A manual of the Chaldee language - PubMan

$$54--56. SYNTAX OF VEBBS j OPTATIVE, ETC. 69
Q 54. Optative mood.
4
This IS indicated in Chaldee, either,
a. By the simple future (compare Q 50) ; or,
b. By questions expressing desire ; e. g. Judg. 9: 29, N%p n: ?Qn.
who will deliver this people to me ? i. e. would that this people were under
my control. Especially is the formula 19 (camp. Heb. 7 ~ qq) :
employed in thia optative sense; e. g. Deut. m. 67, Nl?Y fB, Oh
that it were evening, lit. who will give evening ?
c. By -1; with the Future, when the wish respects future time; as
72;~ t~z~?; TI!?, may he stand before thee ! Gen.17: 18.-With the Praeter
when the wish regards time past ; e. g. Num. 20: 3, ~2q-n~ -15, Oh
that we hadaW! *
.Q 55. Agreement of the verb with its subject.
1. The gencral principles, as well as most anomalies,
are the same here as in Hebrew. ., See Heb. Gram. 9
479, seq.'
2. When a verb has several predicates it is generally
put in the plural, comp. Heb. Gram. 481,493. Some-
times however, especially when the verb precedes the pre-
dicates, it is singular; so Gen 8: 16. Num. 20: 11.
Q 56. Impersonal verb3 and verbs with indejnite Nominatives.
1. Impersonal verbs are as in Hebrew (cornp. Heb.
Grammar $ 498), simply th h third person singular of
personal verbs without any Nominative. They also
take a Dative; e. g. 1 Sam. 30: 6. 7775 npp, David was
.*: --.
distressed. .ir
'2. To express the idea of a verb with an indefinite
Nominative ;
(a) The 3d person singular is sometimes employed
exactly as in impersonal verbs; e. g. ~b995 .. . ~
--*
D soid N
(some one) to Joseph ;
(b) The 3d pers. plur. ; which frequently rnust be
b