Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis 125 (2008) MAREK PIELA Instytut Filologii Orientalnej FOUR TOPICS IN MODERN HEBREW GRAMMAR* I. Idem per idem A relative clause that repeats exactly the content of the main clause is called idem per idem in Hebrew grammar because such a clause does not explain anything if אהיה אשר אהיה interpreted literally.1 Its most famous example is the biblical (Exodus 3: 14) ‘You can call me as you want,’ lit. ‘I am who I am.’ The use of idem per idem in the Hebrew Bible was studied by Ogden (1992). Some of his conclusions are valid for Modern Hebrew, as I will demonstrate. Peretz (1967: 146–148) ascribes two meanings to idem per idem relative sentences: 1. In some contexts they express a general, vague reference, if the speaker does not want to refer more precisely to the content.2 In the example given by Peretz: he entered the place that he entered,’ the author used‘ 3(יומא ה, ג) נכנס לַמקום שנכנס idem per idem in order not to mention the Holy of Holies, whose name was taboo. 2. In other contexts idem per idem sentences express ‘decisiveness,’ what has‘ מה שנעשה – נעשה ואין להשיב :according to Peretz, and his example is been done, has been done and it is impossible to change it.’4 The aim of this paper is to describe the functions of relative sentences of the idem per idem type in modern literary Hebrew more closely. * The paper is based on an earlier lecture presented by the author at the Plenary Session of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow Branch, held on 17 December 2007. 1 The term idem per idem is used by Ogden (1992). His definition of the term is insufficient, since it confines the identity of the main and the relative clause to the same verb used in both of them. 2 Lagarde (cf. Ogden 1992: 109) interpreted biblical instances of the idem per idem type in the same way. .לַמָּקום my translation follows Blackman who reads ,לְִמקום Peretz reads 3 4 Cf. the interpretation of Gen 43: 14 and Esther 4: 16 by Ogden (1992: 115–116). 122 MAREK PIELA 1. “It does not matter” In most instances an idem per idem sentence means ‘It does not matter.’5 Exam- ples of this use are given below: 1. Here [...] in the care of these two Turks, nothing bad will happen to him, ( ראובני outside. (61 ,(יהיה שם אשר יהיה) irrespective of what would be there 2. He will not go to her to make his peace with her, he will not make the ( ראובני 63) .(יהיה אשר יהיה) first step, irrespective of what will happen 3. He will not relinquish her, irrespective of what she will be like (ראובני 72) .(תהיה אשר תהיה) 4. You cannot get anything out of them, irrespective of how much they put (ראובני) .(יכניסו בהם כמה שיכניסו) in them 5. It was enough for him to feel the steps of an approaching person, who- .immediately he stopped talking [...] (ויהי המתקרב מי שיהיה) ever it was (ראובני 126) 6. Let the evening be wonderful. It does not matter how much it will cost ( באר 216) .(יעלה כמה שיעלה) ( ראובני it does not matter. (119 – (פנה לאשר תפנה) Turn wherever you want .7 ( גרוסמן 216) .(יהיה מה שיהיה) This tree, the bush, or whatever it is .8 even the greatest misbeliever, once he will ,(יהי מי שיהיה) Whoever he is .9 ( ראובני surely go. (287 ( הסיפור 218) .(תהי עבודתו מה שתהי) irrespective of what his job was [...] .10 11. [...] irrespective of what the thing that I wanted to check was ( הראבן 200) .(יהיה אשר יהיה הדבר) In the passages cited above the idem per idem sentences mean that what is form is used even if the יקטול stated in them does not affect other events. The reference is to the past (ex. 5, 10, 11) or to the present (ex. 8–9). The jussive form of the verb can be used (ex. 5, 10). The idem per idem construction expresses here the condition for other events that is cancelled. The construction can mean ‘it does not matter’ without this מה איכפת? ... יהיה אשר יהיה...ילך באשר ילך :conditional sense in the context ‘Everything is indifferent to him, he thinks “Come what may”, he is ready to go The possible paraphrases of idem per idem sentences of .( ראובני anywhere’ (389 Whatever you tell her, every‘ מה שתספר לה - היא לעולם תחזור ותספר :this kind are מה שלא יהיה, אשתדל להשאר ;( קרנר time she will tell [...] again and again’ (238 I will go‘ אסע לאן שלא יהיה ,( קרנר Whatever happens, I will try to stay’ (224‘ The former .( הראבן whatever happens’ (119‘ מה שלא יקרה ,( הראבן wherever’ (171 variant (without negation) is better Hebrew than the latter one (with negation), which seems to be influenced by Polish or Russian. Other expressions that convey -he is shuffling along, irrespec‘ כמה שהוא מזדרז, אינו אלא נגרר :the same meaning are ’come (on us) what may‘ יעבור עלינו מה הסיפור ,(tive of how much he hastens’ (9 the feeling of pride is‘ רגש הכבוד מפותח הוא אצל בני האדם באשר הם שם ,( הסיפור 85) .( הסיפור developed in human beings, irrespective of where they are’ (129 5 Cf. a similar interpretation of biblical instances of the idem per idem type in Ogden 1992: 110–113. Four topics in Modern Hebrew grammar 123 2. ‘It must be accepted’ Idem per idem sentences are used to say that what is stated in them must be accepted because it cannot be changed. This use is illustrated by the following examples: .[and you must accept that] (אבוא מתי שאבוא) I will come back when I want .1 ( שחם 141) .( באר 223) .(מה שהיה היה) I must accept what happened .2 ( גרוסמן 40) .(מה שאירע אירע) You must accept what happened .3 ( הסיפור 242) .(מה שקנוי קנוי) You must accept the fact that you have bought it .4 5. Unfortunately, it is impossible to cancel / change / withdraw what he has ( הסיפור 381) .(ומה שעשה עשוי) been done This use is defined by Peretz as ‘decisiveness.’ Polish idem per idem sen- tences have a similar meaning: Jestem, jaki jestem means ‘you must accept what I am like.’ 3. ‘I do not want or I am not able to be more precise’ Another use of idem per idem is exemplified by the following passages: 1. He noticed the glance that Hasan Bek gave him when he said something .(ראובני to his servants. (219 (אמר מה שאמר) .(ועשו מה שעשו) The officials were sitting inside and doing something .2 .( ראובני 377) .( שחם 117) .(דיווח השוטר למי שדיווח) The policeman reported to somebody .3 .( ראובני 213) .(ישבו באשר ישבו) They sat down just anywhere .4 It was running ;( מספרים 338) .(והלכו באשר הלכו) They went somewhere .5 .(ראובני , סיפורים 15) .(רצה לאשר רצה) somewhere .( הסיפור 35) .(והשתדל כמה שהשתדל) He tried for some time .6 .( הסיפור 276) .(חוזרת ברכה ממקום שחוזרת) Bracha returns from somewhere .7 .( מספרים 110) .(חזר ממקום שחזר) He returned from such a place .8 .( שחם 273) .(אם סיפרה מה שסיפרה) If she told it .9 הסיפור .(8) .(ויעשה מה שיעשה) He will do it .10 .( קרנר 154) .(אמר מה שאמר) He said it .11 .( הסיפור 241) .( קרה מה שקרה) It happened .12 .[i.e. the corpse] ( ראובני 406) .(מצאו מה שמצאו) They found it .13 uncle Zelig :(איחל לי כול אחד מה שאיחל) Each one wished me something .14 .( הסיפור said: [...]. (296 .( הסיפור 398) .(והנה אירע מה שאירע) This [that I described above] happened .15 .( הסיפור 398) .(שאלתי את מי ששאלתי) I asked somebody .16 ( הראבן 21) .(הגרמנים הגיעו לאן שהגיעו) The Germans finished by doing it .17 [i.e. they caused war]. .[i.e. I hurt my boy friend] ( הראבן 23) .(עשיתי מה שעשיתי) I did it .18 -i.e. they had sexual inter] ( בואי 213) .(עשו את מה שעשו) They did it .19 course]. 124 MAREK PIELA The idem per idem sentence is used: a. if there is no need or possibility to be more precise, i.e. neither speaker nor hearer knows details (ex. 1–7, 16). The possible paraphrases are ,(ex. 4) ישבו איפה שנזדמן ,(ex. 3) דיווח למישהו ,(ex. 2) עשו משהו ,(ex. 1) אמר משהו ,(ex. 5) הלכו לאן שהוא b. if a more precise formulation appeared in the immediate context and the hearer remembers the details (ex. 8–11, 15), or he will be informed of them in the following passage (ex. 12, 14). The possible paraphrases are ,(ex. 9) אם סיפרה זאת ,(ex. 8) חזר ממקום כזה c. if the speaker does not want to use more precise expressions (in order not to violate the taboo), although the hearer can guess what is meant (ex. 13, 17–19), as in Yoma 5, 3. It seems that Polish idem per idem sentences have the meanings b and c. II. The absolute infinitive According to Glinert (2004: 225, 530, 544) the absolute infinitive is used in he‘ השכים קוּם ’,he went far‘ הרחיק לכת :Modern Hebrew only in a few idioms he stressed repeatedly.’ Incidentally, Glinert‘ הדגיש חזור והדגש ’,rose early to be absolute infinitives: these are construct קוּם and לכת wrongly considers So the only correct statement .קוֹם and הָלוֹך infinitives, and the absolute ones are made by Glinert that refers to the absolute infinitive, is that this form is a part of a construction expressing repetitive action. Rosén (1966: 315) suggests that the absolute infinitive exists only in biblical Hebrew. Aronson Berman (1978: 313) points out three functions of this form in Modern Hebrew: modal and intensive, they went completely away,’ and‘ הלוך הלכו ’,she will surely come‘ בוא תבוא as in like Glinert).