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  • From: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Hebrew Verbs Request (from Rodney Duke)
  • Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:27:40 +0200

Dear Rodney,

Below I give a short sketch of my views as they are expressed in my dissertation "A New Understanding of the Verbal System of Classical Hebrew An Attempt to Distinguish Between Semantic and Pragmatic Factors" (2005).

George Athas wrote:

The following post is sent on behalf of Rodney Duke (dukerk AT appstate.edu).

=======================================================

Dear Colleagues,
The list has gone through another series of discussions on the Hebrew verbal system. I have generally followed these discussions, and have even saved some that go back to 1999. However, it is difficult for me to put together a synthesis of each one of the positions taken, when the discussion threads get so interwoven by interaction with various respondents.
I would like to make the following request of each of the linguists, including self-educated linguists (no one excluded): Would you please present a very compact synthesis of your current understanding of (a) the Hebrew verbal system (tense? aspect? modal nuance?) and (b) the function of waw, particularly in wayyiqtol. I certainly would benefit from a side-by-side comparison of your responses, if you would be so willing. Also, I would like to request a (c) element: your strongest supportive argument. For instance, I would be interested in the traditional "tense advocates" and 4-verb form advocates to state what they think is the strongest, still-standing argument for short and long prefixed verbs. I am not asking that you go into lengthy explanations or defend your positions against all other variants. Just state in briefly why you are convinced. No dialogue.

1. Tense is not grammaticalized. Temporal reference was important and must be construed on the basis of the context.

2. Aspect in the traditional sense, with the opposition complete/ incomplete (or, complete/uncompleted), is not grammaticalized. However, aspect, with different definitions (made on the basis of the relationship between event time and reference time) is grammaticalized. The forms YIQTOL, WAYYIQTOL, and WEYIQTOL represent the imperfective aspect and QATAL and WEQATAL represent the perfective aspect.

3. Modality is grammaticalized in the imperative. Prefix-forms (YIQTOL, WAYYIQTOL, and WEYIQTOL), and suffix-forms (QATAL and WEQATAL) can express different kinds of modality, and the same is true with the infinite forms (infinitives and participles). These are pragmatic functions.

4. The letter WAW, expressed as the prefixes WE- and WAY- has an important syntactic function. It is this conjunction that is the principal force behind the sequentiality of the WAYYIQTOLs and not any intrinsic characteristic of the verb form.

5. There is no evidence for the existence of WAYYIQTOL and WEQATAL as independent semantic units before the Masoretes. The Masoretes vocalized verbs on the basis of pragmatics (temporal references and patterns that they saw), In Medieval times the pragmatic system of the Masoretes was given a semantic interpretation, and the modern four-component model was born.


7. The WAYYIQTOLs tend to loose their endings when morpholology and phonology allow this (but not always). The same is true with the WEYIQTOLS. These apocopations are basically based on stress patterns/phonology and not on semantics.

6. The most important reason for the rejection of the traditional tense and aspect models is that all the finite and infinite verb forms can refer to past, present, and future, and they can signal incomplete and completed situations. Thus, each model has a lot of exceptions that cannot be accounted for by that model.
The advantage of my model with aspects (defined on the basis of the function of reference time and event time) is that it can account for the whole set of verbal expressions in the Tanakh without exceptions. This means that the model either is so vague that it has no explanatory power at all (because everything can be explained), or it has come close to the correct expression of the classical Hebrew verbal system.


I do not believe that DeCaen, Hatav, Niccacci, Buth, and some others have
been involved in recent discussions. If someone could represent their
positions or explain how your current synthesis differs from one of theirs,
that would be even more helpful. I am not trying to get another convoluted
thread going, just a collection of summary statements to compare. Thanks in
advance for anyone who is willing to take the time and effort to respond!

Blessings,
Rodney Duke
Professor of Phil. & Rel.
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28607

Best regards

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo









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