stative vs fientive verbs

[S1234]

Hi everyone

Stative verbs always have an "e" vowel in the past tense while fientive verbs always have an "a" vowel. But what is the difference between them in meaning? Is it that stative verbs always last a while while fientive verbs take place very quickly and do not last a while?

Thanks

 

[duhveer]

Hello,
Although I have yet to understand your uncertainty, if you can provide me with any examples or context, I will be able to assist you.

 

[Ali Smith]

Hi everyone

Stative verbs always have an "e" vowel in the past tense while fientive verbs always have an "a" vowel. But what is the difference between them in meaning? Is it that stative verbs always last a while while fientive verbs take place very quickly and do not last a while?

Thanks

Morphologically, stative verbs are distinct from fientive ones in that the former have either o or e (although o is rare) as the characteristic vowel of the suffix conjugation, while the latter have a. Also, stative verbs do not have an active participle; they have a stative adjective instead. By contrast, fientive verbs have an active participle but no stative adjective. For example, from qal כתב we have כֹּתֵב, but from qal קטן we have קָטֹן.

I might add that קטן and יכל are just about the only verbs in the Bible that have o as their characteristic vowel in the suffix conjugation.

 

[Drink]

I would qualify all of this with "usually". Stative verbs can have "a" and action verbs can have "e" as well.

 

[Ali Smith]

Really? Could you give me an example of each? Thanks!

 

[Drink]

Action verb with "e": שמע.

Stative verb with "a": רחק.

 

[Aleppan]

But שמע has a patakh, just like כתב and other fientive verbs.

 

[Drink]

Most of the time, in qal verbs with "e" as the past tense theme vowel, the tzere turns to patach in the non-pausal 3.m.sg. The way to tell the theme vowel for past tense qal is always to look for a case where it is in an open syllable, such as either a third person form with a direct object suffix, or the 3.f.sg. or 3.pl. in pausal position. Sometimes the 3.m.sg. in pausal position can give it away, but it's not as reliable.