[b-hebrew] Hebrew considerations

LM Barre l_barre at yahoo.com
Thu Feb 5 18:27:03 EST 2009


The interest in a consistent transliteration system for Hebrew leads me to think that this list, called "b-Hebrew," has an interest in the language.  Perhaps I could offer some help on this topic with a brief discussion of the verbal system:
 
There are seven basic stems in pairs of active and passive:
 
Qal -Niphal
Piel-Paul
Hiphil-Hophal
Hithpael is middle voice
 
There is an active and passive participle
qatol and qatul
 
Also the infinitive construct.

The stems are determined by reading the infix patterns.
 
There is also the perfect and imperfect aspects.  This is not tense but archionsart or type of action.  The action is conceived as either complete or incomplete and may be applied to any tense.
 
There is also waw consecutive with the first verb in a sequence determines the aspect of all verbs connected by the conjuction waw.
 
The issue that might be open to discussion is whether or not we are right to see the qtl and yqtl forms as communication aspect rather that time of action.
 
Also, in Genesis 1, the first preposition, b, should be translated as temporal rather than locative as is so commonly done.  Thus, I would interpret, "as a beginning, elohim created . . , not "in the beginning . . ."
 
Lloyd Barré
http://freewebs.com/lmbarre
 


      


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