The Syntax and Pragmatics of Pronouns in Northwest Semitic Texts

Attention to the pronominal system in NWS languages has focused mostly on morphological issues, such as the development of 3ms suffixed pronouns or the variation in the forms of the accusative and genitive pronouns. In this paper I will instead focus on the syntactic and pragmatic roles of independent pronouns, including the development of the pronominal copula in NWS.