Hebrew, or 'Ivrit, is a Northwestern Semitic Language, originating in Israel. http://books.google.com/books?id=nbUOAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false It stems from the Canaanite dialects in the area, developing into a language around the 10th Century B.C. http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew.htm#biblicalheb It has over 5 million speakers living either in Israel or in diaspora Jewish communities. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=heb There are different strata that have emerged through the evolution of Hebrew, mainly Biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval and Modern. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0008_0_08629.htmlBiblical Hebrew is considered sacred in religious Jewish communities, since it is the language of the Bible, calling it the lason kodesh, or "holy tongue". http://www.jewfaq.org/yiddish.htm http://books.google.com/books?id=BjtWLZhhMoYC&pg=PA460&lpg=PA460&dq=judaism+and+the+holy+tongue&source=bl&ots=LtYtZa_S6u&sig=yBpk-5TR_pfyaZtGNjhscFVX49k&hl=en&ei=qvy9TIrjGsWdOo36yQw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false

The earliest evidence of Hebrew is the calendar found at Gezer. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0008_0_08629.html From the time of the Babylonian exile to the 3rd Century A.D., Hebrew was used alongside other languages, such as Aramaic and Greek. http://books.google.com/books?id=BjtWLZhhMoYC&pg=PA460&lpg=PA460&dq=judaism+and+the+holy+tongue&source=bl&ots=LtYtZa_S6u&sig=yBpk-5TR_pfyaZtGNjhscFVX49k&hl=en&ei=qvy9TIrjGsWdOo36yQw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false Afterwards, Hebrew became a literary language, which religious scholars wrote commentaries and treatises in. http://books.google.com/books?id=4PRn_bCaFVIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hebrew+Manuscripts+of+the+Middle+Ages+[&source=bl&ots=M51nEtGCnt&sig=13zA-Nzxy5vwC-t4kXXG8tB5thU&hl=en&ei=Ugu-TL3dN8L6lwes973gBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=hebrew&f=false Only in the 19th century was the spoken language revived, through the work of Eliezer ben Yehudah, who created modern Hebrew. http://www.jewishmag.com/43mag/ben-yehuda/ben-yehuda.htm Modern Hebrew today is a combination of Hebrew from different time periods and foreign influences, such as English, Yiddish and Russian. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=hebhttp://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew.htm#biblicalheb

Hebrew words are made up by tri-radical roots. Three consonants that are in a particular order, denotes an idea, which is then inflected to create a word. For example, the root k-t-b, "to write", forms the words kotev "I/you/he write(s)", mikhtav "letter" and kotevet "address". http://books.google.com/books?id=GK6u6YzNWl0C&pg=PA293&lpg=PA293&dq=derivation+of+hebrew+root+word+ktb&source=bl&ots=SweA8GrD6f&sig=eQ8U5VhPkWETwsxgeBapJeEoQcY&hl=en&ei=mRq-TIbFB4SglAfzl_3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=derivation%20of%20hebrew%20root%20word%20ktb&f=falseThere are seven binyanim or "constructions" which the root word can use. Each construction is named after the past tense of the masculine sigular of p-'-l "to do/work": http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0008_0_08629.html

Pa'al

• Also called the weak or simple verb.
• There are no additional meaning placed on the root
• Only added letters are due to conjugation http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=causative&f=false

Pi'el

• Intensive form
• Middle consonant is doubled http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/search?cx=014581625148945090840%3Ayickp0daucs&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=binyanim&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&sa=Search#1070

Nif'al

• Passive voice of Pa'al
• Prefixed by "n" in past tense and "m" (pronounced mi-) in present tense http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=causative&f=false

Pu'al

• Passive of Pi'el
• "W" inserted between the first two consonants http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=causative&f=false

Hif'il

• Causative voice
• Prefixed by "h" in past tense and "m" (pronounced ma-) in present tense
• "Y" (pronounced like "ee") between last two consonants http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/search?cx=014581625148945090840%3Ayickp0daucs&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=binyanim&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&sa=Search#1070

Huf'al

• Passive Causative
• Prefixed by "hw" (pronounced hu) in past tense and "mw" (pronounced mu) in present tense http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=causative&f=false

Hitpa'el

• Reflexive or Reciprocal Voice
• Prefixed by "ht"
• If followed by the letters "s", "sh", "z" or "ts", the "t" switches places with the letter http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=assimilation&f=false
• If followed by "z", the "t" further changes into "d" http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=assimilation&f=false

Even though the root is inflected to derive the word, Hebrew has no declension. http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew.htm#biblicalheb Words are modified by prepositions. Many of these prepositions are prefixed to the word. http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew.htm#biblicalheb Here are some of the most common prepositions:

• ha-: "the"
• bi- : "in", "by means of"
• me-: "from" http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_Seven/The_Preposition_Min/the_preposition_min.html
• li-: "towards", "for"
• she-: "that"
• ki-: "as"
• kishe- : "when" http://books.google.com/books?id=wKuEtVhnCpkC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=binyanim+in+hebrew&source=bl&ots=DObwdphzaI&sig=8Km44YxrJS_sgHuJ0yBz3RzjxaA&hl=en&ei=wye-TO3AHIP7lweyyK3hBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=assimilation&f=false
• wi-: "and"
• ba-: "in the", "by means of the"
• la-: "towards the", "for the" http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_Seven/Inseparable_Prepositions/inseparable_prepositions.html
• 'im : "with"
• 'al : "on"
• et : object marker http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_Seven/Independent_Prepositions/independent_prepositions.html