In Biblical Hebrew, would "will not lie" be written
לֹ֣א יכזב
Or
יכזב לֹ֣א ?
(In other words, would the negative particle proceed or follow the word it was modifying?)
A question about syntax
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Re: A question about syntax
As a general rule the negation comes immediately before the element negated.
So you would find Hab 2:3 to be written as וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב = "and it will not lie"
So you would find Hab 2:3 to be written as וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב = "and it will not lie"
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Re: A question about syntax
Thank you.markofcain wrote:As a general rule the negation comes immediately before the element negated.
So you would find Hab 2:3 to be written as וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב = "and it will not lie"
So if you wanted to say "Jacob will not lie" (reading right to left) how would you write it?
Could it be written as follows?
בלוא יכזב יעקב
Or would it be written like this?
יעקב בלוא יכזב
Michael Gerard Burke
- Ben Putnam
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Re: A question about syntax
"Jacob will not lie" would be like this.
יעקב לא יכזב
ya`aqov lo yexazzev
Ben Putnam
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Re: A question about syntax
Thank you.Ben Putnam wrote:"Jacob will not lie" would be like this.יעקב לא יכזבya`aqov lo yexazzev
Why would you have to use לא instead of בלוא?
Michael Gerard Burke
- Ben Putnam
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Re: A question about syntax
lo לא would be the normal way of negating. belo בלא/בלוא would have a meaning similar to 'without'. See Proverbs 14:5 for a similar construction.
משלי 14:5
עֵ֣ד אֱ֭מוּנִים לֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב וְיָפִ֥יחַ כְּ֝זָבִ֗ים עֵ֣ד שָֽׁקֶר׃
עֵ֣ד אֱ֭מוּנִים לֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב וְיָפִ֥יחַ כְּ֝זָבִ֗ים עֵ֣ד שָֽׁקֶר׃
Ben Putnam
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Re: A question about syntax
So it could be written יעקב בלוא יכזב ?Ben Putnam wrote:lo לא would be the normal way of negating. belo בלא/בלוא would have a meaning similar to 'without'. See Proverbs 14:5 for a similar construction.
משלי 14:5
עֵ֣ד אֱ֭מוּנִים לֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב וְיָפִ֥יחַ כְּ֝זָבִ֗ים עֵ֣ד שָֽׁקֶר׃
And that construction would be acceptable (and grammatically correct)?
Michael Gerard Burke
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Re: A question about syntax
Are there exceptions to this rule?markofcain wrote:As a general rule the negation comes immediately before the element negated.
So you would find Hab 2:3 to be written as וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב = "and it will not lie"
For example, are there times when the negation comes immediately after the element negated?
(Like in English, if I were to say "I kid you not," instead of saying "I'm not kidding you.")
Would it make any sense to write the following?
אכזב לא
Or
אהרון יכזב בלוא
Michael Gerard Burke
- Ben Putnam
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Re: A question about syntax
I don't think יעקב בלא יכזב would work for what you want to say.
With לא I may very well be wrong here, but I think it has to immediately precede the word and cannot be placed after it.
With לא I may very well be wrong here, but I think it has to immediately precede the word and cannot be placed after it.
Ben Putnam