Level Two
77 Double possessives: íÖ þN Ö ñL Ó dÖ³ËÑa In addition to the two possessive constructions already introduced – using
¥Ú (17(a)) and the construct (73(a)) – a third construction is employed in formal Hebrew: the double possessive. This is the ¥Ú construction with the addition of a possessive suffix on the first noun, referring ahead to (anticipating) the second noun. Thus compare:
¥Ú possessive:
double possessive:
±¢ ¢ ¥Ú âÚñ
Yair’s reply
± Û ¥Ú âÚñ
Sara’s reply
± Û ¥Ú á³ âÚñ
Sara’s reply (lit. her reply of Sara)
±¢ ¢ ¥Ú Õ³ âÚñ
Yair’s reply (lit. his reply of Yair)
Either noun may be singular or plural, thus:
±ç¢ ¥Ú ¢³ Õ±ì
the cows of a farmer
¦¢± ¥Ú ¦ ¢ ³ Õ âÚñ
the replies of friends
There is no semantic difference between the two possessives. Sometimes the double possessive is preferred for reasons of rhythm or elegance and occasionally for grammatical reasons: even in colloquial usage, the double construction
. . . ¥Ú ÕñÚ is preferred to the single construction Ú¢
. . . ¥Ú for saying ‘the wife of . . .’.
78 Preposition + suffix: ÒîôÐ k ,öËÑa ,ËÌñÐa 138
The suffixed forms of follows:
Õ§ç ‘like’, ¨¢Þ ‘between’ and ¢¥ Þ ‘without’ are as