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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] no to aspect
  • Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 11:13:13 -0500

I see what you are saying, and mostly agree with it, except that I prefer to look at it somewhat differently. For example, YI-CMAX, in Gen. 2:5, consists of the verb CAMAX, of the root CMX, 'grow', plus the pre-attached personal pronoun (pp), a.k.a identity marker, YI (which I consider a truncated HIY, 'she') and standing here for ESEB HASADEH, 'the grass of the field'.
It appears that the ancient Hebrews came early on to an agreement to the effect that pp+act will indicate future action, but act+pp will indicate past action (otherwise, Hebrew has no time markers). But it needs not always be so. Thus, YI-CMAX is, on the face of it, just 'he- grow', no more and no less. Conventionally this form is intended to indicate future action, but we know by the time frame of the narrative, by the laws of nature, and also by the preceding word TEREM, that reference is here to the past.
It appears to me that also YI-CMAX of Job 5:6 is but a statement of fact. Yet, the A-CMIAX of Ez. 29:21 is certainly a future promise.
I have the feeling that YA-AL-EH of Gen. 2:6 is "repetitive".

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Feb 3, 2011, at 9:38 AM, Rolf Furuli wrote:

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?
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