The Structure of Interjections in Biblical Hebrew: Phonetics, Morphology, and Syntax

Abstract

This article studies the compliance of Biblical Hebrew (BH) interjections with the formal prototype of interjections formulated in linguistic typology. The authors demonstrate that, globally, the lexical class of interjections in Biblical Hebrew exhibits a semi-canonical and thus semi-extra-systematic profile as far as its form is concerned. Locally, the levels of canonicity and extra-systematicity of BH interjections are uneven—high in morphology and moderate in phonology and syntax.