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  • From: peter_kirk AT sil.org
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[5]: Can Hebrew "tense" be relative to context not dei
  • Date: Sat, 09 Oct 1999 10:21:48 -0400



Dear Prof. Niccacci,

Many thanks for your helpful clarification, and confirmation that what
I was saying to Rolf Furuli was not so wide of the mark. I think you
are understanding my viewpoint well. Exodus 2:4 is a clear example of
what I am thinking about YIQTOL, as well as being something which
could be analysed as on the borderline of indirect speech (a
borderline which may not be meaningful in Hebrew). I will try to find
your article to follow this up further.

I suppose I was working on Rolf's definition of deictic point, after
he rejected any suggestions that the deictic point could be at any
time other than the time of speaking or writing. Maybe your suggested
approach to identifying the deictic point is more helpful. But I note
that in English and other Indo-European languages the verb form in a
subordinate clauses can be analysed as dependent on the relationship
of the event time to TWO possible deictic points, both the time of the
main clause event and the time of speaking or writing. So care needs
to be taken with definitions here.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re[4]: Can Hebrew "tense" be relative to context not dei
Author: <sbfnet AT netvision.net.il> at Internet
Date: 08/10/1999 10:18


On 07/10/99 (Re[4]: Can Hebrew "tense" be relative to context not d)
Peter Kirk wrote:

<snip>

Dear BH list-members,

It took me some effort to follow this discussion. I hope not to have
misunderstood those who tok part in it.

Peter kirk was kind enough to refer to my paper in Bergen (ed.),
"Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics." Now, if this seems
unclear, or too brief, one may try another paper of mine in E. van
Wolde (ed.), "Narrative Synyax and the Hebrew Bible", 167-202. In
#9.1 and #9.2 of this paper one finds a summary on "Tense and aspect
in historical narrative," and on "Tense and aspect in direct speech,"
respectively.

I see a risk of imposing on the texts a general-linguistic model that
does not fit; however, other colleagues see the same risk in my (and
others') approach. Thus, is there anything to do?

My point is that to analyze the BH verforms with the criterion of
'reference time' and 'deictic point' is risky unless one starts from
morphology. The problem I see is, How do I identify the 'deictic
point'?
As far as I understand, in historical narrative, the 'deictic point'
is the past because by definition the historian narrates events that
happened in the past *as actually happening in the past* (one could
also present them as future or as present events). Differently, in
direct speech the 'deictic point' can be the axis of the present,
that of the past, or that of the future, depending on the speaker's
orientation, i.e. whether he states something concerning the actual
moment of communication, or preceding that moment, or following it,
respectively.

In BH historical narrative, the 'deictic point' is the past and the
'reference time' of wayyiqtol coincides with the 'deictic point.' In
H. Weinrich's terms, this narrative wayyiqtol indicates the 'degree
zero,' or the mainline of communication; conversely, qatal and yiqtol
(actually [waw-] x-qatal and [waw-] x-yiqtol, i.e. second-place qatal
and yiqtol) indicate an information or event that is anterior or
posterior to the 'degree zero,' respectively.

A couple of examples may help clarify what I am saying.

- (shift FROM narrative wayyiqtol = zero degree TO [waw-] x-qatal =
anteriority):
(Gen. 31:33) "Laban went (narrative wayyiqtol, continuing a
string of the same verbform) into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent
and in the tent of the two maidservants, but he did not find them
(*welo' maTSa'* = negative counterpart of wayyiqtol). And he went out
(narrative wayyiqtol) of Leah's tent, and entered (narrative
wayyqtol) Rachel's tent.
(31:34) Now Rachel HAD TAKEN (waw-x-qatal = anteriority) the
household gods AND HAD PUT THEM (continuation wayyiqtol, having same
value of the preceding waw-x-qatal) in the camel's saddle, AND HAD
SAT (continuation wayyiqtol, same as previous) upon them. Therefore,
Laban felt (narrative wayyiqtol, resuming mainline) all about the
tent, but did not find them (*welo' maTSa'* = negative counterpart of
wayyiqtol, as in v. 33)."

- (shift FROM narrative wayyiqtol = zero degree TO [waw-] x-yiqtol =
posteriority):
(Exod. 2:4) "(Moses') sister stood (narrative wayyiqtol) at a
distance, to know WHAT WOULD BE DONE TO HIM (*mah-yye'aSeh lô* =
x-yiqtol = posteriority)."

I hope this helps. Peace and all good.

Alviero Niccacci

Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Tel. +972 - 2 - 6282 936
POB 19424 - 91193 - Jerusalem Fax +972 - 2 - 6264 519
Israel
Home Page: http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/sbf/SBFmain.html
Email mailto:sbfnet AT netvision.net.il

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