![]() (Long imperfects can be used for a variety of semantic fields: present-future, epistemic modality, imperfective aspect. ![]() Short imperfects have the most specific semantics: deontic modality and the completed past (hence their use in the wayyiqtol narrative tense). The form in Gen 1:3, יהי, is a short imperfect (the long form is יהיה). And here we have a III-ה root, היה "to be". However, in some cases, with geminate and III-ה roots, the distinction is retained. ![]() Hence, the semantic difference between these two forms is not indicated by morphology any more. ![]() This is because the original Semitic short and long imperfect (two distinct forms) merged relatively early in Hebrew due to loss of unstressed word-final vowels. We are lucky! Very often, the exact nuance of an imperfect form is uncertain. ![]()
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