Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Vincent DeCaen <decaen AT chass.utoronto.ca>]

why does it matter whether it's tense, aspect, etc? in other words,
why does it matter whether we have an adequate formal model of
semantics to support our translation and exegesis? without a model,
you have no justification one way or another. in fact you always have
a model, even if it's half-articulated folk linguistics. the question
is, do you want a good one, a powerful explanatory one, or not?

I'm just guessing that you would agree the following are different.
(1) god brought a plague on your house.
(2) god brings a plague on your house.
(3) god is about to bring a plague on your house.
etc.

since there is a difference, and that difference must be referred to a
model of verbal semantics, etc, then surely it must matter.

cheers 
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Vincent DeCaen, Ph.D.  <decaen AT chass.utoronto.ca>

Hebrew Syntax Encoding Initiative
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~decaen/hsei/intro.html
c/o Deparment of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
4 Bancroft Ave., 2d floor, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, M5S 1A1
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...the idea of a perfect language risks becoming nothing more than a
waste bin for prejudices which have not survived confrontation with
linguistic reality.
  --Mark Sainsbury, "Russell", 1979: p15