Article
Journal for Semitics https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9402
https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/JSEM ISSN 2663-6573 (Online), ISSN 1013-8471 (Print)
Volume 31 | Number 2 | 2022 | #9402 | 14 pages © Unisa Press 2023
Learning Biblical Hebrew Stem Formations
through isiXhosa Stem Formations
Ntozakhe Simon Cezula
University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
cezulans@sun.ac.za
Abstract
This article aims to help Bantu-speaking students who struggle to grasp Biblical
Hebrew (BH) stem formations. To ease the learning of BH stem formations for
Bantu-speaking learners, this article proposes that Bantu stem formations be
used to teach BH stem formations. To realise this aim, two strategies are used.
The first is to employ typology to demonstrate to learners the similarities
between BH and their languages, so that they realise that their languages are
similar to BH in quite significant respects. The second strategy is to present
isiXhosa verb conjugations to demonstrate what BH verb conjugations are
about. IsiXhosa verb conjugations are demonstrated as an analogy for BH
conjugations. Tabular juxtaposition of BH stem formations with stem
formations of some Bantu languages are presented to provide clear and explicit
details of the discussion.
Keywords: Bantu languages; Biblical Hebrew; morphology; typology; verb