Introduction to Hebrew Language Studies 3600-7-HE1-WJH2

During the course three divisions of the Hebrew grammar are dealt with: phonology, morphology and syntax with semantics. Initial lectures deal with phonology. First, the consonantal system of Modern Hebrew is presented. Next, the vowel system is characterized. Then, the alphabet and the rules of orthography are introduced, after which the syllable structure and stress are discussed. Some elements of phonotactics are also introduced. Then, lectures on Modern Hebrew morphology begin. First, some basic concepts are introduced: root, stem and affixes among them, followed by the pronominal system presented in its historical perspective. Then, the overview of Modern Hebrew verb is presented. Next, the following stems are discussed, the participles as well as deverbal nouns are characterized. Then, the system of tenses aspects and moods is presented, to be followed by characterizing the inflection of regular verbs. During following lectures the characteristics and typology of irregular verbs are presented. Then, the inflections of the following groups of irregular verbs are characterized. Those verbs mostly hark back to biradical roots or to the forms with assimilated consonant. The morphological problems are continued with discussing the nominal and adjectival paradigms, along with their meaning. Next, syntactic phenomena are dealt with, considering the characteristics of the elements of the clause to being with, and later of the nominal clause and the copula in Hebrew. This is followed by discussing the simple and subordinate verbal clauses and the semantics of the verbal forms.