A Linguistic Analysis of the Biblical Hebrew Particle נָא
Published in Vetus Testamentum (2009, Vol. 59, Fasc. 3, pp. 379–393)
Citation Information
Article: A Linguistic Analysis of the Biblical Hebrew Particle nāʾ: A Test Case
Author: Bent Christiansen, MTh
Journal: Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 59, Fasc. 3 (2009), pp. 379–393
Publisher: Brill (Leiden) / DOI: 10.1163/156853309X435459
Abstract
"The potential for advancing our understanding of biblical Hebrew by a more rigorous application of the principals of linguistics is illustrated by the particle nāʾ, which has been translated in widely divergent ways. The research of Shulman (1999) forms the basis for the proposal that this so-called “particle of entreaty” actually represents a previously unidentified syntactical element in biblical Hebrew—the “propositive” particle—whereby a speaker indicates an intention to pursue a particular course of action. Interpreting nāʾ as a “propositive/exhortative” more convincingly explains its biblical usage. Evidence of the propositive mood includes the felicity of nāʾ as a sentence-initial compound element, reduplication of nāʾ within Hebrew clauses, the linguistic vacuum of alternative polite circumlocution, and the need for cogent interpretation of nāʾ when used with deliberative cohortative verb forms."
Keywords
Hebrew language — particles; Hebrew language — terms — nah / na; Hebrew language — propositive mood
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