The biblical sources of Modern Hebrew syntax
-
Edit Doron✝
Abstract
The paper assesses the influence on Modern Hebrew of the two previous spoken stages of Hebrew: Biblical Hebrew and Rabbinic Hebrew in its early, Mishnaic, phase. Contra the received view in the current literature, I argue that Modern Hebrew has in many respects readopted the syntax of Biblical Hebrew, the earlier of the two ancient stages, rather than being a development of the subsequent Rabbinic stage. The paper discusses particular constructions whose Biblical syntax had historically been replaced by Rabbinic syntax, yet were reinstated in Modern Hebrew. These include clausal constructions such as conditional and unconditional clauses, clausal complements of aspectual and modal auxiliaries, and gerundive clauses. The Rabbinic component in the syntax of Modern Hebrew seems to be limited to values and exponents drawn from Rabbinic Hebrew for the functional categories originating in Biblical Hebrew or in languages with which Hebrew was in contact during its history.
Abstract
The paper assesses the influence on Modern Hebrew of the two previous spoken stages of Hebrew: Biblical Hebrew and Rabbinic Hebrew in its early, Mishnaic, phase. Contra the received view in the current literature, I argue that Modern Hebrew has in many respects readopted the syntax of Biblical Hebrew, the earlier of the two ancient stages, rather than being a development of the subsequent Rabbinic stage. The paper discusses particular constructions whose Biblical syntax had historically been replaced by Rabbinic syntax, yet were reinstated in Modern Hebrew. These include clausal constructions such as conditional and unconditional clauses, clausal complements of aspectual and modal auxiliaries, and gerundive clauses. The Rabbinic component in the syntax of Modern Hebrew seems to be limited to values and exponents drawn from Rabbinic Hebrew for the functional categories originating in Biblical Hebrew or in languages with which Hebrew was in contact during its history.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Acknowledgement and Preface ix
- Introduction 1
- The limits of multiple-source contact influence 33
- Existential possessive modality in the emergence of Modern Hebrew 55
- The derivation of a concessive from an aspectual adverb by reanalysis in Modern Hebrew 95
- Why did the future form of the verb displace the imperative form in the informal register of Modern Hebrew? 117
- The change in Hebrew from a V-framed to an S-framed Language 143
- From written to spoken usage 179
- Language change, prescriptive language, and spontaneous speech in Modern Hebrew 201
- The biblical sources of Modern Hebrew syntax 221
- Can there be language continuity in language contact? 257
- Our creolized tongues 287
- Why do children lead contact-induced language change in some contexts but not others? 321
- Variation and conventionalization in language emergence 337
- “Mame Loshen” 365
- Index 387
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Acknowledgement and Preface ix
- Introduction 1
- The limits of multiple-source contact influence 33
- Existential possessive modality in the emergence of Modern Hebrew 55
- The derivation of a concessive from an aspectual adverb by reanalysis in Modern Hebrew 95
- Why did the future form of the verb displace the imperative form in the informal register of Modern Hebrew? 117
- The change in Hebrew from a V-framed to an S-framed Language 143
- From written to spoken usage 179
- Language change, prescriptive language, and spontaneous speech in Modern Hebrew 201
- The biblical sources of Modern Hebrew syntax 221
- Can there be language continuity in language contact? 257
- Our creolized tongues 287
- Why do children lead contact-induced language change in some contexts but not others? 321
- Variation and conventionalization in language emergence 337
- “Mame Loshen” 365
- Index 387
