chapter 11
Conjunctions
Hasidic Hebrew possesses a range of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Like adverbs, the conjunctions reflect a mix of biblical and post-biblical
forms, as well as certain Yiddish-influenced and unprecedented elements.
11.1
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions typical of Hasidic Hebrew are as follows.
– ‫‘ אבל‬but’,1 e.g. ‫‘ אבל מה אעשה‬But what should I do’ (Zak 1912: 14)
– ‫‘ אך‬but’,2 e.g. ‫‘ אך אתה תכין עצמך לביאתו‬But you must prepare yourself for his
arrival’ (Rodkinsohn 1864a: 30)
– ‫‘ או‬or’, e.g. ‫‘ מלבוש או מעות‬clothes or money’ (M. Walden 1914: 122)
– -‫‘ ו‬and’,3 e.g. ‫‘ והגבהתי הכוס‬And I raised the cup’ (Shalom of Koidanov 1882: 20)
11.2
Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions typical of Hasidic Hebrew are as follows. See 13
for details and examples of the various types of subordinate clauses that these
conjunctions introduce.
Causal Conjunctions (all translatable as ‘because’; see 13.1 for examples)
–
–
–
–
–
‫יען כי‬
‫כי‬
-‫מחמת ש‬
-‫מפני ש‬
‫על אשר‬
1 See 13.7 for examples of contrast clauses introduced by this conjunction.
2 See 13.7 for examples of contrast clauses introduced by this conjunction.
3 Unlike in Biblical Hebrew, in Hasidic Hebrew this conjunction is not typically used to indicate
contrasts.
© Lily Kahn, 2015 | doi: 10.1163/9789004281622_012
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported (cc-by-nc 3.0) License.
266
chapter 11
Complementizers (all translatable as ‘that’; see 13.4 for examples)
–
–
–
–
‫אשר‬
-‫ד‬
‫כי‬
-‫ש‬
Concessive Conjunctions (all translatable as ‘even though’; see 13.5 for examples)
– ‫אף כי‬
– -‫אף ש‬
– -‫הגם ש‬
Conditional Conjunctions (all translatable as ‘if’; see 13.6 for examples)
– ‫אילו‬
– ‫אם‬
– ‫לו‬
Purpose Conjunctions (see 13.10 for examples)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
‫‘ בכדי‬so that’; ‘in order to’
‫‘ בעבור‬so that’; ‘in order to’
‫‘ כדי‬so that’; ‘in order to’
‫‘ לבל‬lest’
‫‘ למען‬so that’; ‘in order to’
‫‘ פן‬lest’
-‫‘ ש‬so that’; ‘in order to’
‫‘ שמא‬lest’
Relative Conjunctions (all translatable as ‘who’, ‘which’, or ‘that’; see 13.11 for
examples)
– ‫אשר‬
– -‫( ד‬Aramaic)
– -‫ש‬
conjunctions
267
Result Conjunctions (all translatable as ‘therefore’; see 13.12 for examples)
– ‫לזאת‬
– ‫לפי כך‬
– ‫על כן‬
Temporal Conjunctions (see 13.14 for examples)
–
–
–
–
–
‫‘ בשעת‬when’; ‘while’4
‫‘ כאשר‬when’
-‫‘ כש‬when’
-‫‘ לכש‬when’
‫‘ מדי‬while’
4 This usage most likely derives from Yiddish, in which ‫ בשעת‬likewise serves as a temporal
conjunction meaning ‘while’ (Beinfeld and Bochner 2013: 190).