על בניין נופעל בעברית הבתר-מקראית

Doubts have been raised concerning the validity of the theory revived by H. Yalon (see: "Introduction to the Vocalization of the Mishna", Jerusalem, 1964 pp. 152-159 [Hebrew]) concerning the existence of the 'nuf'al' stem in Rabbinic Hebre (=RH) which he had based on material culled from manuscripts and early prints. One difficulty lies in the fact that the only orthographic difference between the 'nifwal' and the 'nuf'al' forms is that between a 'yod' and a 'waw', and these two letters are often interchanged in manuscripts.

In spite of this, the existence of this stem in RH is certain. Survivals of the 'nuf'al' stem have been found both among III-y verbs, where a 'yod' is not expected to follow the n=prefix. The cause of the phenomenon was not phonetic, but the result of a subconscious factor, viz. the feeling that passive forms were expressed by the 'u:' vowel as was the case in the old 'pu''al' and the passive 'qal'. Thus, elements of the 'nif'al' and the 'pu''al' merged and the trend toward the 'u:'-vowel led to formative unity in both the strong and the weak verbs.

In sum, the 'nuf'al', found in late biblical Hebrew and in the Dead Sea Scrolls, is amply documented in good manuscripts of RH, confirming the real - and not the supposed - existence of this conjugation.