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  • From: peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re[2]: wayyiqtol vs. English
  • Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 12:47:02 -0500


Yes, but what makes you think that Hebrew is any less of a mixture of
different influences, or any other real human language for that
matter? I guess that the ones which are not a mixture are either
artificial or have had artificial rules imposed on them by grammarians
and stylists. Maybe languages spoken on isolated islands have
preserved more purity of some sort. Hebrew does not fit these special
cases, though there may have been rather artificial conventions in use
for particular styles.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: wayyiqtol vs. English
Author: dwashbur AT nyx.net at internet
Date: 03/03/1999 20:01


Galia wrote:
> Moon-RyulJung wrote:
> Until I see a strong evidence for Galia's assumption that wayyiqtol
> is different from English simple past (minus stative verbs)...
>
> Most of the examples I gave to show that the simple past in English
> does not necessarily build a new R-time were, indeed, stative clauses.
> However, recall that I showed that in certain contexts the second clause in
> (1) below may be understood NOT to move the time forward, although it is
> eventive. But consider also (2) with two different agents:
>
> 1. Mary entered the room. She turned the light on...
> 2. (Yesteraday) John finished his article and Mary started her book.

Yes, so the simple past in English can perform a multitude of
functions wrt R-time, it would seem. I believe this is because
English is a "mixed" language (I usually say a "slumgullian
language" but that's awfully idiomatic for a forum such as this!)
whose syntax is a patchwork of various influences from here, there
and everywhere. For this reason, I have suspected for a long time
that English is a lousy language one which to base a theory of
synatx because it behaves so erratically.

Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
A Bible that's falling apart means a life that isn't.

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