Chapter 18
A usage-based typology of Modern Hebrew syntax
How Semitic?
The chapter considers how findings from Modern Hebrew syntax shed light on the
usage-based domain of contemporary linguistic typology, defined as concerned with the
synchronic and diachronic interrelations between function and grammar. To do so, it provides
illustrations from well-discussed syntactic features marking inter-clausal relations, and
compares these features with those found in Biblical Hebrew prose, with special emphasis on
bi-clausal constructions. The conclusion is that Hebrew syntax to this day reflects
constructions that are attested at earlier periods in the history of the language, including
early as well as late Biblical Hebrew, accompanied by functional and
frequency distributions that have changed in current usage.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Bi-clausal constructions: Clauses and their combination
- 2.1Inter-clausal relations in modern Hebrew
- 2.2Inter-clausal relations: Examples from Biblical Hebrew prose
- 3.Concluding comments
-
Notes
-
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