Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

Hi Vince, you wrote:
> dear experts on hebrew tense and aspect,

I'm not an expert, but I like to play with the big boys,
so...

>
> can you tell me what tense (past, present, future) and/or
aspect
> ((im)perfect(ive)) the following is, for the verb
"believe"...
>
> "they appear not to have been able to believe"
>
> i assume this is 3pl, and a negative. maybe appearative
mood ...?
> V

My linguistic lexicon doesn't contain appearative.  Is that
what happens on the fruit tree in the back yard in early
summer?

I doubt such subtle tact as is in your example is possible
in BH considering its paucity of verb forms.  For a near
miss I think we need a main clause/dependent clause
construction.  For a main clause, to keep things simple,
let's use 'ani xosheb or xashabtiy. The "appearant" part
would have to live in the verbal root XSHB in the main
clause.  RAH and YD` are too definite, I gather.  I would
avoid HYH for the "appearant" part.  Look at how I am going
to verbal roots for expressing "appear."  For the dependent
clause, I could settle with

a.  kiy lo' ya'amiynu  "they (modal, non-past)  cannot (or
won't) believe" or

b.  kiy lo' yoklu leha'amiyn "they (present perfect) have
not been able to believe."

Best, Bryan


B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

(office) 315-437-6744
(home) 315-445-3085