On Nouns put in the Definite State of Construction.

224. Of this construction, or regimen as it has been sometimes called, there are two kinds (see Art. 217. 7.). The first we have termed the definite, the second the distinctive, state of construction; merely to denote the different kinds of words thus used.

2. Of the definite state of construction we may reckon two kinds: viz. the Immediate, and the Mediate. The Immediate is that which presents two or more substantive nouns (not being names for the same thing), so connected that the idea conveyed by them becomes sufficiently defined for the purposes of the speaker or writer. The Mediate is that, in which this is done by the intervention of one or more of the particles.*

3. Examples of nouns in the definite state of con

*The truth is, however, the particles themselves are really nouns, as already intimated; and, when they intervene, the construction is either that of apposition, or, of definite construction, or both. We have adopted the term mediate, both here and in Art. 217. 5., in order to conform to the usual mode of considering these skeletons of words. Hereafter, perhaps, we may get rid of this distinction.-According to the doctrine of the Arabian Grammarians, every example of immediate construction which can occur, may be resolved by

an equivalent mediate one: e. g. the slave of Zaid, is, according

a ring خاتم من

خاتم فضة So . غلام لزيد to them, equivalent to فضة

to

in e a stroke ضرب واقع في اليوم to ضرب اليوم of or out of silver; and

i. e.

or blow of to-day, to a stroke or blow happening to-day. See the Shurho Moolla Jámi, p., &c. This process, according to my notions, is making the construction less simple than it stood originally; in other words, it is making a plain matter difficult, by placing a greater number of words in construction than in the original example. It shews, however, that both signify the same thing. See p. 291, note.

of the wives

struction termed Immediate: is captain (of) his host, 1 Sam. xxvi. 5; Da (of) the sons (of) the prophets, 2 Kings iv. 1; the river (of) Euphrates, Gen. xv. 18; in town (of) Khuzoth, Num. xxii. 39; ya virgin (of) the daughter (of) my people, Jer. xiv. 17.

the na the

4. In these and all similar passages, this juxta-position of words has the property of defining the idea presented by the first, just as that kind of apposition does, to which we have given the term Identity. In the following, the idea presented by the first of the words so placed, is made more distinct or specific, just as it is by that state of apposition which we have termed specific. It will readily be seen, that the distinctions here mentioned can arise only from the consideration of the character of the qualifying terms in each case. Examples: in '12 garments (of) holiness, i. e. holy or sacred garments, Exod. xxix. 29; PT. 1 a stone, or weight (of) justice, i. e. a just weight, Deut. xxv. 15; a wife (of) youth, i. e. a young wife, or, it may signify, a wife married in one's youth, Isa. liv. 6. See also Gen. xli. 42, Exod. xi. 2, Jud. viii. 13, 1 Sam. i. 11, Jer. xi. 20, &c.

....

5. The case will be the same should a sentence stand in the

place of the qualifying word:* e. g. OWN AYT, NO N a lip (or language which) I knew not, I heard, Ps. lxxxi. 6; iy 17 the acquisition (of that which) he made, they have lost, Jer. xlviii. 36; T into the hands (of those) I am not able to rise against, Lam. i. 14. See Ps. lxv. 5, cxxix. 6, Jer.

ii. 8, &c.

6. This construction, however, will admit of more than one solution. For, first, if we consider the particles, &c. as nouns,

* A similar practice exists in the Persian with respect to the vowels which

ارادت بي چون

the time of going, &c. So

the will of (him who is) without a when, i. e. is eternal.

,may also be considered as nouns بی چون and رفتن But in these cases both

which I believe we ought to do, we shall have nothing more than an immediate state of construction, with the preceding word in the proper form for such a state (Art. 171.). And, 2dly, if we suppose the relative pronoun who, which, &c. to have been omitted by the ellipsis, which has been preferred by Schroederus, the construction will also be explained.

7. In some cases, however, the order is inverted, and has hence been termed Hypallage; e. g. 2

for scoriæ argenti, Prov. xxvi. 23;

argentum scoriarum, 127 oblatio lignorum,

for ligna oblationum. See also Lev. v. 15, vii. 21, xxii. 4, Deut. xii. 3, Josh. ii. 6, 1 Kings xvii. 14, Ezek. xxi. 30, Est. ix. 19. 8. As this combination takes place only for the purpose of presenting some definite idea to the mind, should it be necessary further to define or qualify them by the addition of any pronoun, &c. such pronoun, &c. will generally be added to the last: e. g. the mountain (of) my holiness, i. e. my holy mountain, Ps. ii. 6; the images (of) thy silver, i. e. thy silver images, Isaiah xxx. 22; 7287 iany the peoples (of) abominations, these, i. e. these abominable people, Ezra ix. 14.

See also Exod. xxviii. 38, Neh. ix. 14, Ps. iv. 2, lix. 18, cx, 2, cxix. 123, Is. ii. 20, xxx. 22, xxxi. 7, Dan. ix. 24. For similar constructions in the New Testament, see Rom. vii. 24, Col. i. 13,

&c.

9. In the preceding examples, the qualified and qualifying noun have been considered as in juxta-position with one another; still this is neither necessary, nor is it always found, for in some instances we have the intervention of particles, such as the definite article, &c., in others, whole words or phrases: e. g. iniiwy Vi THE LORD GOD's making (of) the earth and,

מִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ ; 4 .heavens, Gen. ii

4;

THE SENDING GIFTS

of each man to his friend, Est. ix. 19; ip in riba SARGON'S sending him, Is. xx. 1.

IN

See also Gen. vii. 6, Jos. xx. 3, Isa. v. 24, xx. 1, Prov. xxv. 8, &c. Storr thinks that these examples are not to be considered as in the state of construction, but to be accounted for in some other way (Observ., p. 282.). I believe it is of little importance whether we consider them in this point of view, or as in apposition

X

with the preceding noun, or otherwise qualifying it, the end arrived at is precisely the same in every point of view: the only question here being, whether one or more words do not parenthetically intervene between such qualified and qualifying terms. That such is the case, perhaps, there can be little doubt; and, as the usage of the language, in this particular, is all we wish to ascertain, we need not be very anxious as to the terms used, particularly where no change of vowels or consonants can be appealed to as decisive on the subject. The parallelism of the following passage requires

הוֹי אַשׁוּר שֵׁבֶט אַפִּי : that the construction be considered as definite

DE O Ashshur, the rod of my anger: even the rod is he, for their sake, or, in their hand, or my wrath,* Isa. x. v.

10. Great care should be taken in translating passages found in this state of construction, i. e. in considering whether the last of such words is to be taken in an active or passive sense: e. g. Nine the reproach of Moab, Zeph. ii. 8, is not to be understood as the reproach afflicting Moab, but that which they inflict on others. So Ps. lxxxix. 51, the reproach of thy servants, is that which they suffer, not that which they inflict. In like manner,.... the violence (exercised by the) inhabitants, Exek. xii. 19; but .... the violence (suffered by the) children of Jerubbaal, Judg. ix. the cry of the poor, Prov. xxi. 13: but cited by the oppression) of Sodom, Gen. xviii. 20. good with reference to the pronouns. See Gen. xvi.

24.

the cry (ex

The same holds

15, l. 4, Jer.

li. 35, 2 Sam. xvi. 12, Is. xxi. 2, Ps. xcviii. 8, lvi. 13, &c. See also Art. 146. 8. note.

11. The following are examples of what has been termed the "mediate state of construction," i. e. when the connection of nouns thus situated is, in one way or other, defined or modified by the intervention of one or

ވ

كَمَا خط الكتاب بكف يوما يهودي So in the Arabic *

just as the book was written by the hand, one day, of a Jew. See Gram, Arab. M. de Sacy, vol. ii. p. 125-6.

more of the particles:*

a boar out of the forest, i. e. of the forest, or, a forest boar, Ps. lxxx. 14; pina ? people of, or from a distance, i. e. distant, Isa. xlix. 1.

See also Exod. i. 14, Ps. xc. 4, Cant. iii. 8, Jer. v.

6, &c. Of

,a psalm of David לְאָסָף - מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד this kind are the passages

-of Asaph; ribs which (is) Solomon's, i. e. belonging to Solomon, Cant. i. 1, &c., where the proprietor, author, possessor, or the like, is designated.+

12. This rule, however, with its exemplifications, coincides with the corresponding one given under the article of mediate apposition (Art. 219. 4.), i. e. the preceding word generally suffers no abbreviation either in the quantity of its vowels, or in the number of its consonants. The words so connected may, by taking the particle as a noun, all be considered as in immediate apposition. In the following cases, the first so connected is put in the definite state of

those arising מַשְׁכִּימֵי בַבֹּקֶר....מְאַחֲרֵי בַנֶּשֶׁף .construction, e. g

,dwellers in the land of the shadow of death יֹשְׁבֵי בְאֶרֶץ צַלְמָוֶת

early in the morning....lingering after the twilight, Isa. v. 11;

Ib. ix. 1.

See also 2 Sam. i. 21, Ps. ii. 12, lxxxiv. 7, Isa. xiv. 19, xxviii. 9, Jer. xxiii. 23, Ezek. xiii. 2, xxi. 17, &c. So also with the conjunction ; as, y wisdom and knowledge, Isa. xxxiii. 6. With 18: as, 18 there is no deliverer from their hands, Lam. v. 8.

13. It must appear from these passages, that the particle here found so influencing the preceding word, must either have been considered as a noun, or the following context must be supposed to exercise the influence, which the second of the nouns in construction does. See Art. 217. 5.

* If we consider these particles as nouns, which we may, all these cases may be resolved into those of immediate construction or apposition, as before. -New Test., John iii. 31, vi. 31, Rom. iii. 26, iv. 16, Gal. iii. 7, 8, &c.

† It has already been remarked (Art. 224. 2.), that the Arabian Grammarians consider every construction of this kind, as equivalent in signification to those in which the particle is not introduced. In most cases, however, the particles tend to define the relation more specifically.