Motion, Voice, and Mood in the Semitic Verb

An analysis of the use of the relevant verb forms in Central Semitic that explains their functional relationship.

This book explores the relationship between the so-called ventive morpheme in Akkadian (-am) and the related suffixes -n and -a in other Semitic languages, including Amarna Canaanite, Ugaritic, Hebrew, and Arabic. Using formal reconstructions of the various morphemes and a functional analysis of their different usages, Ambjörn Sjörs convincingly argues that these endings are cognate morphemes that were formally and functionally related to the ventive morpheme in Akkadian.

Sjörs provides a systematic description of non-allative ventive verbs in Old Babylonian, the energic and volitive in Amarna Canaanite, the energic and lengthened prefix conjugation in Ugaritic, the lengthened imperfect consecutive in Biblical Hebrew, and the subjunctive and energic in Classical Arabic. Sjörs explains how these verb forms were used within the framework of grammaticalization theory and demonstrates how the suffixes are historically related.

Clearly and persuasively argued, Motion, Voice, and Mood in the Semitic Verb sheds valuable light on the Akkadian ventive and its relationship to the other related morphemes. It will be welcomed by linguists specializing in Akkadian, Amarna Canaanite, Ugaritic, Hebrew, and Arabic.

A careful and solid study on an important linguistic feature of Akkadian with related features in other Semitic languages.

A valuable contribution to the study of Semitic languages that will attract the attention of linguists in other fields.

This investigative study describes the use of the relevant verb forms from the perspective of functional grammar and explains how their functions can be explained historically with the framework of grammaticalization theory.

Ambjörn Sjörs is a member of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge and the author of Historical Aspects of Standard Negation in Semitic.

Ambjörn Sjörs is a member of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge and the author of Historical Aspects of Standard Negation in Semitic.