Hebrew
In Hebrew grammar, the construct state is known as smikhut (סמיכות, lit. "support" (the noun), "adjacency"). Simply put, smikhut consists of combining two nouns, often with the second noun combined with the definite article, to create a third noun.
- בַית — /ˈbajit/ — "(a) house"
- הבַית — /ha-ˈbajit/ — "the house"
- בֵית — /be(j)t/ — "house-of"
- ספר — /ˈsefer/ — "(a) book"
- בֵית ספר — /be(j)t ˈsefer/ — "(a) school" (literally "house(-of) book")
- בֵית הספר — /be(j)t ha-ˈsefer/ — "the school" (formal; literally "house(-of) the book")
- הבֵית ספר — /ha-be(j)t-ˈsefer/ — "the school" (colloquial, high-grade cohesion (bet-sefer as a single lexical unit); literally "the house(-of) book")
- עוגה — /ʕuˈɡa/ — "cake" (feminine)
- גבינה — /ɡviˈna/ — "cheese"
- עוגת גבינה — /ʕuˈɡat ɡviˈna/ — "cheesecake"
- דיבור — /diˈbur/ — "speech" (an example of a noun for which the smikhut-form is identical to the regular form)
- חופש — /ˈħofeʃ/ — "freedom"
- חופש הדיבור — /ˈħofeʃ ha-diˈbur/ — "freedom of speech" (literally "freedom(-of) the speech")
Read more about this topic: Construct State
Famous quotes containing the word hebrew:
“And all the great traditions of the Past
They saw reflected in the coming time.
And thus forever with reverted look
The mystic volume of the world they read,
Spelling it backward, like a Hebrew book,
Till life became a Legend of the Dead.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1809–1882)
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
—Bible: Hebrew Ecclesiastes, 4:9-12.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.”
—Bible: Hebrew Psalm XIX (l. XIX, 1)