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

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: pennerkm AT mcmaster.ca
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Use and Misuse of Waw in Verb Tenses
  • Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 23:54:29 +0100

On 22/09/2004 16:28, Ken Penner wrote:

...

Conj. Past Present Future Total
-yqtl 3% 10% 88% 100%
wyqtl 54% 15% 31% 100%
-qtl 76% 11% 13% 100%
wqtl 1% 1% 98% 100%
A. Part. 7% 16% 77% 100%
P. Part. 44% 7% 49% 100%
Total 26% 14% 60% 100%

To interpret these tables, what you call "future verbs" with waw (i.e.,
wyqtl) refer to the past in 54% of cases and to the future in 31% of cases
in these Dead Sea scrolls. What you call "past verbs" with waw (i.e. wqtl)
refer to the past in 1% of cases, and to the future in 98% of cases.


This is interesting because it seems to me to offer strong confirmation of the traditional model for BH, even that it continued to be in use in the Qumran period. There is of course nothing "uncancellable" here, but if we look at the majorities, we see:

-yqtl = non-past
wyqtl = past or non-past
-qtl = past (mostly)
wqtl = non-past

This is the traditional four form model plus the non-past WEYIQTOL. The unpointed DSS mostly cannot distinguish WAYYIQTOL from WEYIQTOL (although they might in apocopated forms), so the data are consistent with unpointed wyqtl being a conflation of WAYYIQTOL and WEYIQTOL forms. But they do suggest that in the DSS WAYYIQTOL is much less frequent than in BH, but WEYIQTOL is rather more frequent.

The puzzle here is that 24% of -qtl forms are non-past. I don't think that happens in BH - although it might do if statives are included. But then are the DSS -qtl forms consistently distinguished from infinitives, participles and verbal adjectives?

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






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