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

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  • From: "Ken Penner" <pennerkm AT mcmaster.ca>
  • To: "'Peter Kirk'" <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: RE: [b-hebrew] Use and Misuse of Waw in Verb Tenses
  • Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 09:06:47 -0400

> 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,

In interpreting the drop in wayyiqtol frequency, we must consider genre
effects.

Qumran infinitives almost always have a prefixed preposition. Participles
tend to be spelled with matres, but of course not all are.
I suppose some verbal adjectives would also not use matres lectionis, and
would therefore be indistinguishable from qatal. These are possibilities
I'll need to discuss.

As for -qtl for non-past, here are the stats excluding verbs with stative
lexical aspect:

Conj. Past Present Future Total
-yqtl 3% 9% 88% 100%
wyqtl 61% 5% 34% 100%
-qtl 85% 3% 12% 100%
wqtl 2% 0% 98% 100%
A. Ptc. 7% 14% 80% 100%
P. Ptc. 54% 6% 40% 100%
Total 30% 6% 64% 100%

Compare with the numbers including stative verbs:

>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%





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