: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**"