The Biblical Hebrew transitivity alternation in cognitive linguistic perspective /

The Biblical Hebrew transitivity alternation in cognitive linguistic perspective /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Coleman, Stephen M., author.
Imprint:	Wiesbaden : Harrasowitz Verlag, 2018. ©2018
Description:	xvi, 266 pages : Illustrations ; 22 cm.
Language:	English
Series:	Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, 0567-4980 ; Band 114 Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes ; Bd. 114.
Subject:	Bible. -- Old Testament -- Language, style. Hebrew language -- Transitivity. Hebrew language -- Grammar, Historical.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11764112

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9783447111171 3447111178
Notes:	Based on author's dissertation, Catholic University of America, 2016. Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-266).
Summary:	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, Verbs of Dwelling, and Verbs of Fullness and Want. 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. 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.

Description
Summary:	In biblical Hebrew there is a group of verbs which appear in both transitive and intransitive grammatical constructions. However, explanations of this phenomenon, especially regarding the grammatical status of the Object, have been unsatisfactorily vague as evidenced by the inconsistent or ad hoc treatments offered by modern biblical Hebrew grammarians. In recent years, many issues relevant to the biblical Hebrew transitivity alternation have received sustained treatment in the broader linguistic community. The purpose of this monograph by Stephen M. Coleman is to offer an extended treatment of the biblical Hebrew transitivity alternation utilizing the insights of modern linguistics, specifically the theory and methods of Cognitive Grammar and the related (sub)discipline Construction Grammar. The author argues that the biblical Hebrew transitivity alternation is licensed and limited by conceptual factors. Though often translated and interpreted as essentially synonymous expressions, verbs exhibiting the transitivity alternation offer alternate construals of the realities they represent and therefore should be regarded as having different meanings. Even though the application of Cognitive Grammar to the analysis of ancient languages in general, and biblical Hebrew in particular, is an approach that is in many ways still in its infancy, the present study demonstrates its potential to offer new answers to old and seemingly insoluble questions.
Item Description:	Based on author's dissertation, Catholic University of America, 2016.
Physical Description:	xvi, 266 pages : Illustrations ; 22 cm.
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-266).
ISBN:	9783447111171 3447111178
ISSN:	0567-4980 ;