Conjunction

Summary

A conjunction is a word that shows a relationship between two different words, phrases, sentences, or even entire paragraphs. In other words, conjunctions are grammatical connectors. The most common conjunctions in English are “and,” “or,” “but,” and “for.” Conjunctions are closely related to both sentential adverbs and particles.

Some particles in Biblical Aramaic are closely related to conjunctions.

Article

Biblical Aramaic contains only one primary conjunction (the prefix וְ), but a whole family of other words also function as conjunctions. In Biblical Aramaic, particles and conjunctions are often combined with each other to form compound conjunctions. Compound conjunctions should not be considered merely as the sum of the components, but rather as a single grammatical entity with its own range of meanings which may or may not be different than the individual component words.

There are eight major categories of conjunctions. There are others as well, but these are the main kinds of conjunctions: conjunctive (“and”); alternative (“or”); contrastive (“but”); explicative (“surely”); causal (“for”); conditional (“if”); concessive (“except”); restrictive (“only”).

Sentences in Biblical Aramaic often begin with the conjunction ו (as either a consonant or a shureq vowel). This conjunction וְ (“and”) cannot stand alone as an independent word but must be connected to another word as a prefix. This can be added to a noun, a verb, a pronoun, or a particle. The shewa in וְ can lengthen to a vowel, usually pathah (when paired with the definite article) or qamets (when paired with both the article and a ה prefix), but others are also possible.

Note

The conjunction וְ is often left untranslated when it begins a sentence or clause.

Also, the conjunction is often added between every item of a list in Biblical Aramaic; but in English the וְ may not be translated for each item.

-וְ

Form

The conjunction וְ can appear as a prefix to either a word or particle.

Function

The conjunction וְ can express any of the following connective relationships:

Conjunctive

A conjunctive conjunction simply joins two words/phrases/sentences together and is usually translated as “and” in English. This kind of conjunction can be used either comparatively (joining similar ideas) or contrastively (joining dissimilar ideas).

Alternative

An alternative conjunction compares two words/phrases/sentences as alternates and is usually translated as “or” in English.

Contrastive

A contrastive conjunction contrasts two words/phrases/sentences as different in some way and is usually translated as “but” in English.

Causal

A causal conjunction expresses a relationship of cause (of some kind) between two grammatical items. These can include a relationship of reason or result as well as a relationship of purpose or goal. However, sometimes it is extremely difficult to distinguish between a causal conjunction that expresses purpose/goal and one that expresses reason/result.

expresses reason or result

This kind of causal conjunction expresses either the reason for or the result of an action/event. In English, it is usually translated as “for” or “because”.

expresses purpose or goal

This kind of causal conjunction expresses the purpose for or intended outcome of an action/event. In English, it is usually translated as “for” or “so that”.

Conditional

A conditional conjunction introduces either a hypothetical situation or an actual situation, as determined by the context.

expresses a hypothetical condition

A hypothetical condition expresses an imaginary action or event that has not actually happened in reality. This kind of conditional conjunction is usually translated as “if” in English. Hypothetical conditions have potential to convey many different nuances of possibility and/or desirability.

expresses an actual condition

An actual condition expresses an action or event that has actually happened in reality, and is usually translated as “when” or “while” in English. Usually, this kind of condition indicates something that is happening concurrently with the main action/event being described, or something that has happened in the past in certain circumstances.

A restrictive conjunction sets apart a clause or phrase as unique within its context. Sometimes this restrictive function emphasizes a particular item as the most important or most prominent; in these cases, the conjunction is similar in meaning to an affirmative conjunction. At other times, however, this restrictive function introduces a particular limitation to something previously expressed; in these cases, this conjunction is similar in meaning to a concessive conjunction.

expresses an actual condition

An actual condition expresses an action or event that has actually happened in reality, and is usually translated as “when” or “while” in English. Usually, this kind of condition indicates something that is happening concurrently with the main action/event being described, or something that has happened in the past in certain circumstances.

Compound conjunctions

Note

Sometimes multiple conjunctions or particles appear together but do NOT form a compound conjunction; in such cases, each word retains its individual range of meanings. These instances must be determined from the context. If in doubt, consult a dictionary or lexicon for the exact meaning of any specific occurrence.