I would like to bring some sanity to the recent discussions of WAYYIQTOL
forms by explaining the situation as I understand it:
1) The traditional understanding of WAYYIQTOL is that when two or more
WAYYIQTOLs follow one another in the text (with no other clause types
intervening) they refer to a sequence of events - also that a WAYYIQTOL
following a stative or continuing action (verbless or YIQTOL) clause
refers to an event taking place while that state or continuing action is
continuing.
2) There are some clear cases where this understanding needs to be
adjusted. Certain scholars have put forward modified rules for WAYYIQTOL
which fit a larger proportion of cases. Nevertheless, there remain a
relatively small number of WAYYIQTOLs which cannot be sequential and do
not fit any modified rules.
3) For some scholars, such as Rolf and Dave as I understand their wordk,
this rather small number of exceptions is a problem. For they hold to
theoretical models according to which exceptions to semantic rules are
not possible. So, they are forced either to look for more and more
intricate modifications to the rules to fit all of the data, or else, as
Rolf has almost done, they end up denying that there are any semantic
distinctions between Hebrew verb forms, and claiming that everything is
pragmatic.
4) For others, such as Yitzhak and myself (although for rather different
reasons) and probably in practice the majority of scholars, it is to be
expected that even the best semantic rules will have some exceptions.
For language is intrinsically dynamic and variable, and anyway the texts
we have are not pure. We are not making any strong claims for the
meaning of WAYYIQTOL which can be falsified by a few counter-examples,
we are only outlining general meanings of verb forms which may be
cancelled in specific contexts. The precise meaning in each case is
determined not only by the verb form but by how it works in the context.
Dave, Rolf and Yitzhak, I hope I have been fair to you here.
--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/
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