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b-hebrew - future tense / inaccomplished aspect

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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: Mathias van den Bossche <m.vdb AT free.fr>
  • To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: future tense / inaccomplished aspect
  • Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 17:40:25 +0200 (MEST)


Just a question after this discussion about "to be".

I wonder whether the "prefix verb" conjugation was actually
a true future tense in biblical times.

I thought this future tense use was a rather modern thing in
Hebrew. I actually thought this "prefix verb" conjugation was
in biblical times the way to describe inaccomplished (roughly :
present and future, and also, future in the past) actions, in
the same way as in other semitic languages (e.g. Arabic). My
idea was that the future-tense use of this conjugation had
emerged in contact with non-semitic languages. Am I wrong ?
What are the current trends about this point ?

Thanks

Mathias van den Bossche - new in the list !
http://occitanet.free.fr




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