"Near" (was: Re: Matthew 4:17 'near')

Joe A. Friberg JoeFriberg at email.msn.com
Sat Dec 4 04:44:51 EST 1999


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Craig Miller" <scmiller at www.plantnet.com>


> To: Randall Buth,
>
> JAF: << The term 'near' says that the subject is *outside* of a
significant
> boundary ... >>
>
> I will note that you quoted this statement from Joe A. Friberg, without
> giving any credit as to who wrote it. That makes it hard for us who are
> trying to follow the flow of thought and would like to go back and see
this
> statement in its full context.
>
> RB: << I wouldn't buy that one for Hebrew. E.g. Jonah 1.5-7 has the
captain
> come right up to Jonah's face. >>
>
> I think you are absolutely correct, what might be true for English and/or
> Greek is not necessarily true for a similar word in Hebrew. The Hebrew
verb
> QRB seems at times to mean more than merely "be near," rather it seems to
> mean also "approach" and even be "present." Here the NRSV simply
translates
> it as "came."
>
> IMO the semantic domain of "near" & "far" refers to two terms which are
> simply relative points of orientation (from the view point of the speaker)
> which says nothing about absolute distance (or time).

Steve: putting together what you and I have been saying, we have been
discussing two critical contrasts:
near vs. far, and
near vs. here.

> The English adverb
> "near" can refer to this semantic domain and mean "at, within, or to a
> short distance or time," but this same adverb can also mean "in a close or
> intimate manner." This seems to me to be a different semantic domain. To
my
> knowledge, neither the Greek term EGGUS, nor the cognate verb EGGIZW,
> carries this meaning, although I wouldn't be surprised if someone found
> such an example, since it seems to me to be a natural extension of this
term.

I am having a bit of trouble identifying this adverbial use; any examples?
I did find a similar listing as an adjective in my on line dictionary, with
the example given of:
'a near and dear friend'
But here, (an example of a frozen hendiadys), I understand 'near' to add to
the basic phrase 'a dear friend' something like 'frequency and amount time
spent together due to proximity'.  I question the grammaticality of the
independent phrase:
? 'a near friend' (but if it is used, I could understand it as implying
intimacy),
whereas, 'a near relative' implies not intimacy but closeness in kinship.

You are right that the extension to intimacy is not a long jump.  If it is
made, what does that do to the near vs. here cotrast?  It either neutralizes
it or remains in the form of 'I vs. you'; i.e., two people, though intimate,
remain distinct.  I better stop speculating in the absence of further
examples!

God Bless!
Joe A. Friberg






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