6. The Construction Wa-qaṭal in CBH

Chapter 6 investigates the wa-qaṭal construction in Classical Hebrew. If qatal was originally a resultative formation, also for wa-qatal we must assume the resultative meaning to be prototypical. This is the reason for its frequent use as apodosis in conditional linkings and as result clause in modal sequences. The precursors of the wa-qaṭal construction with result meaning are attested in early Northwest Semitic. It is shown that wa-qaṭal is a construction in the same sense as the English future construction of to be going to: the constituent parts are analysable, but the meanings of the construction cannot be deducted from its constituents. Proto Hebrew resultative uses of the wa-qaṭal clause-type—in modal sequences and as apodosis—probably became the basis for the new construction wa-qaṭal, which is a distinguishing feature of Classical Hebrew. The interaction of wa-qaṭal as result clause with the long yiqṭol in many domain types developed into an alternation between a discontinuous X-yiqṭol(u) and a continuous wa-qaṭal, both usually expressing future or obligation.