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Re: BH, TMA, `ad-matay, rocine

From: "Lee R. Martin" <lmartin AT vol.com>
To: Bryan Rocine <596547 AT ican.net>, Hebrew List <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: BH, TMA, `ad-matay, rocine
Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 15:45:57 -0500

Bryan Rocine wrote:

> hi Vince,
>
> i had an idea the non-past qatal might bring you out. you really should be
> more unpredictable. ;-)

>
> are suggesting to explain Exo 10:3, right? i don't know how to design a
> generativist proof, but can you really do it? does it really have anything
> to do with `ad matay?

Dear Bryan,
I do not think 'ad matay has anything to do with the choice of verbs here.
Qatal is
often used for a present action that is completed immediately, thus it is
past
(Williams calls it the perfect of immediacy). The perfect of the verb HaYaH,
however,
is never to indicate this present state, so the imperfect is required. The
usage and
semantics of individual verbs imposes limitations on the speaker.
Lee R. Martin

BH, TMA, `ad-matay, rocine, Vincent DeCaen, 12/06/1998
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: BH, TMA, `ad-matay, rocine, Bryan Rocine, 12/06/1998
- Re: BH, TMA, `ad-matay, rocine, Lee R. Martin, 12/07/1998