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b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] Proposed definition for "Tense" in BH (Joseph Justiss)

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  • From: Joseph Justiss <jljustiss AT msn.com>
  • To: biblical hebrew list <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Proposed definition for "Tense" in BH (Joseph Justiss)
  • Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:13:24 -0600


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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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