Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter_Kirk AT sil.org]

Matthew Anstey wrote:

The method (assuming form determines function) seems to me to be 
something like this:
1) Define Tense componentially
2) Define Aspect componentially
3) Delineate a Textual Corpus for study
4) Delineate particular Verb forms for study 5) Analyse 4) in 3) by 
criteria of 2) and 1);
6) Use results of 5) to categorise 4) into components from 1) and 2).
7) Explain all the exceptions from 6) with ideas such as "fossiled 
forms," "psychological perspective," etc.

Maybe an accurate description of what many people do: first define 
your straitjackets, and then try to force your living (or formerly 
living) language into them. Let's stop trying to define b-hebrew as a 
tense-based language or an aspect-based language and let it be 
b-hebrew!

Peter Kirk