Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Joseph Justiss <jljustiss AT msn.com>]

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I propose this definition for "tense" in BH narrative texts. Tense is 
"grammaticalization of location in text, not time". In narratives the deictic 
center in the current point in the narrative. This "present" point of the 
narrative is expressed with wayyiqtol. To introduce an event or state prior 
to the current narrative Qatal is used to "point" back that way. 

 

In conversations, or discourse, the deictic center is the current point in 
the conversation at hand. Qatal points back in the text to an event preceding 
the current conversation while weQatals point forward to events subsequent to 
the current conversation. 

 

Joseph Justiss 
                                          
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