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b-hebrew - RE: b-hebrew digest: February 24, 1999

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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: "Matthew Anstey" <manstey AT portal.ca>
  • To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: b-hebrew digest: February 24, 1999
  • Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 22:43:12 -0800


Gday Rolf,

You wrote,
> the English verbs "went" and "thought" will for instance never change
their past meaning.

Is the following example a counter-example to this, or is it idiomatic:
Jo: Did you hear that Bill Clinton was impeached?
Bill: I thought that was impossible.

Is Bill in effect saying "I am thinking now that this is impossible"?
Similarly, we have,
"I never knew that" and "I didn't realise that". Perhaps in English verbs of
cognition can be used with past forms for a present meaning.

Just a thought,
Matthew Anstey





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