The Semantics of Aspect and Modality
Evidence from English and Biblical Hebrew
“The semantics of aspect and modality” will be of interest both to linguists working on temporality, as a general phenomenon in language, and Hebraists investigating the semantics of the verbal forms in biblical Hebrew.
Tense, aspect and modality are among the most challenging discussed areas of language. Similarly, the semantics of the verbal system in biblical Hebrew has been investigated since the Middle Ages. Galia Hatav provides extensive critical overviews of research in both areas, and suggests a new approach for analyzing the biblical Hebrew verb system, showing it to be tenseless.
The overall approach adopted in the book is basically of truth conditional semantics, and adheres closely to Kamp’s DRT (Discourse Representation Theory). For each phenomenon covered, the relevant literature is surveyed and critically discussed, with reference to English, and when relevant to other languages, too. The conclusions arrived at are then applied to biblical Hebrew.
However, despite the sophisticated semantic theory the book is also meticulous in its attention to philological details of the Hebrew text, lending to a particulary harmonious combination of formal and discourse approach. The biblical Hebrew part of the book will be of interest mainly to Hebraists, but linguists dealing with temporality in general may find it useful as an interesting illustration for a tenseless exotic language.
Tense, aspect and modality are among the most challenging discussed areas of language. Similarly, the semantics of the verbal system in biblical Hebrew has been investigated since the Middle Ages. Galia Hatav provides extensive critical overviews of research in both areas, and suggests a new approach for analyzing the biblical Hebrew verb system, showing it to be tenseless.
The overall approach adopted in the book is basically of truth conditional semantics, and adheres closely to Kamp’s DRT (Discourse Representation Theory). For each phenomenon covered, the relevant literature is surveyed and critically discussed, with reference to English, and when relevant to other languages, too. The conclusions arrived at are then applied to biblical Hebrew.
However, despite the sophisticated semantic theory the book is also meticulous in its attention to philological details of the Hebrew text, lending to a particulary harmonious combination of formal and discourse approach. The biblical Hebrew part of the book will be of interest mainly to Hebraists, but linguists dealing with temporality in general may find it useful as an interesting illustration for a tenseless exotic language.
[Studies in Language Companion Series, 34] 1997. x, 224 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Published online on 18 August 2011
Published online on 18 August 2011
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Table of Contents
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Preface | p. viii
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1. Introduction - Temporality in Language | p. 1
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1.1 Tense and Aspect
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1.2 The Verbal System in Biblical Hebrew
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Notes
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2. Sequence | p. 36
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2.1 Definition of Sequence
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2.2 The Sequence Aspect in Biblical Hebrew
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Notes
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3. Inclusion: The Progressive Aspect | p. 89
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3.1 Definition of the Progressive Aspect
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3.2 Inclusion in Biblical Hebrew
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Notes
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4. Modality | p. 117
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4.1 Necessity and Possibility
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4.2 Modality in Biblical Hebrew
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4.3 Conclusion
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Notes
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5. The Perfect Aspect: Simultaneity, Anteriority & Backgrounding | p. 163
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5.1 Definition of Perfect
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5.2 The Perfect Aspect in Biblical Hebrew
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Notes
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6. Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research | p. 195
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Name Index | p. 211
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Subject Index | p. 214
Cited by (10)
Cited by ten other publications
Grasso, Kevin
2022. The Meaning of Qatal. Journal for Semitics 30:2 
Robar, Elizabeth
2022. Morphology and Markedness: On Verb Switching in Hebrew Poetry. Journal for Semitics 30:2
Boneh, Nora & Hagit Sofer
2021. The expression of habituality in Biblical Hebrew. Linguistics 59:3 ► pp. 785 ff.
Wilson, Daniel J.
2020. The thetic/categorical distinction as difference in common ground update. In Thetics and Categoricals [Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, 262], ► pp. 312 ff.
MATSUYAMA, TETSUYA
2012. ON A CERTAIN TEMPORAL USE OF <i>INTO</i>: A CONCEPTUAL SEMANTIC ANALYSIS. ENGLISH LINGUISTICS 29:2 ► pp. 344 ff.
Tatu, Silviu
2006. The Rhetorical Interpretation of the yiqtol//qatal (qatal//yiqtol) Verbal Sequence in Classical Hebrew Poetry and its Research History. Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies 23:1 ► pp. 17 ff.
Schniedewind, William M.
2000. The Anterior Construction in Classical Hebrew. Ziony Zevit.. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 318 ► pp. 79 ff.
[no author supplied]
2015. Bibliography. In The Isaianic Denkschrift and a Socio-Cultural Crisis in Yehud, ► pp. 225 ff.
[no author supplied]
[no author supplied]
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 26 september 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.
Subjects
Linguistics
Main BIC Subject
CF: Linguistics
Main BISAC Subject
LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General