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  • From: "Rolf Furuli" <furuli AT online.no>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] VERBS
  • Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:29:17 +0100

Dear list-members,

Since the concept "uncancellable meaning" is very important in connection with Hebrew verbs, I think it is good to say some words about it, because Peter`s last post may cause some to misunderstand my position.

When I have spoken of "semantic meaning" that under no circumstances can be changed or cancelled, this has a synchronic perspective. I do not say that language never changes, and I do not say anything about what will happen in the future. But I speak of the language as it is at a certain point of time.

I will use two English examples:

1) The verb "to sing" has the characteristics durativity (the action occurs over time) and dynamicity (the action changes). Regardless of the context of this verb, the characteristics durativity and dynamicity cannot be cancelled. "To sing" will always indicate that words and melody come out of someone`s mouth, and this is durativity and dynamicity.

2) The verb form "went" is grammaticalized past tense, and the semantic meaning (relationship) here is that reference time must occur before the deictic center (i.e. the action must occur before the present moment ).

Because past tense has a semantic (uncancellable) relationship to the present moment, it would be wrong to say "He went out of his house tomorrow." I can think of a context where this clause is grammatical: "The little child said, "He went out of his house tomorrow."" Such a context does not change the semantic meaning of "went," because a speaking error is reported. It is also possible to use a word in a contrafactual sense in poetry, or in order to cause a particular effect. But still the semantic meaning is not blotted out.

This is what I have meant when I have said that my aim has been to find and describe the uncancellable parts of the Hebrew verbal system.

When I hear someone deny that characteristics of some words cannot be blotted out by the context, I become stunned. This is so elementary that even children understands it. Such a denial reminds me of the philosophic school whose members refuse to draw conclusions on the basis of the laws of nature, because "we may discover something in the future that will cause us to revise the laws of nature". It is obvious that to discuss science or anything else with people of this school is not meaningful, because all things are relativized.


Best regards

Rolf Furuli
University Of Oslo






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