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  • From: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] BH verbal system
  • Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:24:24 +0100

Dear Isaac,

I have defined tense and aspect in a very specific way, as different relations between the parameters "deictic center," "event time," and "reference time." Any person who discusses tense and aspect with me can know exactly what i mean by using these terms.

The term "tense" is used by some in a specific way, as "grammaticalization of location in time," which means that the concept "tense" represents semantic meaning, and this is connected with the verb form and not with the context. Others use "tense" in a rather loose way, simply as a particular temporal reference, without taking pragmatics versus semantics into consideration. It is obvious that if you do not know exactly what the other person means by using the term "tense," any intelligent discussion is impossible.

In connection with aspect there are at least twenty different definitions or explanations in the linguistic and Semitic literature. If I do not know exactly what the other part means by the use of the term "aspect," any intelligent discussion is impossible. To answer your question directly, I say that as long as the other part has not given clear and specific definitions, it is impossible to comprehend (understand) what he means by using the terms.


Best regards,

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo




I think that you, on your part, should give a clear and specific definition of
what you mean by "understand".

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Feb 1, 2010, at 3:24 AM, Rolf Furuli wrote:

a clear and specific definition of
what you mean by tense and aspect, it is impossible to understand





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