Abstract GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS BIBLICAL HEBREW TEXTS ACCORDING TO A TRADITIONAL SEMITIC GRAMMAR Richard Charles McDonald, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Chair: Dr. Russell T. Fuller Although linguistic Hebraists are dissatisfied with traditional grammatical analysis, this dissertation demonstrates that traditional Semitic grammar--primarily based on Arabic grammar and grammarians--still provides the most simple, clear, and accurate description of biblical Hebrew grammar. Chapter 1 illustrates the role of Arabic grammar in the study of Biblical Hebrew grammar. From the inception of biblical Hebrew grammatical studies, Jewish scholars drew from the insights of Arabic grammar. For centuries afterwards, Jewish and Christian Hebrew grammarians followed this method. In recent decades, grammarians have turned to modern linguistic principles, leading to a misunderstanding of various points of Biblical Hebrew syntax. Chapters 2 and 3 analyze the syntax of select verses in Genesis 2 and 3, respectively. Barry Bandstra's Genesis commentary in the Baylor Press series serves as the main point of comparison between the traditional Semitic approach and the modern linguistic approach. Each chapter introduces typical categories and definitions of traditional Semitic grammar, and critiques Bandstra's analysis when it contradicts Semitic grammar. Both chapters discuss a few main grammatical issues; in these discussions, other linguistic Hebraists are taken into consideration. For example, chapter 2 argues that the terms `nominative,' `genitive,' and `accusative,' are still valid grammatical categories in biblical Hebrew syntax, contra Jan Kroeze. Chapter 2 also contends that the pronoun הוּא is not a copula. Chapter 3 demonstrates that the Hebrew verb היה is not a copula but a real verb showing action, and that the energic suffixes on the imperfect do, in fact, have semantic value and do show emphasis. In chapter 4, the analysis shifts to Ruth 1. Robert Holmstedt's commentary on Ruth from the Baylor Press series serves as the point of reference. There are three main discussions in the chapter. First, the chapter outlines biblical Hebrew word order in opposition to Holmstedt's claim that the typical word order is Subject-Verb. Second, the chapter demonstrates that the masoretic accents are crucial for biblical Hebrew syntax. Third, the chapter critiques Holmstedt's theory that the particle ⚀הַ marks headless relative clauses. The remainder of the verses are utilized to highlight traditional analysis or to contradict Holmstedt. Appendix 1 outlines Geoffrey Khan's use of comparative Semitics to defend his copula pronoun theory. The excursus contends that Khan reinterprets Semitic grammar through discourse analysis, and that his copula pronoun theory cannot be substantiated. Appendix 2 differentiates between the participle as a verbal adjective (the traditional Semitic definition), and John A. Cook's placement of the participle in the class of `adjective.' This appendix maintains that the participle cannot be included in the biblical Hebrew verbal system. Appendix 3 responds to the external reader's critiques regarding the author's Arabic descriptions, the analysis of the reflexive Niphal, the use of the masoretic accents, and casus pendens.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND HUMANITIES. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 357-362. / by Hagit Borer. / Ph.D.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present work consists of an investigation into the form and function(s) of the so-called 'Left Dislocation' construction in Biblical Hebrew. As such, this inquiry is part of a larger domain of research that explores the nature and function of word order variation in Biblical Hebrew. As a result of a pilot study conducted by the present author in 2010, as well as recent advances within the feilds of cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics, and discoursepragmatics— particularly with its sub-discipline known as information structure—a fresh examination of Left Dislocation in Biblical Hebrew is called for. Drawing on research from the aforementioned feilds of study, we propose a cognitive-functional theoretical model that provides a framework for a more comprehensive explanation of Left Dislocation in Biblical Hebrew. Furthermore, this work situates Left Dislocation in Biblical Hebrew against a broader profile of Left Dislocation across langauges. This is accomplished by examining the findings of a range of cross-linguistic studies—with respect to a variety of related and unrelated languages—that are concerned with both the syntactico-semantic and discourse-functional attributes of Left Dislocation. Typological generalizations drawn from these studies are then applied to the identification, classification, and explanation of a data set comprised of over 650 tokens taken from Genesis to 2 Kings. The result of this analysis is twofold. First, a thorough description is provided in terms of the external (i.e. global) and internal syntactico-semantic attributes of tokens comprising the data set. Consistent with typological findings, the data set reflects a taxonomic network of constructional schemas that are classified according to an exemplar model of conceptual categorization. Second, utilizing a cognitive-theoretical model, as well as insights garnered from crosslinguistic studies, the aforementioned syntactico-semantic description is explained in terms of the cognitive-pragmatic motivation for the use of Left Dislocation in BH narrative discourse, as well as the prototypical and non-prototypical discourse function(s) accomplished by the construction therein. Lastly, a developmental framework is proposed that accounts for the form-function variation exhibited by the tokens in our data set. This framework consists of broader developmental processes involving usage-based patterns of language change, as well as a 'panchronic' view of grammar, where synchrony and diachrony are viewed as an integrated whole, and where grammars are always emergent and never completely established. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie werk verteenwoordig 'n ondersoek na die vorm en funksie(s) van die sogenaamde linksverskuiwingkonstruksie in Bybelse Hebreeus. Dit vorm deel van 'n groter navorsingsinisiatief wat gemoeid is met die ondersoek na die aard en funksie van woordorde-variasies in Bybelse Hebreeus. In die lig van 'n loodsstudie wat in 2010 deur die outeur gedoen is, asook die vooruitgang wat gemaak is op die gebiede van kognitiewe taalkunde, psigolinguistiek en tekspragmatiek—veral in die subdissipline, informasiestruktuur—is ‘n herbesinnig oor linksverskuiwingkonstruksies Bybelse Hebreeus nodig. Gebaseer op die voorafgenoemde studievelde word 'n kognitief-funksionele teoretiese model voorgestel wat as raamwerk sal dien vir 'n meer omvattende verduideliking van linksverskuiwingkonstruksies in Bybelse Hebreeus. Hierdie ondersoek oor linksverskuiwing in Bybelse Hebreeus word gedoen teen die agtergrond van die profiel van linksverskuiwing oor tale heen. Dit word vermag deur die bevindings van 'n wye reeks taalkundige studies—op verskeie verwante en onverwante tale— wat gemoeid is met beide die sintakties-semanties en diskoersfunksionele eienskappe van linksverskuiwing, te ondersoek. Uit die ondersoek word tipologiese veralgemenings verkry wat dan gebruik word vir die identifisering, klassifikasie en verduideliking van 'n stel data wat bestaan uit 650 voorbeelde wat verkry is uit Genesis tot 2 Konings. Die resultate van hierdie analise is tweeledig. Eerstens word 'n uitvoerige beskrywing, in terme van die eksterne (of globale) en interne sintakties-semantiese eienskappe van die voorbeelde binne die datastel, verskaf. Die datastel reflekteer, aan die hand van taaltipologiese bevindinge, 'n taksonomiese netwerk van konstruksieskemas wat geklassifiseer is volgens 'n eksemplaarmodel van konsepsionele kategorisering. Tweedens, deur gebruik te maak van 'n kognitief-teoretiese model, tesame met insigte verkry deur studies oor tale heen, word die voorafgenoemde sintakties-semantiese beskrywing verduidelik in terme van die kognitief-pragmatiese motivering vir die gebruik van linksverskuiwing in Bybels-Hebreeuse narratiewe diskoers. Ook die prototipiese en nieprototipiese diskoersfunksie(s) van die konstruksie kom aan die bod. Laastens word 'n raamwerk voorgestel om die vorm-funksies variasies van die voorbeelde in die datastel as ontwikkelingsstadia te verklaar. Die raamwerk berus op ontwikkelingsprosesse wat tipies in gebruiksgebaseerde modelle van taalvariasie-tendense onderskei word. Verder gaan dit ook uit van 'n pankroniese siening van grammatika waarin diakronie en sinkronie as 'n geïntegreerde geheel gesien word en die grammatika van taal as 'n dinamiese entiteit beskou word. Dit stabliseer nooit volledig nie.

Thesis (MA (Biblical Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This is an exploratory investigation into the discourse-pragmatic function(s) of the so-called Left-Dislocation construction in Biblical Hebrew. This inquiry is a part of a larger investigation into the nature and function of word order variation in Biblical Hebrew. In light of past research on Biblical Hebrew word-order variation, specifically concerning Left-Dislocation constructions, it is concluded that a re-analysis of Left-Dislocation constructions in Biblical Hebrew is called for. Advancements within the fields of cognitive-functional linguistics and discourse-pragmatics (information-structure) have afforded numerous avenues towards a more comprehensive cognitive-oriented frame of reference for ascertaining the functions of Biblical Hebrew word order variation. The discourse-pragmatic and cognitive-functional notion of information-structure serves as the basis for the theoretical framework employed in the present investigation. Information-structure is principally concerned with the question as to why grammars of natural language offer speakers a variety of morphosyntactic and prosodic options for expressing the same propositional content. Since the Left-Dislocation construction is a universal syntactic phenomenon, typological information regarding the form and function of Left-Dislocation constructions across languages served as a critical source of insight into the prototypical formal features and functional domains of the construction within Biblical Hebrew. The insights garnered from cross-linguistic data informed the parameters employed in the construction and construal of a random data-set of one hundred cases of Left-Dislocation drawn from the narrative portions of the Hebrew Bible stretching from Genesis to 2 Chronicles. The investigation of our data-set, within the confines of a discourse-pragmatic framework, reveals that Left-Dislocation constructions in Biblical Hebrew are principally employed to facilitate the topic-promotion of identifiable but inactive discourse-referents. These referents could be the primary or secondary topics of the sentences in which they are used. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is 'n verkennende ondersoek na die diskoerspragmatiese funksie(s) van sogenaamde linksverskuiwing ('Left-Dislocation') konstruksies in Bybelse Hebreeus. Hierdie vraagstelling vorm deel van 'n meer omvattende ondersoek na die aard en funksie van woordorde-variasies in Bybelse Hebreeus. Na aanleiding van 'n uitvoerige literatuurstudie oor die funksie(s) van woordorde-variasies in Bybelse Hebreeus, veral met betrekking tot linksverskuiwingskonstruksies, is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat 'n heranalise van linksverskuiwingskonstruksies in Bybelse Hebreeus nodig is. Vooruitgang op die gebiede van kognitiewe-funksionele taalkunde, en tekspragmatiek (informasiestruktuur) het dit moontlik gemaak om 'n meer omvattende kognitief-georiënteerde verwysingsraamwerk vir die bepaling van die funksie(s) van Bybels-Hebreeuse woordorde-variasies te formuleer. Die diskoerspragmatiese en kognitiewe-funksionele opvatting van informasiestruktuur dien as die basis vir die teoretiese raamwerk wat in die huidige ondersoek gebruik is. Informasiestruktuur is hoofsaaklik gemoeid met die vraag waarom die grammatika van natuurlike taal aan sprekers 'n verskeidenheid van morfosintaktiese en prosodiese opsies bied vir die uitdrukking van dieselfde proposisionele inhoud. Aangesien die linksverskuiwingskonstruksie 'n universele sintaktiese verskynsel is, is taaltipologiese inligting oor die vorm en funksie van die linksverskuiwingskonstruksie gebruik om insig te kry in die prototipiese formele eienskappe en funksies van die konstruksie in Bybelse Hebreeus. Aan die hand van bg. taaltipologiese insigte is parameters geformuleer aan die hand waarvan 'n ewekansige monster voorbeelde van linksverskuiwing uit verhalende tekste uit Genesis tot 2 Kronieke ondersoek is. Daar is bevind dat linksverskuiwing in Bybelse Hebreeus hoofsaaklik aangewend word om identifiseerbare, maar onaktiewe diskoersreferente te promoveer as topieks. Hierdie referente mag primêre of sekondêre topieks wees.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study represents an investigation of a set of BH connectives (רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל, and ןֶפּ) as well as other grammatical constructions relevant to the lexical items. This investigation seeks to establish the datatypes which are relevant for distinguishing the meanings and/or senses that the BH connectives רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל, and ןֶפּ may display. A literature overview of BH linguistics and existing BH lexica demonstrate that although current resources provide some useful information, there still lacks an adequate framework for describing the lexical items. On the one hand, linguistic descriptions of the connectives in BH linguistics fail to define the word class(es) and scope of the target lexemes, as well as the relations they indicate. None of the studies have structurally described the paradigmatic relation between the different types of purpose constructions. On the other hand, BH lexica show a variety of data types that are assumed to contribute towards both defining and distinguishing the meanings/senses of the lexical items we are concerned with; however, this information only partly helps in this endeavor. To describe more adequately the meaning and polysemic relationships of the lexemes, we relied on cognitive semantics (e.g., conceptual view of meaning, prototype theory, and semantic potential). We were also concerned with purpose/result constructions across languages in order to establish criteria for describing purpose constructions. On the basis of these investigations, we established a model for a semantic description of the target lexemes in addition to some criteria for distinguishing between purpose, result, cause, and reason constructions so that the different relations the target lexemes indicate might be identified. We also established some typological parameters of purpose constructions – such as verbal forms in the matrix, participant encoding, and the positioning patterns of purpose clauses. The value and validity of these criteria were then tested in an empirical investigation. The investigation established that ןַעַמְל, רוּבֲעַבּ, and ןֶפּ have a semantic potential that prompts the conceptualization of multiple relationships (e.g., ןַעַמְל: purpose, result, and reason) with varying scopes, among different levels. We were able to distinguish between the different relationships that the lexemes ןַעַמְל, רוּבֲעַבּ, and ןֶפּ display by relying on the notions of purpose, result, cause, and reason, as defined in cognitive linguistic circles. We also identified the prototypical and less prototypical meanings of the lexemes. This study establishes the value of the model employed, but also reveals that our theoretical model has some limitations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie verteenwoordig ‘n ondersoek van ‘n stel Bybels-Hebreeuse verbindingswoorde (רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל en ןֶפּ) sowel as die grammatikale konstruksies wat relevant is vir die beter verstaan van hierdie leksikale items. Hierdie ondersoek poog in besonder om datatipes vas te stel wat ter sake is vir betekenisonderskeidings wat רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל en ןֶפּ vertoon. 'n Literatuur-oorsig van bestaande Bybels-Hebreeuse bronne (bv. grammatikas en lexika) demonstreer dat, alhoewel hierdie bronne nuttige inligting verskaf, hulle nie ‘n toereikende raamwerk bied vir ‘n noukeurige beskrywing van die leksikale items nie. Die grammatikale studies, aan die een kant, versuim om die items se woordklas(se) te definieer. Weinig aandag word ook gewy aan die reikwydte en/of ter sake sintagmaties en paradigmatiese verbande van die ter sake konstruksies. Die leksika, aan die ander kant, wys wel op 'n verskeidenheid van datatipes wat veronderstel is om by te dra tot beide die definisies en betekenisonderskeidings. Hierdie inligting is egter dikwels nie genoegsaam nie. Om ‘n meer toereikende beskrywing van hulle betekenis te maak, asook om die polisemiese struktuur van die lekseme te bepaal, het ons gebruik gemaak van insigte van die kognitiewe semantiek (bv. prototipe-teorie, en die konsep ‘semantiese potensiaal’). Ons het ook doelkonstruksies in ander tale bestudeer. Kriteria is geïdentifiseer om te onderskei tussen konstruksies waarin doel, gevolg, oorsaak en rede gerealiseer word. Ons het ‘n paar taaltipologiese parameters van doelkonstruksies vasgestel, bv. die werkswoordsvorm wat in die matriks gebruik word, die manier waarop deelnemers gekodeer word, en die posisie van die doelkonstruksie tov die matriks. Die waarde en geldigheid van hierdie kriteria is daarna in ‘n empiriese ondersoek getoets. In hierdie studie is vasgetel dat ןַעַמְל, רוּבֲעַבּ en ןֶפּ ‘n semantiese potensiaal het wat die konseptualisering van veelvoudige verhoudings aktiveer (bv. ןַעַמְל: doel, gevolg, en die rede), wat beide op verskillende vlakke mag wees asook met verskillende reikwydtes. Ons het ook die prototipiese en minder prototipiese betekenis van die lekseme geïdentifiseer. Hierdie studie illustreer die waarde van die werksmodel wat gebruik, maar het ook aangetoon dat die model enkele leemtes het.

Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Though Biblical Hebrew (=BH) is no longer a spoken language, students continue to learn it for the purpose of reading, or at least interacting at a deeper level, with the text of the Hebrew Bible. This suggests that BH shares with any modern language learning course the goal of learning to read. One important part of learning to read is the acquisition of an adequate number of vocabulary items. The purpose of this study is to determine which insights from Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition (=SLVA) research and related fields hold the most promise for a new — and possibly more effective — approach to learning BH vocabulary, to evaluate currently existing BH instructional materials in light of these insights, to develop a new approach based on these insights, and to test aspects of the new approach empirically. Researchers in SLVA have uncovered a number of helpful insights concerning how vocabulary and vocabulary learning should be defined as well as concerning how vocabulary is best learned. On the other hand, BH instructional materials reflect little to no influence from these insights. These materials have continued to define vocabulary narrowly as individual words and continued to conceive of vocabulary learning primarily as pairing form and meaning in contrast to the much more sophisticated definitions found in the SLVA literature. For example, SLVA researchers consider items beyond the word level, such as idioms, to be vocabulary (Moon 1997; Lewis 1993, 1997). BH instructional materials have also failed to include a significant number of beneficial Vocabulary Learning Strategies (=VLSs), while including some VLSs that are either intrinsically problematic or problematic in the ways they are employed. For example, the strategy of learning semantically related items together is common in BH instructional materials, though it has been shown to be problematic in a considerable number of experimental studies (e.g. Nation 2000; Finkbeiner & Nicol 2003; Papathanasiou 2009). Since SLVA research has yet to influence BH instructional materials, a new approach to BH vocabulary learning is warranted. This new approach is based on sound theory concerning what vocabulary is and what it means to learn it, while offering learners as many helpful strategies for learning lexical items as possible. To justify this new approach, a set of experimental studies was run including one longitudinal case study and three larger-scale experiments. This testing was partial in nature since it was only possible to test one variable at a time. The testing revealed a number of important areas for future research into BH vocabulary learning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel Bybelse Hebreeus (=BH) nie meer gepraat word nie, hou studente aan om dit aan te leer vir die doel om te lees, of ten minste om op ‘n dieper vlak met die oorspronklike teks van die Hebreeuse Bybel om te gaan. Dit impliseer dat die aanleer van BH net soos met die aanleer van moderne tale, ten doel het om die taal te kan lees. Een belangrike aspek van om te leer lees, is om die woordeskat aan te leer wat vir hierdie doel nodig is. Die doel van hierdie studie is om vas te stel watter insigte, verkry uit Tweede Taal Woordeskat-Aanleer (=TTWA) navorsing en ander verwante studievelde, die meeste belofte inhou vir ‘n nuwe – en moontlik meer effektiewe – benadering tot die leer van BH woordeskat; om huidige BH leermateriaal te evalueer, in lig van hierdie insigte; om ‘n nuwe benadering te ontwikkel gebaseer op hierdie insigte; en om aspekte van die nuwe benadering empiries toets. Navorsers in TTWA het al heelwat insig verkry in hoe woordeskat en die aanleer van woordeskat gedefineer behoort te word, sowel as aangaande die mees effektiewe maniere waarop woordeskat aangeleer kan word. Dit lyk egter of beskikbare BH leermanier niks of baie min by hierdie insigte baatgevind het. Hierdie materiaal handhaaf tipies ‘n baie nou definisie van wat woordeskat is, te wete, individuele woorde. Dit beskou dus die aanleer van woordeskat as die aanleer van hoofsaaklik woordpare met verskillende vorme en betekenisse, in plaas daarvan om die meer gesofistikeerde definisies te gebruik wat in TTWA literatuur gevind word. TTWA navorsers beskou, byvoorbeelde idiome, wat uit meer as een woord kan bestaan, ook as woordskat-eenhede (Moon 1997; Lewis 1993, 1997). BH leermateriaal gebruik selde van die groot getal beskikbare nuttige Woordeskat Leer- Strategieë (=WLS). Daar word eerder dikwels strategieë gebruik wat volgens TTWA navorsing nie baie effektief is nie.’n Goeie voorbeeld in hierdie verband is die strategie om semanties-verwante items saam te leer. Empiriese navorsing het aangetoon dat hierdie strategie sonder twyfel problematies kan wees (bv. Nation 2000; Finkbeiner & Nicol 2003; Papathanasiou 2009). Aangesien TTWA feitelik nog geen beduidende invloed op BH leermateriaal gehad het, is ‘n nuwe benadering tot die aanleer van BH woordeskat waarin TTWA insigte verreken word, geregverdig. Hierdie nuwe benadering is gebaseer op ‘n deeglik begrondige teoriese model aangaande wat woordeskat is, en wat dit beteken om dit te leer. Verder kan geput word uit die skat van nuttige strategieë wat al in TTWS geïdentifiseer is om sodoende aan BH leerder strategieë te bied wat hulleself al bewys het. Om die nuwe benadering empiries te begrond, is ‘n reeks eksperimentele studies geloods. Nie alle aspekte van die nuwe model kon sistematies getoets word nie. Die grondslag vir verdere navorsing is egter gelê.