State Construct

Summary

The contruct state is a modified form of a word (noun, adjective, participle, or infinitive) in contrast to the standard form called the absolute state. The construct state is used when a word takes a suffix or is connected to another term in a construct chain.

Article

Nouns, adjectives, participles and infinitives can appear in the absolute state, the construct state, or the determined state. The construct state ending can take an attached suffix but neither the absolute state nor the determined state can. Nouns, adjectives and participles can appear in either the absolute, construct, or determined state for both masculine and feminine terms in both singular and plural forms.

Note

Many masculine singular nouns appear exactly alike in both the absolute state and the construct state.

The construct state serves a unique function in Biblical Aramaic to grammatically link a word to the following word(s),making a single grammatical unit called a construct chain. Words in a construct chain are often translated into English with the word “of” between them. Construct chains can consist of two words (for example, “the king of Israel”) or more than two words (for example, “the son of the king of Israel”).

Form

For most nouns, the masculine singular form is identical to the absolute state. The masculine plural construct ending drops the final ם and changes the final hireq to a segol (i-sound to e-sound).

Usually, the feminine singular construct ending changes from a final ה to a final ת. The feminine plural construct ending is identical to the absolute state.

Paradigm

Construct State Examples

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
Noun, masculine singular construct	סוּס	sus	stallion of
Noun, masculine plural construct	סוּסֵי	suse	stallions of
Noun, feminine singular construct	סוּסַת	susat	mare of
Noun, feminine plural construct	סוּסוֹת	susoth	mares of

Function

Appearing with a suffix

Forming a construct chain

Two or more terms that are gramatically linked together to form a construct chain can express a wide range of meanings. The initial term(s) in a construct chain always appears in the construct state and is called the “construct noun(s).” The final term in a construct chain always appears in the absolute state and is called the “absolute noun”. The absolute noun always determines whether a construct chain is definite or indefinite.

Possessive

A construct noun can indicate a person/thing possessed by the absolute noun.

Relational

A construct noun can indicate a kind of personal relationship with reference to the absolute noun.

Material

An absolute noun can indicate the substance or material of the construct noun.

Attributive

An absolute noun can describe the construct noun, similar to an attributive adjective.

Indicative

An absolute noun can indicate the specific item described by the construct noun.

Purpose/Result

An absolute noun can indicate an intended purpose/result for the construct noun.

Agent/Instrument

An absolute noun can indicate the person/thing by which the construct noun is performed.

Subject/object of an action

An absolute noun can indicate the person/thing that either performs or receives the action described by the construct noun.

Superlative

A construct noun can indicate a unique item among a series described by the absolute noun.