Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>]

Dear Isaac,

We may use verbs in Genesis , chapters 1 and 2, as examples.

Those who accept that Classical Hebrew is an aspectual language, 
accepts that YIQTOL is imperfective and QATAL is perfective.

The QATAL of 1:1 and 2:5 have past reference, and the two YIQTOLs of 
2:5 and the one of 2:6 have past reference as well.

1:1 :  BR) - perfective

2:5:  HYH  and ZMH - imperfective
2:5 M+R - perfective

2:6 (LH - imperfective

In addition to YIQTOL, I analyze WAYYIQTOL  and WEYIQTIL as 
imperfective, and WEQATAL  as perfective.

Both the QATAL of 1:2 and the YIQTOL  of 2:6 have past reference.

1:2 )MR - imperfective

2:6 $QH - perfective

The conclusion of the comments above is that Classical Hebrew has 
only two conjugations. All prefix forms, with and without the 
conjunction WAW, are imperfective, and the  suffix forms, with and 
without WAW, are perfective.  Tense (=grammaticalized location in 
time) is nonexistent,


Best regards,

Rolf Furuli







Those who view Classical Hebrew as an aspectual language


> Can we have examples for this as they appear the Hebrew bible?
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University
>
> On Feb 3, 2011, at 2:27 AM, Rolf Furuli wrote:
>
> > perfective and imperfective aspect respectively?