Appendix:Hebrew patterns/קֶטֶל

Hebrew

Etymology

From *qatl-. Hebrew doesn't allow consonant clusters at the end of words, which came to be as a result of the decline of the case system. For this reason words of the form *qatl-, *qitl- and *qutl- were broken up and usually became segolates (bisyllabic words with stress on the first syllable and a segol in the second one), thus regularly yielding "qetel" or "qotel".

Noun

קֶטֶל • (kétel) m (plural indefinite קְטָלִים, plural construct קַטְלֵי־ or קִטְלֵי־, Biblical Hebrew pausal form קָטֶל)

Used for forming substantives, especially but not exclusively concrete nouns.

Declension

Declension of קֶטֶל
	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
Number:	State:	form	Person:	m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	קֶטֶל	first	קַטְלִי		קַטְלֵנוּ
	definite	הַקֶּטֶל	second	קַטְלְךָ	קַטְלֵךְ	קַטְלְכֶם	קַטְלְכֶן
	construct	קֶטֶל־	third	קַטְלוֹ	קַטְלָהּ	קַטְלָם	קַטְלָן
dual	indefinite	קטליים / קַטְלַיִם	first	קטליי / קַטְלַי		קַטְלֵינוּ
	definite	הקטליים / הַקַּטְלַיִם	second	קַטְלֶיךָ	קטלייך / קַטְלַיִךְ	קַטְלֵיכֶם	קַטְלֵיכֶן
	construct	קַטְלֵי־	third	קַטְלָיו	קַטְלֶיהָ	קַטְלֵיהֶם	קַטְלֵיהֶן
plural	indefinite	קְטָלִים	first	קטליי / קְטָלַי		קְטָלֵינוּ
	definite	הַקְּטָלִים	second	קְטָלֶיךָ	קטלייך / קְטָלַיִךְ	קַטְלֵיכֶם	קַטְלֵיכֶן
	construct	קַטְלֵי־	third	קְטָלָיו	קְטָלֶיהָ	קַטְלֵיהֶם	קַטְלֵיהֶן

Declension of קֶטֶל
	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
Number:	State:	form	Person:	m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	קֶטֶל	first	קִטְלִי		קִטְלֵנוּ
	definite	הַקֶּטֶל	second	קִטְלְךָ	קִטְלֵךְ	קִטְלְכֶם	קִטְלְכֶן
	construct	קֶטֶל־	third	קִטְלוֹ	קִטְלָהּ	קִטְלָם	קִטְלָן
dual	indefinite	קטליים / קִטְלַיִם	first	קטליי / קִטְלַי		קִטְלֵינוּ
	definite	הקטליים / הַקִּטְלַיִם	second	קִטְלֶיךָ	קטלייך / קִטְלַיִךְ	קִטְלֵיכֶם	קִטְלֵיכֶן
	construct	קִטְלֵי־	third	קִטְלָיו	קִטְלֶיהָ	קִטְלֵיהֶם	קִטְלֵיהֶן
plural	indefinite	קְטָלִים	first	קטליי / קְטָלַי		קְטָלֵינוּ
	definite	הַקְּטָלִים	second	קְטָלֶיךָ	קטלייך / קְטָלַיִךְ	קִטְלֵיכֶם	קִטְלֵיכֶן
	construct	קִטְלֵי־	third	קְטָלָיו	קְטָלֶיהָ	קִטְלֵיהֶם	קִטְלֵיהֶן

The vowel /a/ frequently becomes an /i/ when in an open syllable not adjacent to the stress or in a closed syllable, thus explaining the occasional vowel change in the plural construct and with pronominal suffixes, even though the word originates from *qatl-.

Usage notes

When used with a root that has a guttural as the first letter, it will have a hataf patah in the plural, plural possessed, and plural construct forms.
When used with a root that has a guttural as the second letter, the word takes the form CáCaC, and the second letter takes a hataf patah instead of a shva in the possessed forms.
When used with a root that has a guttural as the third letter, the word takes the form CéCaC.
When used with a root with yodh as the second letter, the word takes the form CáyiC, with construct forms, plural forms, and possessed forms starting with CeC-.
When used with a root with yodh as the third letter, the word takes the form CeCí, with construct and possessed forms starting with CiCy-.
When used with a root that has the same second and third letter, the word generally takes the form CaC.
Same second and third radical: These two radicals merge into one and receive a dagesh forte (=gemination), which however is only visible in forms such as the plural or with pronominal suffixes, since a dagesh forte cannot stand at the end of a word. As a compensation for this lack of dagesh the vowel is lengthened (unless it's /a/). Examples: נֵס < *niss-, plural נִסִּים, and עַם < *ʕamm-, plural: עַמִּים.
1. Nun as the second radical: The same process happens with a nun, which undergoes fusion with the preceding radical. See אַף < *anp-, but אַפִּי "my nose", and עֵז < *ʕinz-, plural: עִזִּים.
Second radical waw: In roots with waw as the second radical, the /a/ and waw often contract to /oː/, so *qawl- > *qōl-. Examples: שׁוֹר and דּוֹד. Counterexamples: מָוֶת and תָּוֶךְ.
1. Second radical yodh: Likewise, the /a/ and yodh sometimes contract to /eː/, albeit much less so. Example: חֵיק and רֵיחַ. Counterexamples: עַיִן and חַיִל.

References

Gesenius, Wilhelm (1910), Hebrew Grammar, pages 227-229, §84a-d

Derived terms

Hebrew terms in the pattern קֶטֶל