Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Henry Churchyard" <churchh AT usa.net>]

> Subject: Theme Vowels and Preterites
> From: "Joseph Brian Tucker" <music AT riverviewcog.org>
> Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 11:51:28

> Could someone respond to Rainey's "The Ancient Hebrew Prefix
> Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite." _Hebrew Studies_
> 27:1986.  He argues that the imperfect uses the nun-form and the
> preterite uses the non-nun form.  Are these valid conclusions?

I don't know the Amarna letter evidence directly, but this is
certainly compatible with Classical Arabic, in which verbs have -uuna
endings in the imperfect (e.g. yaqtuluuna), but -uu endings in the
jussive (e.g. yaqtuluu) -- including the notorious lam + "jussive"
construction (mentioned in my last posting) which is actually
historically a preterite.

> Is a Tsere a theme vowel for a preterite?

Not sure exactly what you mean; the Hebrew WAYYIQTOL is not usually
called a "preterite", and early Canaanite is not usually spoken of as
having _s.ere_ vowels.  There are WAYYIQTOL forms with _s.ere_ vowels,
such as wayyelekh.

--
Henry Churchyard   churchh AT usa.net   http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/