The Biblical Hebrew Transitivity Alternation in Cognitive Linguistic Perspective

326 Pages·2016·1.33 MB·English

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
The Biblical Hebrew Transitivity Alternation in Cognitive Linguistic Perspective
A DISSERTATION
Submitted to the Faculty of the
Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures
School of Arts and Sciences
Of The Catholic University of America
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
©
Copyright
All Rights Reserved
By
Stephen M. Coleman
Washington, D.C.
2016
The Biblical Hebrew Transitivity Alternation in Cognitive Linguistic Perspective
Stephen M. Coleman, Ph.D.
Director: Edward M. Cook, Ph.D.
That there exists a group of biblical Hebrew verbs which appear in both transitive and
intransitive grammatical constructions has long been recognized. However, explanations of this
phenomenon among modern BH grammarians, especially regarding the grammatical status of the
Object, have been unsatisfactorily vague. Many issues relevant to the BH transitivity alternation
(e.g. valency, transitivity, lability, verb classes, and constructional semantics) have received
sustained treatment in the broader linguistic community. The purpose of this dissertation is to
offer an extended treatment of the BH transitivity alternation utilizing the theory and methods of
Cognitive Grammar and the related (sub)discipline Construction Grammar. This investigation
explains the relationship of these BH verbs to their associated nouns with reference to the
prototypical and schematic transitive event.
Many BH verbs which permit the transitivity alternation exhibit significant semantic
overlap allowing them to be categorized and analyzed as "verb classes." The benefit of
analyzing verbs by class is that it increases the amount of data (an important feature when
working with a dead language) and, more importantly, it enables the isolation of common lexical
qualities that contribute to a verb's ability to appear in alternate constructions. The BH verb
classes analyzed are: Verbs of Dressing and Undressing (רַגחָ , רַזאָ, הטָ עָ , טשַׁ פָ , ףטַ עָ , הדָ עָ , שׁבַ לָ ), Verbs
of Dwelling (הָנחָ , ןכַ שָׁ , בשַׁ ָי, רוּג), and Verbs of Fullness and Want (רבַ עָ , אצָ ָי, ץרַשָׁ , ערַָז, בוּנ, לכַ שָׁ , רסַ חָ
אלֵ מָ , עַ בֵ שָׂ , ףטַ שָׁ , חרַפָ , ףטַ ָנ, לַזָנ, ךְלַ הָ , דרַָי, הלָ עָ ). After a consideration of BH verb classes, the same
methods are applied to a selection of miscellaneous BH verbs which also exhibit the transitivity
alternation (ץרַפָ , בכַ שָׁ , בירִ).
This study concludes that the BH transitivity alternation is licensed and limited by
conceptual factors. Though often translated and interpreted as essentially synonymous
expressions, verbs exhibiting the transitivity alternation actually offer alternate construals of the
realities they represent and therefore should be regarded as having different meanings. It is
argued that the meaning of these BH verbs must be established on the basis of the unique
combination of verbal and constructional (or syntactic) semantics. Both transitive and
intransitive constructions construe verbal meaning in accordance with certain conventionalized
image schemas. Such construal is based, at least in part, on the imagination, goals, and
intentions of the speaker.
This dissertation by Stephen M. Coleman fulfills the dissertation requirement for the doctoral
degree in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures approved by Edward M. Cook, Ph.D.,
as Director, and by Andrew Gross, Ph.D., and John Scott Redd, Jr., Ph.D. as Readers.
_____________________________________
Edward M. Cook, Ph.D., Director
_____________________________________
Andrew D. Gross, Ph.D., Reader
_____________________________________
John Scott Redd, Jr., Ph.D., Reader
ii
for Carrie Elizabeth Coleman
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Table of Contents
List of Tables..........................................................................................................................viii
Abbreviations.........................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................xi
Chapter 1 Introduction...........................................................................................................1
1.1 Goals of the Study ...............................................................................................2
1.2 Corpus ................................................................................................................4
1.3 Verbs to be Studies .............................................................................................6
1.5 Thesis .................................................................................................................9
Chapter 2 History of Treatment.............................................................................................11
2.1 The Accusative in Biblical Hebrew..................................................................... 13
2.1.1 Objections to the "Accusative" in BH..................................................14
2.1.2 Description of the Accusative in BH....................................................17
2.2 The nota accusativi .............................................................................................19
2.3 The Transitivity Alternation in Historical Perspective ........................................25
2.3.1 Ancient..................................................................................................26
2.3.2 Medieval...............................................................................................29
2.3.3 Modern..................................................................................................35
2.3.3.1 Lexica.....................................................................................35
2.3.3.2 Grammars...............................................................................39
2.3.3.3 Specialized Studies................................................................45
2.3.3.3.1 Diachronic...............................................................45
2.3.3.3.2 Contextual (Collocational)......................................47
2.3.3.3.3 Semantic..................................................................48
2.4 Conclusions..........................................................................................................50
Chapter 3 Theory and Method ..............................................................................................51
3.1 Theory of Cognitive Grammar ............................................................................53
3.1.1 Form-Meaning Pairing .........................................................................55
3.1.2 Construal ..............................................................................................58
3.1.2.1 Attention ................................................................................59
3.1.2.2 Judgment ...............................................................................62
3.1.2.3 Constitution ...........................................................................64
3.1.3 Motivation ............................................................................................66
3.1.4 Prototypes .............................................................................................68
3.1.5 Constructions ........................................................................................70
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3.2 Transitivity ..........................................................................................................72
3.3 Verb Classes and Alternations .............................................................................79
3.4 Terminology ........................................................................................................82
3.4.1 Complement and Adjunct .....................................................................82
3.4.2 Valence .................................................................................................83
3.4.3 Lability .................................................................................................86
3.5 Final Note on Methodology ................................................................................87
Chapter 4 Verbs of Dress ......................................................................................................91
4.1 Methodology .......................................................................................................93
4.2 Analysis of Verbs of Dress ..................................................................................97
4.2.1 שׁבל........................................................................................................97
4.2.1.1 Qal שׁבל ..................................................................................97
4.2.1.2 Qal Passive and Pual שׁבל ......................................................107
4.2.1.3 Hiph שׁבל ................................................................................111
4.2.2 רזא ........................................................................................................112
4.2.2.1 Qal רזא ...................................................................................112
4.2.2.2 Qal Passive and Niph רזא ......................................................119
4.2.2.3 Piel רזא ..................................................................................120
4.2.2.4 Hithpael רזא ...........................................................................121
4.2.3 רגח ........................................................................................................123
4.2.3.1 Qal רגח ...................................................................................123
4.2.3.2 Qal Passive רגח ......................................................................129
4.2.4 הדע ........................................................................................................130
4.2.4.1 Qal הדע ..................................................................................130
4.2.5 הטע ........................................................................................................131
4.2.5.1 Qal הטע ..................................................................................131
4.2.5.2 Hiph הטע ................................................................................134
4.2.6 ףטע ........................................................................................................135
4.2.6.1 Qal ףטע...................................................................................135
4.3 Analysis of Verbs of Undress ..............................................................................136
4.3.1 טשׁפ .......................................................................................................136
4.3.1.1 Qal טשׁפ ..................................................................................136
4.3.1.2 Hiphil טשׁפ .............................................................................137
4.3.1.3 Piel and Hithpael טשׁפ ............................................................138
4.4 Conclusions .........................................................................................................139
Chapter 5 Verbs of Dwelling .................................................................................................142
5.1 Loci Accusativus ..................................................................................................147
5.2 Theory and Method .............................................................................................153
5.3 Analysis of Verbs of Dwelling ............................................................................156
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5.3.1 בשׁי ........................................................................................................156
5.3.1.1 Qal בשׁי ..................................................................................156
5.3.1.2 Niph בשׁי ................................................................................163
5.3.2 רוג .........................................................................................................164
5.3.2.1 Qal רוג ...................................................................................164
5.3.3 הנח ........................................................................................................171
5.3.3.1 Qal הנח ...................................................................................171
5.3.4 ןכשׁ ........................................................................................................176
5.3.4.1 Qal ןכשׁ ..................................................................................176
5.4 Conclusions .........................................................................................................184
Chapter 6 Verbs of Fullness and Want ..................................................................................186
6.1 Verbs of Fullness, Type 1: Figure/Ground (Container-Focused) ........................188
6.1.1 אלמ ........................................................................................................188
6.1.1.1 Qal אלמ ..................................................................................188
6.1.1.2 Niph אלמ ................................................................................207
6.1.1.3 Piel אלמ ..................................................................................210
6.1.2 עבשׂ .......................................................................................................213
6.1.2.1 Qal עבשׂ ................................................................................. 213
6.1.2.2 Niph עבשׂ ...............................................................................216
6.1.3 Summary ..............................................................................................217
6.2 Verbs of Fullness, Type 2: Figure/Ground (Contents-Focused) .........................217
6.2.1 רבג ........................................................................................................218
6.2.1.1 Qal רבג .................................................................................. 218
6.2.2 ףטשׁ .......................................................................................................223
6.2.2.1 Qal ףטשׁ ..................................................................................223
6.2.3 Summary ..............................................................................................227
6.3 Verbs of Fullness, Type 3: Effected Object ........................................................ 227
6.3.1 ץרשׁ .......................................................................................................227
6.3.1.1 Qal ץרשׁ .................................................................................227
6.3.2 ךלה ........................................................................................................236
6.3.2.1 Qal ךלה ..................................................................................236
6.3.3 דרי .........................................................................................................239
6.3.3.1 Qal דרי ...................................................................................239
6.3.4 אצי .........................................................................................................241
6.3.4 Qal אצי ......................................................................................241
6.3.5 רבע ........................................................................................................245
6.3.5.1 Qal רבע ..................................................................................245
6.3.6 הלע ........................................................................................................247
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6.3.6.1 Qal הלע ..................................................................................247
6.3.7 בונ .........................................................................................................249
6.3.7.1 Qal בונ ................................................................................... 249
6.3.7.2 Polel בונ .................................................................................251
6.3.8 לזנ .........................................................................................................251
6.3.8.1 Qal לזנ ................................................................................... 251
6.3.9 ףטנ ........................................................................................................ 253
6.3.9.1 Qal ףטנ ...................................................................................253
6.3.9.2 Hiph ףטנ .................................................................................254
6.3.10 חרפ ......................................................................................................255
6.3.10.1 Qal חרפ ................................................................................256
6.3.10.2 Hiph חרפ ..............................................................................258
6.4 Verbs of Fullness, Type 4: Affected Object ........................................................259
6.4.1 ערז .........................................................................................................259
6.4.1.1 Qal ערז ...................................................................................259
6.4.1.2 Niph ערז .................................................................................262
6.4.1.3 Hiph ערז .................................................................................264
6.5 Verbs of Want ......................................................................................................264
6.5.1 רסח ........................................................................................................265
6.5.1.1 Qal רסח ..................................................................................265
6.5.2 לכשׁ ........................................................................................................270
6.5.2.1 Qal לכשׁ ..................................................................................270
6.5.2.2 Piel לכשׁ .................................................................................271
6.6 Conclusions .........................................................................................................272
Chapter 7: Miscellaneous Verbs ............................................................................................274
7.1 ץרפ .......................................................................................................................274
7.1.1 Qal ץרפ .................................................................................................274
7.2 בכשׁ .......................................................................................................................283
7.2.1 Qal בכשׁ .................................................................................................283
7.3 ביר ........................................................................................................................290
7.3.1 Qal ביר ..................................................................................................290
7.4 Conclusions .........................................................................................................295
Chapter 8: Conclusion ...........................................................................................................296
Bibliography .........................................................................................................................301
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List of Tables
Table 2.1 Proto-Semitic Case System ...................................................................................12
Table 2.2 Individuation Hierarchies......................................................................................22
Table 3.1 Transitivity Parameters..........................................................................................74
Table 6.1 Prototypical Properties of Figure and Ground.......................................................197
Table 6.2 Properties of Individuation....................................................................................200
Table 6.3 Participants in the Subj [Container] Transitive Construction of Qal mālē’...........203
Table 6.4 Participants in the Subj [Contents] Transitive Construction of Qal mālē’.............204
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