The study of Hebrew grammar is systematically divided according to the three essential components of every language:
- Sounds — represented by letters and joined into syllables
- Words — formed from roots and structured by rules of inflexion
- Sentences — composed of words arranged by syntactic laws
1. The Elements: Sounds and Writing
This foundational section addresses:
- The nature and interrelation of Hebrew sounds
- Their representation through written letters
- Correct pronunciation of the letters (orthoepy)
- The standard orthography of the Hebrew script
It also examines the combination of sounds into syllables and words, establishing the rules governing:
- Sound formation and modification
- Syllabic structure
- Phonological processes within the Hebrew lexicon
2. Etymology: Word Formation and Inflexion
The second division investigates words as grammatical units. It consists of two main aspects:
- Word Formation — Explores how various parts of speech are derived from roots or from one another, through derivational morphology and affixation patterns.
- Inflexion — Describes how words change form to indicate:
- Grammatical relationships
- Gender, number, and state (in nouns)
- Person, tense, aspect, and mood (in verbs)
3. Syntax: Sentence Structure and Logical Arrangement
The final division treats of sentences and includes:
- Functional Use — Examines how the various word forms and inflections express distinct meanings and semantic nuances. It also explores how Hebrew employs periphrasis to express ideas for which the language has no specific forms.
- Combination Rules — Lays out the syntactic principles governing how parts of speech interact and are ordered within clauses and sentences.
Together, these three divisions—phonology and orthography (elements), morphology (etymology), and syntax—form the comprehensive framework of Hebrew grammatical study.
