How do consonants and vowels carry different information in Afro-Asiatic word roots?

In Afro-Asiatic languages, the root and pattern system separates lexical and grammatical information through the distinct roles of consonants and vowels.12

• Consonants (The Root): The root consists of a sequence of consonants that identifies the general semantic field or basic lexical meaning of a word. For example, the Arabic root k-t-b is associated with the concept of writing.132
• Vowels (The Pattern): The sequence of vowels, known as the pattern, is interwoven with the root to provide grammatical information, such as tense, voice, or part of speech. By changing the vowel pattern, the same root can be modified to express different grammatical contexts.132

For instance, the root k-t-b combined with the pattern -a-a-a creates kataba ("he has written"), while a different pattern combined with prefixes and suffixes can shift the meaning to "he is writing". This structural reliance on consonants to carry core meaning is so fundamental that many Afro-Asiatic writing systems historically developed to represent consonants primarily, reflecting the underlying root-and-pattern organization.1