Root Letters

[hyssop]

The vast majority of Hebrew words (verbs, nouns, and adjectives) have three consonants as their root letters.
Let's examine some words with the root letters: <FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>db[</font>
<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH="100%""><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE=2><B>Word Type</b></font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE=2><B>Hebrew Word</b></font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE=2><B>Meaning</b></font></p></td></tr></table><TABLE CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH="100%""><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Noun</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>d,b,[</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>slave, servant;
worshipper (of G_d)</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Noun</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>h'dAb][</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>work, occupation;
worship, divine service</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Noun</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>h'Dub][</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>household, body of servants</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Adjective</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>yitWd.b;[</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>slavish, servile</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Verb</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>dAb][;l</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>to work, till;
to serve, worship</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Verb</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>deB;[.l</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>to work over, adapt</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Verb</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>dyib][;h.l</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>to employ;
to compel to work</font></p></td></tr><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>Verb</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>deB;[.tih.l</font></p></td><TD WIDTH="40%" VALIGN="MIDDLE"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT SIZE=2>to be employed;
to be compelled to work</font></p></td></tr></table>
Can you see the three root letters in each word? Notice that the infinitive form of the verbs start with the letter, <FONT FACE="BSTHebrew" SIZE=6>l</font>. This is always the case.


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