Uses of GAR
Steven Lo Vullo
slovullo at mac.com
Mon Sep 23 19:22:57 EDT 2002
Hi all:
Since we have Dr. Wheeler's ear, I thought I would take the opportunity
to ask a question that has been on my mind for some time now, and may
be of general interest. I think Iver has commented on this before, so I
would welcome his input (and that of others) as well.
As I have been reading through and diagramming the GNT, I have taken
special note of the conjunction GAR. Accordance tags it two ways,
conjunction coordinating explanatory (796x), and conjunction
subordinating causal (241x). The totals pretty much confirmed the
impression I had formed while reading along: that GAR as a coordinating
explanatory conjunction is far and away the more common of the two
uses. I suspect, furthermore, that the causal use is even more
infrequent than Accordance gives it credit for. For example, it is hard
to see how its use in Rom 7.1 (GINWSKOUSIN GAR NOMON LALW) can be
considered subordinating causal, since this clause seems to be
parenthetical. In addition, I have found few places where I would
consider it truly causal. As a subordinating conjunction it seems to
mark reason rather than cause. In many of the places where cause is
possible, reason seems to be equally possible if not more probable.
Anyway, the problem I am having is that there are times when Accordance
chooses one tag where I would have chosen the other. There are other
times when I have trouble deciding WHICH is more probable. To add to my
confusion is the UBSGNT punctuation system. I am supposing (someone
please correct me if I am wrong) that when a comma precedes the GAR
clause, the editors' have taken GAR as subordinating, and when a period
or semicolon/colon precedes the GAR clause, they have taken it as
coordinating. Here too I sometimes have trouble understanding the
decision.
So my question is this: How did you decide when to tag as coordinating
explanatory and when to tag as subordinating causal? Did you follow a
set of criteria, or is this more of an "art"? Does anyone have
suggestions on how to definitively tell the two uses apart? Thanks for
any help.
============
Steven R. Lo Vullo
Madison, WI
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