Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/497



H. G. Mitchell, ‘The omission of the interrogative particle,’ in, Chicago, 1907, i, 113 ff.

1. A question need not necessarily be introduced by a special interrogative pronoun or adverb. Frequently the natural emphasis upon the words is of itself sufficient to indicate an interrogative sentence as such; cf. (but cf. note 1 below), ;   , ,   (but cf. note 1); , , , ,  (should it also be marvellous in mine eyes?);. So especially, when the interrogative clause is connected with a preceding sentence by, e.g.   will they not stone us? , , , , , , , , 4419 b, , , , , , ; or when (as in some of the examples just given) it is negative (with  for ),  (but cf. note 1),.

Rem. The statement formerly made here that the interrogative particle is omitted especially before gutturals, cannot be maintained in view of Mitchell’s statistics (op. cit. p. 123 f.). The supposed considerations of euphony are quite disproved by the 118 cases in which or  occurs before a guttural.

2. As a rule, however, the simple question is introduced by He interrogative (as to its form, cf. –), ''ne? num? the disjunctive question by (num? utrum?) in the first clause, and  (also, less frequently ) an?'' in the second, e.g.