---
title: "Va'yehi as a Discourse Marker in Kings — Li 2006"
description: "Not read: the PDF could not be fetched. From the title: a study of וַיְהִי (\"and it was / and it came to pass\") in the books of Kings, arguing that in…"
authors: ["Tarsee Li"]
year: 2006
venue: "Digital Commons - Andrews University (Andrews University)"
source: "https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/auss/vol44/iss2/4"
licence: "Open access (free to read); no CC licence stated — read only (Digital Commons - Andrews University (Andrews University))"
summary_licence: "Elamur Cosmic License"
canonical: "https://research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/hbo-2006-li-va-yehi-discourse-marker-kings/"
---
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# Va'yehi as a Discourse Marker in Kings

**Authors:** Tarsee Li · **Year:** 2006 · **Venue:** Andrews University Seminary Studies 44/2 **Link:** [digitalcommons.andrews.edu/auss/vol44/iss2/4](https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/auss/vol44/iss2/4) · not in the library (download refused, HTTP 403, 2026-10-17) · **Licence:** free to read, no CC licence — summary only

[**1** citations](https://openalex.org/works?filter=cites:W2727708480) OpenAlex · 2026-10-14 · [Digital Commons - Andrews University (Andrews University)](https://openalex.org/S4377196503)

- [Publisher's page](https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/auss/vol44/iss2/4)
- [PDF](https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2957&context=auss)
- [OpenAlex](https://openalex.org/W2727708480)

**Authors (1)**

1. [Tarsee Li](https://openalex.org/A5050377518) h 2 · 53 citations · 26 works

Citations and author metrics: OpenAlex, 2026-10-14; authors with the same name are not always told apart.

## What it is about

**Not read: the PDF could not be fetched.** From the title: a study of וַיְהִי ("and it was / and it came to pass") in the books of Kings, arguing that in many of its uses it is not a full verb but a discourse marker — it introduces a temporal setting (וַיְהִי + time phrase or infinitive clause), opens a new episode, or marks a turning point in the story. The paper presumably separates these marker uses from וַיְהִי as a real copula or existential verb ("there was …", "X became …"). Check against the text.

## Ideas

- I1. (to check) Split every Torah וַיְהִי into two classes by tree shape: *marker* (followed by a temporal PP, בְּ/כְּ + infinitive, or a time noun, and then a wayyiqtol main clause) versus *verb* (with its own subject or predicate). Count each.
- I2. (to check) Marker וַיְהִי as an episode boundary: measure how often it falls at or right after a Masoretic paragraph mark.
- I3. In the trees, attach marker וַיְהִי as a discourse element (`discourse` or `mark`) rather than as the root, and keep the following wayyiqtol as the clause head; compare with PTNK.

## For Mova

I1–I2 go into [languages/hbo/09-discourse.md](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/hbo/09-discourse/) §5 (וַיְהִי) and `src/prag.rs`; I3 is a converter choice in `tools/macula` to measure against PTNK with `macula compare`. Re-read once the PDF is in.

Topics: [Discourse analysis](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/topics/discourse-analysis/)

## Cite

The paper itself, not this card. BibTeX from the library's record of the work.

```bibtex
@inproceedings{li2006va,
  title = {{Va'yehi as a Discourse Marker in Kings}},
  author = {Li, Tarsee},
  booktitle = {Digital Commons - Andrews University (Andrews University)},
  year = {2006},
  url = {https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/auss/vol44/iss2/4}
}
```

- [← previous Using Phrasal Patterns to Identify Discourse Relations](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/saito-2006-phrasal-patterns-identify-discourse-relations/)
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