# Types of סמיכות



## OsehAlyah

Split from here.

Does that mean that אותיות השורש is a smichut? Probably since the word של is missing but just wanted to make sure.


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## ks20495

Yes, אותיות השרוש is in סמיכות. It means "the letters of the root". 

מילה שאת אותיות השורש שלה גם רואים וגם שומעים

This phrase literally means: "A word that the letters of its root [one can] both see and hear." 

There's no natural way to phrase this in English...I guess you would say: "A word whose root letters can both be seen and heard."


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## OsehAlyah

Wouldn't in English smichut translate to "Root Letters"?
Whereas the translation for "Letters of the root" would require the use of של?


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## Diadem

OsehAlyah said:


> Wouldn't in English smichut translate to "Root Letters"?
> Whereas the translation for "Letters of the root" would requite the use of של?


Same thing.

For example, the phrase "travails of the Messiah."

One could say, _chevlo shel Mashiach_ or also _chevlei Mashiach_.

Using _shel_ for the genitive just happened to be a later convention, like using _she_ (_ot ha-shimush_) instead of _asher._


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## origumi

Diadem said:


> Using _shel_ for the genitive just happened to be a later convention, like using _she_ (_ot ha-shimush_) instead of _asher._


This is under doubt. For example, some presume that "asher" is a southern-Canaanite word (Judean and Moabite) while "she" is the northern equivalnet (Israelite and Phoenician).


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## ks20495

> Wouldn't in English smichut translate to "Root Letters"?
> Whereas the translation for "Letters of the root" would requite the use of של?



First of all, there are cases when סמיכות is used for one concept that cannot be broken into two parts. For example, "בית ספר" does not equal "בית של ספר".

_(More commonly, there are סמיכויות that are used so often that they become individual words. "סניף דואר" (post office) is a combination of "סניף" (branch) and "דואר" (post). But, it can just thought of as one unit. That's why many Israelis erroneously say "הסניף דואר" or "השדה תעופה".)_

Otherwise, there are three ways to say "X of Y"/"Y's X" in Hebrew:
1. Y של X : This is the most colloquial way. (But, it cannot be used for common, unitary terms: סניף של דואר, שדה של תעופה)

2. Regular סמיכות. This is used either for possession (אהבת האב = the father's love OR the love of a/the father) or for composition (מחלקת הנעליים = the shoe department; איש הפח = the tin man). 

3. "Complex" סמיכות. This is used formally to show personal possession only (אהבתו של האב = the father's love [a specific father]; רגליהם של החיילים = the soldiers' legs [specific soldiers]).

The use of "X of Y" versus "Y's X" in English is based on formality and context. For example, "the shoe department" sounds more natural than "the department of shoes" -- but "alphabet letters" sounds far less natural than "the letters of the alphabet". In Hebrew, they would both be סמיכות.


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## OsehAlyah

Thank you KS great explanation.


ks20495 said:


> 3. "Complex" סמיכות. This is used formally to show personal possession only (אהבתו של האב = the father's love [a specific father]; רגליהם של החיילים = the soldiers' legs [specific soldiers]).


Are those still סמיכות even though they use the word של?


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## ks20495

> Are those still סמיכות even though they use the word של?



I don't know if there's a formal name for them. That's why I wrote "complex" in quotes.


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## amikama

OsehAlyah said:


> Are those still סמיכות even though they use the word של?


According to Wikipedia, yes. It's called סמיכות כפולה ("double smikhut").


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## OsehAlyah

amikama said:


> According to Wikipedia, yes. It's called סמיכות כפולה ("double smikhut").


Thank you Amikama and KS. This was new to me.


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