Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Use and Misuse of Waw in Verb Tenses

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Use and Misuse of Waw in Verb Tenses
  • Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 09:55:51 +0200

Dear Stoney,

You may find discussions pertaining to your examples in: Mari Broman Olsen (1997) "A Semantic and Pragmatic Model of Lexical and Grammatical Aspect. New York: Garland Publishing Inc." I use several of Mari's principles in my work, but I do not agree with her that the definitions of English aspects fit other aspectual languages as well.

Best regards

Rolf furuli
University of Oslo

Stoney Breyer wrote:

-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Rolf Furuli
...

1) Ann was singing in the bathroom.
2) Ann has sung in the bathroom.
...
In English, each aspect has just one option for the
intersection of RT by ET: when the imperfective aspect is used, RT intersects ET
at the nucelus (only a small area in the middle is made visible), and
when
the perfective aspect is used, RT intersects ET at the coda
(only the
end is made visible). In Hebrew there are several options for
both aspects, both regarding the place that RT intersects ET and
regarding the breadth of the intersection.

This means that in English the end is always visible when the perfective aspect is used (the event is completed), and the end
is never visible when the imperfective aspect is used (the event is

incomplete).

Well, I can't speak to the Hebrew, but in English it ain't that simple -
aspect is hardly so tied to verbal form. Consider:

1) Ann was singing in the bathroom when she fell and broke her neck.
2) Ann has sung in the bathroom since 1972 and shows no sign of
stopping.

Stoney Breyer
Writer/Touchwood











Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page