Lĕšonénu: A Journal for the Study of the Hebrew Language and Cognate Subjects לשוננו, 2022
This article deals with a group of verbs with a quadriliteral root pattern that consists of the r... more This article deals with a group of verbs with a quadriliteral root pattern that consists of the repetition of the two-consonant element – С1С2С1С2: e.g., ṣlṣl ‘ring’, brbr ‘blabber’. Previous research proposed such semantic characteristics for this group as iteration, repetition, and event-internal pluractionality and pointed out that there is no shared common denominator for all members of this group. All these studies examined the С1С2С1С2 verb group either synchronically or more generally diachronically, by analyzing verbs from all periods of Hebrew. Conducted from the diachronic productivity view, the present study classified these verbs according to the respective periods of Hebrew in which they were coined. Their semantic characteristics were also analyzed separately. From this perspective, I found that throughout the development of Hebrew, more and more verbs created in this pattern share the same semantics: the multiplicative-semelfactive aspect. These verbs express a series of instantaneous events with a natural atomic structure; for example, gimgem ‘stutter’, hinhen ‘nod’, rišreš ‘rustle’, kixkeax ‘cough’. They can refer to atomic events of the series (Mary coughed again and again) – the multiplicative aspect, but also usually to a single event of the series (Mary coughed once) – the semelfactive aspect. This article presents the process by which the С1С2С1С2 verb pattern gradually turned into an aspect marker until becoming the single productive form of multiplicative-semelfactive verbs in Modern Hebrew. Also, it includes analysis of the possible factors influencing this process, which are universal and unique, internal and external.
This research describes a systematic association between onomatopoeia and reduplication in the ve... more This research describes a systematic association between onomatopoeia and reduplication in the verb system of Modern Hebrew (MH). It is argued that, as a result, iconicity came to assumes a role in the process where verbs with Reduplicated Roots gradually have become the encoding of semelfactive aspect. Cross-linguistically, repetition is often expressed by reduplication, but this is not the general rule (Inkelas & Zoll). Also, onomatopoeic verbs tend to describe repetitive events in nature, but reduplication is not a necessary property of these verbs. The combination of onomatopoeia and reduplication may be found within a single word, particularly in ideophones. Their structure is less morphologically constrained (Watson). For instance, the English ideophone tick tock is reduplicated, but the verb tick is non-reduplicated. In MH, repetitivity came to be systematically encoded by reduplication within verbal roots Quadriliteral Reduplicated Roots (QRR). They consist of the repetition...
This paper describes a process whereby morphological patterns that, in premodern Hebrew, were not... more This paper describes a process whereby morphological patterns that, in premodern Hebrew, were not associated with a particular semantic profile, or were only partly associated with such a profile, developed a particular meaning in Modern Hebrew. This process is exemplified by certain types of quadriliteral roots formed in the Hebrew verbal system. Of eight quadriliteral root patterns productive in Modern Hebrew, three developed meanings of their own: the pilpel pattern, which expresses a series of short, atomic events; the piʿlel pattern, which describes a reduced or attenuated event, and the šifʿel pattern, which conveys a restitutive or repetitive meaning, or increase on scale. The pilpel pattern became associated with its meaning already in Mishnaic Hebrew, and in Modern Hebrew the association became nearly exclusive, whereas the other two patterns developed their typical meanings only in Modern Hebrew itself. This research shows that a quadriliteral root-pattern develops a particular semantic profile only if it utilizes the derivational mechanism of direct rootexpansion in the verbal system without the mediation of another lexical item. Moreover, individual verbs coined in the pattern tend to be associated with that meaning if they are derived in this manner. Pilpel verbs can convey the pattern's typical meaning even if they are derived by onomatopoeia or with the mediation of noun, but only if the parent nominal form is biliteral. The research also traced the development of patterns' semantic profiles over time. It was found that this development was conspicuously influenced by the substrate and contact languages of Modern Hebrew, and that factors of reanalysis and analogy were also at play.
זוהי סקירה על הכינוס הבין-לאומי השני: "העברית והיידיש בימינו: היבטים לימודיים ותרבותיים" שהתקיים... more זוהי סקירה על הכינוס הבין-לאומי השני: "העברית והיידיש בימינו: היבטים לימודיים ותרבותיים" שהתקיים באוניברסיטה הממלכיתי בסנקט-פטרבורג ביוני 2016.
Lĕšonénu: A Journal for the Study of the Hebrew Language and Cognate Subjects לשוננו, 2022
This article deals with a group of verbs with a quadriliteral root pattern that consists of the r... more This article deals with a group of verbs with a quadriliteral root pattern that consists of the repetition of the two-consonant element – С1С2С1С2: e.g., ṣlṣl ‘ring’, brbr ‘blabber’. Previous research proposed such semantic characteristics for this group as iteration, repetition, and event-internal pluractionality and pointed out that there is no shared common denominator for all members of this group. All these studies examined the С1С2С1С2 verb group either synchronically or more generally diachronically, by analyzing verbs from all periods of Hebrew. Conducted from the diachronic productivity view, the present study classified these verbs according to the respective periods of Hebrew in which they were coined. Their semantic characteristics were also analyzed separately. From this perspective, I found that throughout the development of Hebrew, more and more verbs created in this pattern share the same semantics: the multiplicative-semelfactive aspect. These verbs express a series of instantaneous events with a natural atomic structure; for example, gimgem ‘stutter’, hinhen ‘nod’, rišreš ‘rustle’, kixkeax ‘cough’. They can refer to atomic events of the series (Mary coughed again and again) – the multiplicative aspect, but also usually to a single event of the series (Mary coughed once) – the semelfactive aspect. This article presents the process by which the С1С2С1С2 verb pattern gradually turned into an aspect marker until becoming the single productive form of multiplicative-semelfactive verbs in Modern Hebrew. Also, it includes analysis of the possible factors influencing this process, which are universal and unique, internal and external.
This research describes a systematic association between onomatopoeia and reduplication in the ve... more This research describes a systematic association between onomatopoeia and reduplication in the verb system of Modern Hebrew (MH). It is argued that, as a result, iconicity came to assumes a role in the process where verbs with Reduplicated Roots gradually have become the encoding of semelfactive aspect. Cross-linguistically, repetition is often expressed by reduplication, but this is not the general rule (Inkelas & Zoll). Also, onomatopoeic verbs tend to describe repetitive events in nature, but reduplication is not a necessary property of these verbs. The combination of onomatopoeia and reduplication may be found within a single word, particularly in ideophones. Their structure is less morphologically constrained (Watson). For instance, the English ideophone tick tock is reduplicated, but the verb tick is non-reduplicated. In MH, repetitivity came to be systematically encoded by reduplication within verbal roots Quadriliteral Reduplicated Roots (QRR). They consist of the repetition...
This paper describes a process whereby morphological patterns that, in premodern Hebrew, were not... more This paper describes a process whereby morphological patterns that, in premodern Hebrew, were not associated with a particular semantic profile, or were only partly associated with such a profile, developed a particular meaning in Modern Hebrew. This process is exemplified by certain types of quadriliteral roots formed in the Hebrew verbal system. Of eight quadriliteral root patterns productive in Modern Hebrew, three developed meanings of their own: the pilpel pattern, which expresses a series of short, atomic events; the piʿlel pattern, which describes a reduced or attenuated event, and the šifʿel pattern, which conveys a restitutive or repetitive meaning, or increase on scale. The pilpel pattern became associated with its meaning already in Mishnaic Hebrew, and in Modern Hebrew the association became nearly exclusive, whereas the other two patterns developed their typical meanings only in Modern Hebrew itself. This research shows that a quadriliteral root-pattern develops a particular semantic profile only if it utilizes the derivational mechanism of direct rootexpansion in the verbal system without the mediation of another lexical item. Moreover, individual verbs coined in the pattern tend to be associated with that meaning if they are derived in this manner. Pilpel verbs can convey the pattern's typical meaning even if they are derived by onomatopoeia or with the mediation of noun, but only if the parent nominal form is biliteral. The research also traced the development of patterns' semantic profiles over time. It was found that this development was conspicuously influenced by the substrate and contact languages of Modern Hebrew, and that factors of reanalysis and analogy were also at play.
זוהי סקירה על הכינוס הבין-לאומי השני: "העברית והיידיש בימינו: היבטים לימודיים ותרבותיים" שהתקיים... more זוהי סקירה על הכינוס הבין-לאומי השני: "העברית והיידיש בימינו: היבטים לימודיים ותרבותיים" שהתקיים באוניברסיטה הממלכיתי בסנקט-פטרבורג ביוני 2016.
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Conducted from the diachronic productivity view, the present study classified these verbs according to the respective periods of Hebrew in which they were coined. Their semantic characteristics were also analyzed separately. From this perspective, I found that throughout the development of Hebrew, more and more verbs created in this pattern share the same semantics: the multiplicative-semelfactive aspect. These verbs express a series of instantaneous events with a natural atomic structure; for example, gimgem ‘stutter’, hinhen ‘nod’, rišreš ‘rustle’, kixkeax ‘cough’. They can refer to atomic events of the series (Mary coughed again and again) – the multiplicative aspect, but also usually to a single event of the series (Mary coughed once) – the semelfactive aspect.
This article presents the process by which the С1С2С1С2 verb pattern gradually turned into an aspect marker until becoming the single productive form of multiplicative-semelfactive verbs in Modern Hebrew. Also, it includes analysis of the possible factors influencing this process, which are universal and unique, internal and external.
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Conducted from the diachronic productivity view, the present study classified these verbs according to the respective periods of Hebrew in which they were coined. Their semantic characteristics were also analyzed separately. From this perspective, I found that throughout the development of Hebrew, more and more verbs created in this pattern share the same semantics: the multiplicative-semelfactive aspect. These verbs express a series of instantaneous events with a natural atomic structure; for example, gimgem ‘stutter’, hinhen ‘nod’, rišreš ‘rustle’, kixkeax ‘cough’. They can refer to atomic events of the series (Mary coughed again and again) – the multiplicative aspect, but also usually to a single event of the series (Mary coughed once) – the semelfactive aspect.
This article presents the process by which the С1С2С1С2 verb pattern gradually turned into an aspect marker until becoming the single productive form of multiplicative-semelfactive verbs in Modern Hebrew. Also, it includes analysis of the possible factors influencing this process, which are universal and unique, internal and external.