Culture as an Underlying Factor for Xhosa and Biblical Hebrew Aspectual Verbs

Ntozakhe Simon Cezula

doi:10.25159/2663-6573/19265

Authors

Ntozakhe Simon Cezula University of Stellenbosch https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7833-5730

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/19265

Keywords:

Aspect, Chronological Time, Event-Based Time, Imperfect-Perfect, Past-Present-Future, Tense

Abstract

Scholars have long observed that Biblical Hebrew differs from English and other Indo-European languages in its verbal system. Levinsohn notes that Hebrew conveys aspect rather than tense, requiring translators to infer tense from context, while LaSor underscores the importance of interpreting Hebrew terms within their native linguistic framework. This article explores why Biblical Hebrew prioritises aspect over tense and investigates whether this distinction carries significant implications for interpretation and the construction of meaning. To engage these questions, the study examines how cultural world-views serve as an underlying factor in the prominence of aspectual verbs in Xhosa and Biblical Hebrew, providing a comparative lens for deeper linguistic and hermeneutical insights.

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