L5.1: Verbs II-Weak

These verbs are also known as “hollow roots” or “middle weak” because they have a long vowel in place of middle radical. Any of the four vowels can appear as a theme vowel.

Theme vowel ā

There are only few verbs with this theme vowel:

Example

ibāš (< bâšum) “he became ashamed”.

Theme vowel ē

Also medial aleph are counted with the verbs of theme vowel ē

Example

ibêl (< bêlum) “he is ruling”.

Theme vowel ū

Hollow verbs with the htme vowel ū are the most common.

Example

• dâkum “to kill”.

• târum “to turn”

Theme vowel ī

Example

• diānum “to pronounce a verdict”.

• qiāšum “to bestow”

• šiānum “to urinate”

Conjugation of the verbs II-Weak

• When the personal suffix is a vowel the third radical is doubled (geminated):

  Example

  ikân, ikunnū

• In G Durative the root vowel appears:

  Example

  ikân, ikunnū

That is the reason for presenting the plural form in the following conjugation table.

	Durative	Perfect	Preterite	Participle	Infinitve	Verbal Adjective
G II-ū	ikân, ikunnū	iktūn, iktūnū	ikūn, ikūnū	dāʾikum	kânum	kīnum
G II-ī	iqīaš, iqiššū	iqtīš, iqtīšū	iqīš, iqīšū	qaʾišum	qâšum	qīšum
G II-ā	ibâš, ibaššū	ibtaš, ibtašū	ibāš, ibāšū	baʾišum	bâšum*	–
G II-ē	ibêl, ibellū	ibtēl, ibtēlū	ibēl, ibēlū	*beʾilum	bêlum	–