# צורו קשר



## Hollerblüte

Hello,

the expression יצר קשר (עם) means 'to contact' and Hebrew websites generally contain a subpage titled "צור קשר", "צרו קשר", "יצירת קשר" etc. offering further contact information.

I asume that צור is a masc. sing. imperative and צרו is a  plur. imperative which fits with this statement from the website of the Academy of the Hebrew Language (which a can't link to):צורות הציווי הן גם ביו"ד וגם בלא יו"ד: יְצֹר/צֹר, יִצְרִי/צְרִי; יְצֹק/צֹק, יִצְקוּ/צְקוּ.​ 
Interestingly enough, there are thousand of websites where one can read "צורו קשר" which seems to contravene prescriptive grammar. So I'd like to know how צורו is supposed to be pronounced? /tsoru/? And how widespread is this form in colloquial Hebrew?


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## origumi

As you wrote, the Academia decision of 2004 says:

*פועלי פי"צ* 
 בפעלים יָצַר ויָצַק שתי צורות נטייה מתקיימות בציווי: ביו"ד, כגון יְצֹר יִצְרִי, יְצֹק יִצְקוּ; ובלא יו"ד, כגון צֹר צְרִי צַק או צֹק צְקוּ.

The usual pronunciation is accordingly: _tzru_, _tzku_. Nevertheless, in modern time as in biblical time there were variations for the simple reason that  these roots (חפי"צ, בקעת גר, ברג תקע) are exceptional. See for example the biblical form _tzak_ for singular. I don't remember hearing anyone saying tzoku, tzoru, yet this would be a natural "mistake", as Google Search demonstrates.


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## hadronic

But what sustains the error here ? Afaik, in bi-literal roots, the vowel always disappears in the feminine and plural:
shev - shvi - shvu
kakh - k'khi - k'khu

So why would "tsor" yield "tsoru" and not "tsru" ?


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## Drink

hadronic said:


> But what sustains the error here ? Afaik, in bi-literal roots, the vowel always disappears in the feminine and plural:
> shev - shvi - shvu
> kakh - k'khi - k'khu
> 
> So why would "tsor" yield "tsoru" and not "tsru" ?



In *pausal position* in the Bible, the stress shifts, yielding shévi, shévu, kákhi, kákhu, tzóri, tzóru. This applies to all roots, not only biliteral.


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## hadronic

I know, but I'm asking what sustains the error in the spoken language.
Just noticed that my two examples above (+ examples like "ten/tni", "lekh/lkhi") are all from weak פ verbs.
Weak medial verbs like "shar", "gar", "kam", actually give "sharu", "garu", "kamu" (with the stress on the "a" I presume).
That could be the attractor.


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## Drink

hadronic said:


> I know, but I'm asking what sustains the error in the spoken language.
> Just noticed that my two examples above (+ examples like "ten/tni", "lekh/lkhi") are all from weak פ verbs.
> Weak medial verbs like "shar", "gar", "kam", actually give "sharu", "garu", "kamu" (with the stress on the "a" I presume).
> That could be the attractor.



Since we are talking about the imperative, I think you mean: shíru, gúru, kúmu, etc. Yes, that may be the cause of extending such a pattern to tzóru.

EDIT: corrected typo


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## origumi

hadronic said:


> But what sustains the error here?


I guess that:

1. Not knowing the right form, people may take the singular and add "u". So it becomes _tzoru_.
2. In גזרת הכפולים and גזרת נחי ע"י-ע"ו the plural masculine imperative is for example sobbu (סֹבּוּ, of root s-b-b) and boshu (בּוֹשׁוּ, of root ב-ו-ש / ב-י-ש). This may have some influence.

I don't think the pausal form helps to create _tzoru_. It is hardly ever heard in modern Hebrew beyond few idiomatic usages.


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## hadronic

Drink said:


> Since we are talking about the infinitive, I think you mean: shíru, gúru, kúmu, etc. Yes, that may be the cause of extending such a pattern to tzóru.


Thank you, I wasn't sure of my forms. 
(It's "imperative" btw)


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## Drink

hadronic said:


> Thank you, I wasn't sure of my forms.
> (It's "imperative" btw)



Sorry, that was a typo (or Freudian slip...).


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