Semitic morphology


CV morphology in Arabic


       'study'        'carry'        'draw'         'drink'

3sg past  daras-a        Hamal-a        rasam-a        sarib-a
CVCVC

causative darras-a       Hammal-a       rassam-a       sarrab-a
CVCCVC

nominal   dars-un        Himl-un        rasm-un        surb-ah   
CVCC      'lesson'       'cargo'        'drawing'      'a drink'

agt nom   darraas-un     Hammaal-un     rassaam-un     sarraab-un
CVCCVVC   'student'      'porter'       'draftsman'    'drunkard'

generic   diraas-ah      Himaal-ah      risaam-ah
nom       'studies'      'portering'    'ordination'

place     madras-ah                     marsam-un      masrab-un
nom       'Koranic school'              'studio'       'tavern'

action    daaris         Haamil         raasim         saarib
nom       'studying'     'carrying'     'drawing'      'drinking'


Separating out vowel and consonant tiers:

     katab-a   'he wrote'               kutib-a 'it was written'
     kattab-a  'he made s.o. write'     kuttib-a  'he was made to
                                                  write'

     sarib-a   'he drank'               surib-a   'it was drunk'
     sarrab-a  'he made s.o. drink'     surrib-a  'he was made to
                                                  drink'

In Semitic languages, the root is always a sequence of
consonants; CV pattern and vowels are morphological.