Work in Progress

last updated 2021-Feb-12

You are free to read and use these documents, provided only that you give me constructive feedback. Thanks in advance!

This index now includes all papers in:

• Distributed Generative Masoretics (DGM) (2021- )
• Generative Masoretics in Progress (2008-2020)
• Information Studies (2006-2007)
• Finance and Macroeconomics (2001-2003)

Doctoral Thesis

The thesis takes the so-called enigma of the Hebrew verbal system as a problem in generative grammar. The formal model integrates phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatic/discourse analysis. Important proposals include verb movement and topicalization in an SVO system, and an alternative analysis of tense, mood and aspect. Both proposals have a bearing on exegesis and discourse analysis.

Supervisors: John Revell, Elizabeth Cowper.

ISBN: 0-612-02741-4
Diss. Abstracts: AAT NN02741
ILLO University of Toronto: theses NEAST 1995 Ph.D. 6298 ROBA

Electronic Publications

• DeCaen, Vincent, and B. Elan Dresher. 2020. "Pausal Forms and Prosodic Structure in Tiberian Hebrew". Pp. 331-377 in Studies in Semitic Vocalisation and Reading Traditions, Cambridge Semitic Languages and Cultures, no. 3. Edited by Aaron D. Hornkohl and Geoffrey Khan. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers. [.pdf]
• Cowper, Elizabeth, and Vincent DeCaen. 2017. "Biblical Hebrew: A Formal Perspective on the Left Periphery". Toronto Working Papers in Linguistics: vol. 38. [.pdf]
• "Hebrew Linguistics and Biblical Criticism: A Minimalist Programme". 2001. Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 3.6. [.pdf]
  (also published in Perspectives on Hebrew Scriptures (2006))

• DGM I: Tiberian Hebrew Metrical Phonology: Evidence from Musical Transformations [.pdf]
• DGM II: /CVC/ Clitics in Tiberian Aramaic [.pdf]
• DGM III: Tiberian Hebrew Postlexical Phonology: Stress Retraction and External Gemination with Selah [.pdf]
• DGM IV: Tiberian Hebrew Postlexical Phonology: Stress Retraction and External Gemination with the Demonstrative Zeh [.pdf]
• DGM V: Tiberian Hebrew External Gemination: A Generative Analysis of the Special Case of Segol [.pdf]
• DGM VI: Tiberian Hebrew Postlexical Phonology: Stress Retraction and External Gemination with Verbs in -eh [.pdf]
• DGM VII: Tiberian Hebrew Stress Retraction and the Two Rules of Contextualization" [.pdf]
• DGM VIII: [.pdf]

Manuscripts

• Cowper, Elizabeth, and Vincent DeCaen. "A Unified Account of the Infinitive Absolute in Biblical Hebrew". (2018). Second Workshop on Biblical Hebrew Linguistics and Philology, Hebrew University, June 26-28, 2018. [.docx]
• Review article [Hebrew lexicography] on The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, edited by David A. J. Clines. (2014). Hebrew Higher Education 16:197-217. [.pdf]
• "Generalizing Asymmetric Coordination with Anaphoric Pronoun". (2017). Boston SBL2017, S19-230. [.pdf] [.ppt]
• "On the Syntax and Semantics of the Biblical Hebrew Infinitive Absolute". (2014). San Diego SBL2014, S22-230. [.pdf] [.ppt]
• "Octosyllabism in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: Toward a Tetrametrical Analysis". (2014). San Diego SBL2014, S24-306. [.pdf] [.ppt]
• "The Polar Question and the Syntax and Semantics of the Verb in Biblical Hebrew: Genesis to Deuteronomy."
  rough first draft, Gen-Deut for now (Dec 2011) [.pdf]
• "Theme and Variation in Psalm 111: Phrase and Foot in Generative-Metrical Perspective". (2009). Journal of Semitic Studies 54.1. Pre-publication draft [.pdf]
• "On the Semantics of Modal Coordination in Biblical Hebrew: A Strictly Compositional Approach to Truth-Functional Operators for Natural Language".
  draft 2 (2001) [.doc]

• "Tiberian Hebrew Pause and the Past Tense: A Lexico-Semantic Contrast Revealed" -or- "Tiberian Hebrew Has (At Least Four Vowels and Why It Matters)". (2019). San Diego SBL2019. [.pdf][.ppt]
• with Elan Dresher, "The Vowel System of Tiberian Hebrew". (2019). Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto Phonology/Phonetics Workshop (MOT2019). [.ppt]
• with Elan Dresher, "Pausal Forms and Prosodic Structure in Tiberian Hebrew". (2018). Denver SBL2018. [.ppt]
• with Elan Dresher, "Prosodic Dependency in Tiberian Hebrew". (2018). Second Workshop on Biblical Hebrew Linguistics and Philology, Hebrew University, June 26-28, 2018. [.ppt]
• with Elan Dresher, "Pausal Forms and Prosodic Structure in Tiberian Hebrew". (2018). Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto Phonology/Phonetics Workshop (MOT2018) [.ppt]
• "On the Formal Definition of "Long Word" in Tiberian Hebrew: Diagnostic, Database, Generative Analysis, and Implications". (2009). Boston SBL2008. [.pdf]
• "A Taxonomy of Clitics in Tiberian Hebrew: Evidence from the Dechi Phrase".
  summary notes (Summer 2009) [.pdf]
• "On the Placement of Secondary Metheg (Musical Ga`ya) in Tiberian Hebrew: Evidence from the Dechi Phrase".
  summary notes (Summer 2009) [.pdf]
• "On the Nature and Distribution of Nesiga (Stress Retraction) in Tiberian Hebrew: Evidence from the Dechi Phrase regarding Simplification, Virtual Disjunctives and Align XP".
  rough draft (Summer 2009) [.pdf]
• "The Eight Phonemic Vowels of Tiberian Hebrew: Evidence from Segholate Nouns."
  paper for revision (June 1999), with addenda (Oct 2011) [.pdf]
• "Collated List of Occurrences of Nesiga."
  (August 2009) [doc]
• "A Prosodic Analysis of Stress-retraction (Nesiga) in Tiberian Hebrew: Prosodic Structure and Optimality-theoretic Constraints".
  proofs of concept (Aug/2009): D3/D4 [doc], Poetry [pdf], "Oddballs" [pdf]
• "The Dark Matter of Hebrew Poetry: A Generative-metrical Analysis of the Biblical Tetrameter, With an Application to Psalms 111-112, Proverbs 31:10-31, and Lamentations 5".
  rough circulation draft (April 2011) [.pdf]
• "Toward a Prosodic-Phrasing Algorithm for Tiberian Hebrew."
  draft 9 (June 2011) [.pdf]
• "On the Intonational Phrase in Tiberian Hebrew: The Nature and Distribution of Pausal Phonology".
  rough circulation draft (June 2011) [.pdf]
• "A Biblical Hebrew Iambic Tetrameter: Proof of Concept Psalm 111".
  revised submission draft, currently out to referees (Nov 2011) [.pdf]

• "Investigating the Value of Qualitative Citation Analysis for the Work of Academic Reference Librarians: A Case Study in Feminist Geography." [.doc]
• "La Trahison des Bibliothécaires: A Century of Collection-Development Philosophy." [.doc]
• "There is no F in QWERTY: On the Locking-in of KE Classification Three Decades Later." [.doc]
  Now appearing in the Canadian Law Library Review 33.5:445-448..
• "Margaret Bloy Graham (1920- )." [.doc]
• "On the Child's Right to Information under Articles 13 and 17 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: The Public Librarian's Moral Obligation to Both Empower and Protect." [.doc]
• "Information Malpractice: Understanding the Liabilities of the Independent Information Professional (IIP)." [.doc]
• "Knowledge Management as Trojan Horse: Subversive Aspects of an Age-old Concept." [.doc]