List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsList of AbbreviationsTransliteration KeyChapter 1. Introduction 1.1 The Problem 1.2 Aim 1.3. What “Meaning” Means 1.3.1. Semantics and Pragmatics 1.3.2. Criteria for Explanatory Semantics 1.4. The Biblical Hebrew Verbal System 1.5. Scope 1.5.1. Source Material 1.5.2. Diachronic Diversity 1.5.3. Prose and Poetry 1.6. SummaryChapter 2. Comments on the State of Research 2.1. Tense 2.2. Aspect 2.2.1. Aspect in Classical Grammar 2.2.2. Modern Times 2.2.3. Reference Time, Focused Time, and Deictic Centers 2.2.4. Aspect in Hebraistic Studies 2.3. Modality 2.4. Linguistic Attitude (Sprechhaltung) 2.5. The Grammaticalization Approach 2.6. SummaryChapter 3. A Theory of Aspect and Tense 3.1. Introductory Note: Nonsemantic Factors Indicating Tense 3.2. Aktionsart 3.3. Focused Time and the Definition of Tense and Aspect 3.4. Stage- Based Aspect 3.4.1. Resultative 3.4.2. Progressive 3.4.3. Preparative 3.4.4. Stage- Based Aspect and Aktionsart: An Overview 3.5. Stage- Based Versus Limit- Based Analysis of Aspect 3.6. Temporalization 3.7. SummaryChapter 4. Progressive and Resultative Verbs in Biblical Hebrew 4.1. Qotel 98 4.1.1. Invariant Progressive qotel 98 4.1.2. Temporalized qotel 103 4.1.3. Nonprogressive and Nominal qotel 104 4.2. Yiqtol-L 108 4.2.1. Invariant Progressive yiqtol-L 108 4.2.2. Temporalized yiqtol-L 114 4.3. Qatal 118 4.3.1. Invariant Resultative qatal 119 4.3.2. Temporalized qatal 132 4.3.3. Adjectival and Verbal Stative qatal 141 4.4. Yiqtol-S 142 4.4.1. Invariant Resultative yiqtol-S: wayyiqtol 142 4.4.2. Temporalized wayyiqtol 149 4.4.3. Free- Standing Declarative yiqtol-S 151 4.4.4. Volitive yiqtol-S 155 4.5. SummaryChapter 5. Communicative Appeal and the Semantics of the Biblical Hebrew Verb 5.1. The Semiotic Foundations for a Theory of Appeal in Language 158 5.2. Criteria for Full Communicative Appeal 162 5.2.1. Imminence 162 5.2.2. Nonexpectancy 163 5.2.3. Efficiency 165 5.3. Communicative Appeal and Verbal Grammar: The Case of theEnglish Progressives 170 5.4. Communicative Appeal in the Biblical Hebrew Verbal System 172 5.4.1. The Resultative Subsystem 173 5.4.2. The Progressive Subsystem 176 5.4.3. The Volitive Subsystem 180 5.5. SummaryChapter 6. ConclusionBibliographyIndex

The series Linguistic Studies in Ancient West Semitic is devoted to Hebrew, Aramaic, Ugaritic, and other ancient West Semitic languages. It includes monographs, collections of essays, and text editions informed by the approaches of linguistic science. The material studied spans the earliest West Semitic texts to the rise of Islam.