![]() (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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