The concord of collective nouns and verbs in Biblical Hebrew:

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" The concord of collective nouns and verbs in Biblical Hebrew: "
K. A. Massey M. V. Fox

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	1113242
Doc. No	:	TLpq304456855
Main Entry	:	K. A. Massey
	:	M. V. Fox
Title & Author	:	The concord of collective nouns and verbs in Biblical Hebrew:\ K. A. MasseyM. V. Fox
College	:	The University of Wisconsin - Madison
Date	:	1998
student score	:	1998
Degree	:	Ph.D.
Page No	:	176
Abstract	:	Collective nouns in Biblical Hebrew can take either singular or plural verbs. Previous biblical studies have tended to explain that the variation is intentional on the part of the writer, expressing either a difference in meaning or some stylistic emphasis. This dissertation examines the variation from the standpoint of Markedness Theory, which predicts that in certain environments the variation is attributable to grammatical constraints. The study examines items from the Deuteronomic History (Deuteronomy through 2nd Kings) in which a collective subject governs a verb in a verb-subject word order. To a statistically significant degree, the predictions of Markedness Theory are proven true. The overall complexity of the sentence is shown to influence the choice of verb number, with the most complex sentences favoring plural verbs. Also demonstrated in this dissertation is a tendency for reported speech to favor singular verbs, even within complex sentences. Mentions of collective subjects in material preceding its governing a verb are studied to determine if such previous statements effect number. Only cases in which the collective is explicitly defined as plural seemed to favor plural verbs. Several possible sources used in the compilation of the Deuteronomic History are examined, though no provable difference in their verbal concord can be established. Finally, this study reexamines the Priestly Source in light of the findings of this study. Previous research had asserted that the Priestly Source is a later stratum because of a perceived tendency to favor plural verbs with collective subjects. In light of the findings of this study, the Priestly Source is not provably different from other sources in its rate of verbal concord.
Subject	:	Bible
	:	Hebrew
	:	Language, literature and linguistics
	:	Linguistics
	:	Markedness
	:	Philosophy, religion and theology