of g19. Syntax and Semantics of Finite Verbs A $19.12 P g19. Syntax and Semantics of Finite Verbs!? tion jntroduc! 19 * puesiatitics win f the Biblical Heb the nature 0} rew verbal system hi exiting ammarians throughout the ages. The crx ofthe Ese ate ay wide range of possible interpretations of the qatallperfect (13, Pa ei agatal (6378 times), yigidllimperfect (14,299 times), as well as the ant) 74,972 times) and ayigi0 (1,335 times).* MeFall (1982: 186-87) a pis issue by listing how the qdtaliperfect and yigtdiVimpertect frm inset ein the Revised Standard Version, s weil gival 13,874 Yigtal 14,299 | a 10,830 Past 774 | Present 2,454 Present 3,376 Future 255 Future 5,451 Non-past modal 56 Non-past modal 200 Past modal 115 Past modal 423 Imperative li Imperative 2,133 Juss./coh. 38 Juss./coh. 789 Non-verbal form 109 Non-verbal form 153 19.1.2. Tense or time system When a language possesses the grammatical means of referring to the time atwhich the action denoted by the verb took place, that language has a tense system. For example, in English there are present, past and future tense verbal forms. She drinks the coffee. She drank the coffee. She will drink the coffee. The word “drink” conjugates in the past tense (“drank”) and present tense Cdinks”), while the fiture tense makes use of an auxiliary (“will”). a wy, Salo g21. Boy Vi Connor 12s, ae Statistics are based on McFall (1982: 186-87). See also Waltke and O"Conn AL us§19.1.2 Chapter 4. Verbs _. In Such a “tense” system can be very sophisticated;"’ it may have g y, different forms that refer to different anterior events, as is the case one” of for example: Telish, Simple past She drank the coffee. Present perfect She has drunk the coffee. Past perfect She had drunk the coffee (when he arrived), Future perfect She will have drunk the coffee (when he aries The verb in each of the above sentences indicates an event that is anter prior) to the moment of speaking. In the case of She has drunk, Teference ig made to an anterior event which still has relevance at the moment Of speakie In the case of She had drunk the coffee, reference is made to an anterior mt that is relevant at a particular point in the past, i.e. when he arrived; tis called the past perfect. In the case of She will have drunk, an event antetiag to a point of time in the future is referred to; this is called the future perfect In contrast to English, other languages may have much simpler systems more complicated systems. For example, Afrikaans is a simple system —ithas no grammatical means of differentiating between the simple past, the present perfect or the past perfect. In other words, the English sentences above will have no direct Afrikaans equivalent in translation. The particular moment in the past to which the Afrikaans sentence refers (literally “she has drunk the coffee”) must therefore be determined from the greater context or specified with additional words. 1 (or, 19.1.3. Aspect system Instead of indicating time through a grammatically realized tense, som languages use verbal forms primarily to indicate whether an event is viewed as a whole or not. Languages which have the grammatical means of indicating that how an event is viewed are described as having an aspect system. Consist the following example. In answer to the question: What did you do last night? a ih 19, Strictly speaking, a system of grammatically indicating time that is rst¥® the moment of an utterance (i.e. past, present or future) and to a system of anterior” anterior events that are relevant at a particular point) is a blended systeM™. 1s! system, events may be anterior to and relevant in the present (present perfec!) perfect) or future (future perfect). 2§19. Symax and Semantics of Finite Verb erbs: §19.1.4 answer hed reading my book; or reading MY book. ews the actior i re wor views © a of reading as complete and as a whole; th sond answer vie same action as on-going. In Russian one ie “ : wh form of the verb “read” instead of the lexeme “fnishe a fs ished” to the perfective ener. e t the action has been completed and vi indicate that ind viewed as a whole. TI inf te ver would Be seen tht the acon lela ved as a whole). as ongoing, could yfinis! was grst answer V’ e and aspect in Biblical Hebrew ns exist as to whether Biblical Hebrew has a tense or an aspect marians, like some recent grammarians who f the opinion that the Biblical Hebrew verb m, The gatal/perfect form ($15.1) thus fect form ($15.2) to the future and 19.14. Tim inior edieval Jewish gram t of view, were Oo} ly a tense based syste e and the yigtdl/imper! ‘Various OP! system. Mi adopt their point gystem is primar? refers to past tim present." Adifferent interpretation of the qdtal/perfect and the yigtollimperfect forms views these two verbal forms as indicating primarily aspect, rather than ‘moments in time. In the aspectual model, the gatal/perfect and yigtol/imperfect ate the perfective and imperfective semantic categories respectively. jperfect, speakers, on the one hand, describe an action as od ge. & whole from thelr perspective. By 058 the yigiol! er hand, speakers represent an event that is not viewed fains why Biblical Hebrew speakers can use a yigtal! oa habitual action in the past, ¢-8.+ indic By using the gatal/ complete and viewe' imperfect, on the oth as a whole. This exp imperfect form to refer t iw maw nyt} And this is what he used to do 2 TAY We I ay year (1 Sam. 1:7)-* Notice that a tense based explanation of the yigtdllimperfect (as future oF Present tense) has difficulty explaining this verse. The terms perfect(ive) and inperfeet(ve), which were ingended to refer t0 (Ne aspectual functions of Biblical Hebrew verbs, became S0 entrenched that they are still used today year and disparate flecting: the common snort and of rel terms, + want of bette of being s 20. Jotion-Muraoka §1 11a uses “for have the advantage terns wn erect and future, which a Teast ity in the majority of cases.”