Notes on the Reciprocal Function of Nifʿal in Biblical Hebrew

Ambjörn Sjörs (author)

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Title	Notes on the Reciprocal Function of Nifʿal in Biblical Hebrew
Contributor	Ambjörn Sjörs (author)
DOI	https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0463.05
Landing page	https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0463/chapters/10.11647/obp.0463.05
License	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright	Ambjörn Sjörs;
Publisher	Open Book Publishers
Published on	2025-03-07
Long abstract	The article investigates the reciprocal function of the Nifʿal stem in Biblical Hebrew, focusing on how mutual situations are expressed morphologically. It highlights how the Nifʿal stem often derives from verbs with lexical reciprocal meanings, such as ‘fight’ (lḥm) or ‘quarrel’ (nṣy), and examines the syntactic and semantic features that inform these meanings. The study categorises reciprocal events as uniplex, where participants and actions are indistinguishable, or multiplex, involving sequential sub-events. Reciprocal constructions may use explicit markers like adverbs or prepositions to clarify participant roles, reflecting varying degrees of agency and discourse prominence. Examples from Biblical texts demonstrate the range of reciprocal Nifʿal verbs, including their historical derivations and conceptual underpinnings in middle and medio-passive voice functions.
Page range	pp. 131–156
Print length	26 pages
Language	English (Original)

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Ambjörn Sjörs

(author)

Research Associate in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at University of Cambridge

Ambjörn Sjörs (PhD, University of Uppsala) is a Research Associate in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge. He specialises in Semitic linguistics and Biblical Hebrew grammar. Recent publications: Historical Aspects of Standard Negation in Semitic (Brill, 2018) and Motion, Voice, and Mood in the Semitic Verb (Eisenbrauns, 2022).

The article investigates the reciprocal function of the Nifʿal stem in Biblical Hebrew, focusing on how mutual situations are expressed morphologically. It highlights how the Nifʿal stem often derives from verbs with lexical reciprocal meanings, such as ‘fight’ (lḥm) or ‘quarrel’ (nṣy), and examines the syntactic and semantic features that inform these meanings. The study categorises reciprocal events as uniplex, where participants and actions are indistinguishable, or multiplex, involving sequential sub-events. Reciprocal constructions may use explicit markers like adverbs or prepositions to clarify participant roles, reflecting varying degrees of agency and discourse prominence. Examples from Biblical texts demonstrate the range of reciprocal Nifʿal verbs, including their historical derivations and conceptual underpinnings in middle and medio-passive voice functions.