Biblical Hebrew Forum

["uri hurwitz" <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>]

   'BINYANIM' are the plural of 'Binyan ', meaning 'building' or, in this
case 'Verbal structure'. The term entered  the Heb. language in Medieval
times, and the plural form, which you asked about, simply refers to the
verbal structures QAL, NIPHAL etc mentioned in your question.
     Another English term fot BINYANIM is 'conjugations'.However since
this may refer to something else also, it is not quite accurate.
    I would not characterize the term as 'structure of the language' as
was suggested, because it refers only to the structure  of verbal patterns
in Semitic languages, Hebrew included. Nor would I describe it as 'stem'
which is another term for 'root', but perhaps others understand this
English term differently.
    
                                             Uri Hurwitz