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Document Details :

Title: Responses to Polar Questions in Biblical Hebrew
Author(s): KIM, Yoo-ki
Journal: Revue Biblique
Volume: 126    Issue: 3   Date: 2019   
Pages: 344-359
DOI: 10.2143/RBI.126.3.3286846

Abstract :
In Biblical Hebrew, the one-word answer to polar questions does not always constitute the most important element of the question as traditional grammars suggest. Generative approaches that account for the one-word in terms of the deletion of the rest of the sentence does not do justice to the intentions of the respondent. This article examines various types of responses to polar questions in their narrative context, especially the question-answer pairs where the question begins with השׁלום. Different types of responses both reflect and clarify the narrative situation and the respondent’s attitude toward the questioner.



En hébreu biblique, la réponse en un mot aux questions totales ne constitue pas toujours l’élément le plus important de la question comme le suggèrent les grammaires traditionnelles. L’approche générative qui tient compte de ce mot en termes de suppression du reste de la phrase ne rend pas justice aux intentions du répondant. Cet article examine divers types de réponses aux questions totales dans leur contexte narratif, en particulier les paires question-réponse où la question commence par השׁלום. Différents types de réponses reflètent et clarifient la situation narrative et l’attitude du répondant à l’égard de l’interrogateur.

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