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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Verbal Aspect (was Tenses - Deut 6:4)

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Verbal Aspect (was Tenses - Deut 6:4)
  • Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 09:53:59 +0000

On 07/03/2007 07:59, Rolf Furuli wrote:
Dear David,

You have not really answered my basic question, "How do we distinguish between past reference and past tense?" Your comments show that your approach is completely theory-dependent. ...

But, Rolf, your own question here is "completely theory-dependent". You don't even ask the logically prior question whether there is a meaningful distinction to be made between past reference and past tense, or whether this distinction is part of David's theoretical framework. You simply assume that this is the most basic distinction which must and can be made, and then pressure David to make this distinction. But there are other possible and meaningful theoretical frameworks in which there is no such distinction, or in which this distinction is far less fundamental and less significant. And anyway it may well be that, even if the distinction is a valid one, the evidence from a dead language is insufficient for it to be made in this case - which would imply that your model of the Hebrew verb is a theoretically valid but practically unproductive one.

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail: peter AT qaya.org
Blog: http://www.qaya.org/blog/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/





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