert transliteration + and-[dir.obj]\_[def.art]-Levites **who-serve** [dir.obj]-me + and the Levites **who serve** before me + +:ref:`Verbs` marked as plural +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +A :ref:`finite verb` and/or :ref:`verbal participle` in plural form +indicates that the subject of the verb is plural. + +.. csv-table:: Example: JER 43:7 –– finite verb with common plural + + כִּ֛י לֹ֥א **שָׁמְע֖וּ** בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה + ki lo **shom'u** beqol yehwah + for not **they-listened** to-voice-of Yahweh. + because **they** did not **listen** to Yahweh's voice. + +.. csv-table:: Example: ??? ??:? –– verbal participle with common plural + + כִּ֛י לֹ֥א **שָׁמְע֖וּ** בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה + insert transliteration [VERBAL PARTICIPLE] + for not **they-listened** to-voice-of Yahweh. + because **they** did not **listen** to Yahweh's voice. + +Participles marked as plural +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Participles in plural form can generally use the common plural, but not always. A verbal participle in plural form indicates +that the subject of the participle is plural. + +.. csv-table:: Example: SNG 3:8 –– :ref:`nominal` participle with common plural + + כֻּלָּם֙ אֲחֻ֣זֵי חֶ֔רֶב + insert transliteration + all-them **holders-of** sword + All of them **are skilled with** a sword + +.. csv-table:: Example: Job 35:10 –– :ref:`adjectival` participle with majestic plural + + אַ֭יֵּה אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֹשָׂ֑י + insert transliteration + where God **makers-of**-me + Where is God my **Maker** + +.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 4:10 –– :ref:`verbal participle` participle with complex plural ["bloods" = "bloodshed"] + + דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י + insert transliteration + bloods-of your-brother **crying-out** to-me + Your brother's blood **is calling out** to me + +Personal :ref:`pronouns` and :ref:`suffixes` marked as plural +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Generally, pronouns and suffixes use the :ref:`common plural`. + +.. csv-table:: Example: JOS 2:18 –– independent personal pronoun with common plural + + הִנֵּ֛ה **אֲנַ֥חְנוּ** בָאִ֖ים בָּאָ֑רֶץ + hinneh **'anahnu** va'im ba'arets + behold **we** coming-in in-the-land + "behold, when **we** come into the land" + +.. csv-table:: Example: EZR 9:12 –– pronominal suffixes with common plural + + וְ֠עַתָּה **בְּֽנֹותֵיכֶ֞ם** אַל־תִּתְּנ֣וּ **לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙** אַל־תִּשְׂא֣וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם + "we'attah **benowthekhem** 'al-tittenu **livnehem uvenothehem** 'al-tis'u **livnekhem**" + "And-now **your-daughters** not\_give **to-their-sons and-their-daughters** not\_take **for-your-sons**" + "So now, do not give **your daughters to their sons**; do not take **their daughters for your sons**"