Proto-Austronesian Hebrew/Verbs
The confluence of the Semitic binyanim/aspect system and the Proto-Austonesian alignment/triggers is among the most labyrinthine combinations in the history of morphosyntactic amalgamations. In the realm of phonaesthetics, PAH progressivelty capitulated to its surroundings. Here, however, it subsumed and appropriated new processes while maintaining all of its original syntax.
History
PH
PH was a Nominative-Accusative language, favoring VSO 40% of the time. SVO occurred in 34% of cases, VOS 17%, OSV 5.3%, SOV 2.3%, and OSV 0.98%. Definite direct objects were marked with the preposition /eθ/. The enclitic, post-position location marker /ah/ was slowly giving way to the preposition /la/ and the relative clause marker /ʔaʃer/ was being replaced by the relative pronoun /ʃa+/. There was no tense per se[1], but a complex system of seven voices[2], two aspects[3], four moods[4] and a binary system of reduplication[5]. Most of these could be conjugated for person, number, and gender.
Most Hebrew grammars deem stems to have expressed either the active or the passive voice. They are said to be either ‘simple’, ‘intensive’, or ‘causative’. The hitha’el is was the ‘causative reflexive’. However, the medio-passive role of the niphal and the shadowy remnants of a Qal-passive voice make some Semitologists conjecture a nine-part system of nine binyanim in the earliest stages of Hebrew development, not seven
| Simple | Intensive | Causative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | pa'al | pi'el | hif'al |
| Middle | nif'al | hitpa'el | šitpa'il[6] |
| Passive | pu'il[7] | pu''al | hof'al |
PAn
PAn had the following proclitic case-markers: na for ergative, ta for accusative, and a for direct.
| Non-past | Past | Future | Dep. | Subjunct. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actor | «um» | «inum» | r(a)- -un | Ø | -a |
| Direct | -en | «in» | r(a)- -en | -a | -ao |
| Local | -an | «in»-an | r(a)- -an | -i | -ai |
| Instrum. | i- | i- «in»-iu | r(a)- -un | -u | -au |
There were four voices: Actor, Direct-Passive, Local-Passive and Instrumental-Passive (also known as the Benefactive). This system moves from Nominative-Accusative (N-A) alignment, to Ergative-Absolutive (E-A) alignment and beyond via a system of ‘triggers’ on the verb. VSO word-order made this easier to comprehend in real-time.
N-A alignment (e.g., English) puts the subject of an intransitive verb (S) and the agent of a transitive verb (A) in the same case, called ‘nominative’. The object of a transitive verb (O) is in a second case, called ‘accusative’. E-A treats A as its own case (‘ergative’) but S and O as the same case (‘absolutive’). Austronesian morphosyntactic alignment introduces two more terms to the matrix: a location of the action (L) and an instrument or beneficiary of the action (I). The system of triggers indicate which element will be in the ‘direct’ case (D). Other elements revert to their original cases. In the Local and Instrumental, S cannot be stated.
Stems
Within 500 years of their involuntary journey to Southeast Asia, the ancient Semitic peoples had come to see their various “stems” differently, because of their environment.
| Nominative | Oblique | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Ergative | Accusative | Genitive | |
| Common nous | ha+...u/ma | hin...u/ma | ...a/ti | ...i/ti |
| Proper nouns | ...u/ma | hin+...u/ma | ta...a/ti | ...i/ti |
Non-core arguments are generally made with (inseparable) prepositions, which are typically in the genitive case. All nouns in some forms, and some nouns in all forms are diptotes, that is, only have two case endings.
Simple Actor Trigger
- Compare Semitic G-Stem a.k.a. Qatal(a) a.k.a. Pa'al
The "standard" Semitic stem was commissioned to be the "actor" trigger. That is, this "voice" expects subject of an intransitive verb or the actor of a transitive verb to be in the direct case and the object of a transitive verb to be in the accusative.
| INFINITIVES |
|---|
| Absolute[8] |
| ŊāLuMa† |
| Construct[9] |
| ŊuLuMu |
| Completed[10] | Progressive[11] | Contemplative[12] | Coh/Imp/Part[13] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. | 1c | ŊaLaMtū | 'aŊLuMu | 'aŊLuM | 'aŊLuMa |
| 2m | ŊaLaMtā | taŊLuMu | taŊLuM | ŊuLuM(a) | |
| 2f | ŊaLaMtī | taŊLuMīna | taŊLuMī | ŊuLuMī | |
| 3m | ŊaLāMa | yaŊLuMu | yaŊLuM | ŊōLiMu* | |
| 3f | ŊaLaMō | taŊLuMu | taŊLuM | ŊōLiMatu* | |
| Dual | 1c | ŊaLaMnāyā | naŊLuMā | naŊLuMā | naŊLuMa |
| 2c | ŊaLaMtumā | taŊLuMāna | taŊLuMā | ŊuLuMā | |
| 3c | ŊaLaMā | yaŊLuMāna | yaŊLuMā | ŊōLiMaymi* | |
| Plural | 1c | ŊaLaMnū | naŊLuMu | naŊLuM | naŊLuMa |
| 2m | ŊaLaMtumu | taŊLuMūna | taŊLuMū | ŊuLuMū | |
| 2f | ŊaLaMtina | taŊLuMna | taŊLuM | ŊuLuMnā | |
| 3m | ŊaLaMū | yaŊLuMūna | yaŊLuMū | ŊōLiMīma* | |
| 3f | taŊLuMna | taŊLuM | ŊōLiMōtu* |
* Participles are given in the nominative/direct absolute.
† Infinitive absolutes can be inflected for case to match a noun, or left in the accusative to function adverbially.
Simple Object Trigger
- Compare Semitic N-Stem a.k.a. Niqtal(a) a.k.a. Nip̅a'al
The normal passive voice of Semitic verbs became the first passive of the Austronesian system, a.k.a. the "object" trigger. This "voice" expects subject of an intransitive verb or the patients of a transitive verb to be in the direct case and the actor of a transitive verb to be in the ergative.
| INFINITIVES |
|---|
| Absolute |
| hiŊŊaLōMa |
| Construct |
| hiŊŊaLiMu |
| Completed | Progressive | Contemplative | Coh/Imp/Part | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. | 1c | naŊLaMtū | 'iŊŊaLiMu | 'iŊŊaLiM | 'iŊŊaLiMa |
| 2m | naŊLaMtā | tiŊŊaLiMu | tiŊŊaLiM | hiŊŊaLiM(a) | |
| 2f | naŊLaMtī | tiŊŊaLiMīna | tiŊŊaLiMī | hiŊŊaLiMī | |
| 3m | naŊLāMa | yiŊŊaLiMu | yiŊŊaLiM | niŊLāMu | |
| 3f | naŊLaMō | tiŊŊaLiMu | tiŊŊaLiM | niŊLāMatu | |
| Dual | 1c | naŊLaMnāyā | niŊŊaLiMā | niŊŊaLiM | naŊLuMa |
| 2c | naŊLaMtumā | tiŊŊaLiMāna | tiŊŊaLiMā | hiŊŊaLiMā | |
| 3c | naŊLaMā | yiŊŊaLiMāna | yiŊŊaLiMā | niŊLāMaymi | |
| Plural | 1c | naŊLaMnū | niŊŊaLiMu | niŊŊaLiM | naŊLuMa |
| 2m | naŊaLaMtumu | tiŊŊaLiMūna | tiŊŊaLiMū | hiŊŊaLiMū | |
| 2f | naŊLaMtina | tiŊŊaLiMna | tiŊŊaLiM | hiŊŊaLiMnā | |
| 3m | naŊLaMū | yiŊŊaLiMūna | yiŊŊaLiMū | niŊLāMīma | |
| 3f | tiŊŊaLiMna | tiŊŊaLiM | niŊLāMōtu |
Simple Local Trigger
- Compare Semitic Gp-Stem, a.k.a. Gt-Stem a.k.a. Qutila a.k.a. Qal Passive
Aramaic seems to have made good use of what would be called in Hebrew the Qal Passive system, and it came into PAH very much intact. This is in contradistinction to Hebrew where it survived only in the participle. In PAH, it marked the "local" or "instrumental" trigger, corresponding to the Hebrew -בְּ.
| INFINITIVES |
|---|
| Absolute |
| ŊetuLiMa |
| Construct |
| ŊeLiMu |
| Completed | Progressive | Contemplative | Coh/Imp/Part | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. | 1c | 'iŊtuLiMū | 'iŊtuLiMu | 'iŊtuLiM | 'iŊtuLiMa |
| 2m | 'iŊtuLiMtā | tiŊtuLiMu | tiŊtuLiM | ŊeLiM(a) | |
| 2f | 'iŊtuLiMtī | tiŊtuLiMīna | tiŊtuLiMī | ŊeLiMī | |
| 3m | 'iŊtuLiMa | yiŊuLiMu | yiŊuLiM | ŊaLūMu | |
| 3f | 'iŊtuLiMō | tiŊtuLiMu | tiŊtuLiM | ŊaLūMatu | |
| Dual | 1c | 'iŊtuLiMnāyā | niŊtuLiMā | niŊtuLiMā | niŊtuLiMa |
| 2c | 'iŊtuLiMtumā | tiŊtuLiMāna | tiŊtuLiMā | ŊeLiMā | |
| 3c | 'iŊtuLiMā | yiŊtuLiMāna | yiŊtuLiMā | ŊaLūMaymi | |
| Plural | 1c | 'iŊtuLiMnū | niŊtuLiMu | niŊtuLiM | niŊtuLiMa |
| 2m | 'iŊtuLiMtumu | tiŊtuLiMūna | tiŊtuLiMū | ŊeLiMū | |
| 2f | 'iŊtuLiMtina | tiŊtuLiMna | tiŊtuLiM | ŊeLiMnā | |
| 3m | 'iŊtuLiMū | yiŊtuLiMūna | yiŊtuLiMū | ŊeLiMīma | |
| 3f | tiŊtuLiMna | tiŊtuLiM | ŊeLiMōtu |
Simple Benefactive Trigger
The Benefactive or Directive trigger appears to be have been created in Melanesia, either as an extrapolation from the Qal Passive or Infinitive Construct but using the Austronesian phonological process of reduplication (not just gemination). The range of meaning applied to the noun in the direct case seems to be the same as the Hebrew preposition לְ.
| INFINITIVES |
|---|
| Absolute |
| ŊeLuLuMa |
| Construct |
| ŊuLuLMu |
| Completed | Progressive | Contemplative | Coh/Imp/Part | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. | 1c | ŊuLuLuMū | 'iŊLuLuMu | 'iŊLuLuM | 'iŊLuLuMa |
| 2m | ŊuLuLuMtā | tiŊLuLuMu | tiŊLuLuM | ŊeLoLom(a) | |
| 2f | ŊuLuLuMtī | tiŊLuLuMīna | tiŊLuLuMī | ŊeLoLoMī | |
| 3m | ŊuLuLuMa | yiŊLuLuMu | yiŊLuLuM | ŊoLuLuMu | |
| 3f | ŊuLuLuMō | tiŊLuLuMu | tiŊLuLuM | ŊoLuLuMatu | |
| Dual | 1c | 'iŊtuLiMnāyā | niŊtuLiMā | niŊtuLiMā | niŊtuLiMa |
| 2c | ŊuLuLuMtumā | tiŊLuLuMāna | tiŊLuLuMā | ŊeLoLoMā | |
| 3c | ŊuLuLuMā | yiŊLuLuMāna | yiŊLuLuMā | ŊoLuLuMaymi | |
| Plural | 1c | ŊuLuLuMnū | niŊLuLuMu | niŊLuLuM | niŊLuLuMa |
| 2m | ŊuLuLuMtumu | tiŊLuLuMūna | tiŊLuLuMū | ŊeLoLoMū | |
| 2f | ŊuLuLuMtina | tiŊLuLuMna | tiŊLuLuM | ŊeLoLoMnā | |
| 3m | ŊuLuLuMū | yiŊLuLuMūna | yiŊLuLuMū | ŊoLuLuMīma | |
| 3f | tiŊLuLuMna | tiŊLuLuM | ŊoLuLuMōtu |
Intensive Actor Trigger
- Compare Semitic D-Stem a.k.a. Pi''el a.k.a. Qittela
Intensive Object Trigger
- Compare Semitic Quttal a.k.a. Pu''al a.k.a Dt-stem
Intensive Local Trigger
- Compare Semitic Hitpa''el Hiṭqattel a.k.a. tD-Stem
Intensive Benefactive Trigger
??? Hitqattatel ???
Causative Actor Trigger
- Compare Semitic Hifil a.k.a. hiQTīL a.k.a. Š-stem
Causative Object Trigger
- Compare Semitic Hofal a.k.a. hoQTal a.k.a. tŠ-stem
Causative Local Trigger
- Compare Semitic šitpa'el a.k.a. Št-stem
Causative Benefactive Trigger
??? šiqtatel ???
- ↑ However, the qatal system does seem to have been only for the past tense, see Alleged Non-Past Uses of Qatal in Classical Hebrew, M.F. Rogland Ph.D dissertation
- ↑ simple active/passive, intensive active/passive, causative active/passive, and reflexive
- ↑ perfective and imperfect
- ↑ indicative, imperative/cohortative/jussive, infinitive construct, and participial
- ↑ an admittedly Austronesian way to discuss the infinitive absolute
- ↑ unattested in the literature we have preserved from the ANE. Also known as "pa'il of šit".
- ↑ reconstructed in PH from such forms as אֻּכַל and יֻּתַן
- ↑ that is, a verbal adverb or adjective
- ↑ that is, a verbal noun
- ↑ cp. Hebrew Perfect aspect
- ↑ cp. Hebrew Imperfect
- ↑ cp. Hebrew Jussive
- ↑ The first person forms are Cohortative, the second person Imperative and the third person Participles. The participle does not inflect for person: it it placed on this chart for convenience.
