Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 24/11/2005 09:08, Herman Meester wrote:

> Karl,
> If we do speak in terms of VSO or SVO etc., all that matters is statistics.
> Statistically, Hebrew is VSO. It would be perfectly legitimate to
> doubt that languages are to be categorised as "VSO", or that
> statistics are relevant, but then the entire concept is gone and we
> have to take a totally different method of describing syntax. ...
>  

Herman, while I am not up with the details of how this is described by 
modern linguists, from what I remember it is decided not just on the 
basis of statistics (which can easily be biased especially in a corpus 
which makes wide use of a particular construction) but on what is 
fundamental to the syntax of the language. Thus German (is Dutch 
similar?) is often considered to be SOV on the basis that this order in 
subordinate clauses is more fundamental, although specific corpora might 
have a predominance of SVO main clauses - actually with the verb moved 
forward to the second slot in the sentence whether or not that is the 
subject. So, I know some have argued that biblical Hebrew is 
fundamentally SVO and VSO type sentences like those with WAYYIQTOL are 
less fundamental. I don't think they are right, but the argument against 
that is not simply from counting clauses in the Bible.

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