[B-Greek] Re: Predicate as topic, word order Jc 5:17

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Tue Jun 28 11:34:26 EDT 2005


Iver XAIREIN, 
I agree that one should not have 'Focus' as a part of the grammar for
the end of a sentence in Greek. However, we still need to account for
post verb order with more than "prominence to the left". I like your
first example, though I think it contradicts your principle and proves
the opposite.
 
Iver EGRAPSE
>James 5:17c KAI OUK EBREXEN EPI THS GHS ENIAUTOUS TREIS [KAI MHNAS
hEX]
He [Levinsohn-RB] suggests without giving reasons that the "three
years" is 
more focal than "on the earth", and that is why it is placed last. 
But why more focal? The important point is not how long the draught
lasted, 
but that it indeed did not rain on the earth after Elijah had prayed
for it 
not to rain. The placement is explained without problem by the general

relative prominence principle. (I.e. the relatively more prominent 
constituent is placed towards the left).> 
 
I would have to agree with Levinsohn that 'on the earth' is much less
salient than 'three years'. (Yes, I use a different word, 'salient',
because I am not invoking a special Focus structure to move anything
to the end.) As "proof", please delete the phrase 'on the earth' and
reread. It still makes excellent sense. "It didn't rain for three
years". 'on the earth' is what we can call highly assumed, even
'insipid' information. It is not "more prominent". At this point I
would say that 'left prominence' mis-predicts. The time period is most
naturally read as more salient than place. 
 
We are looking at a common process in languages. In Hebrew there is a
'quiet spot' after the verb and after the subject. For example
vayyomer elav ha-melex "and-said to-him the king". The 'to him' is
insipid, highly-assumed. The process happens alot, and while often
with pronouns, it occasionally drops noun phrases into the 'quiet
spot'. This is a subspecies of topicalization-to-the-left. It is a
'de-marking', lowering from normal salience status.  Please note, it
is not a marked Topic [=contextualization] serving as a point of
reference to the larger context. As soon as these 'quiet spots' are
recognized, then what is called 'final-position  Focus' is actually
unmarked though naturally salient. This is like the joke where an army
commander asks for a volunteer and everyone takes a step backwards
leaving the 'volunteer' standing in his original place. [[As for
English "final Focus", there are actually two structures: (a) salient
information that comes at the end (this is not FOCUS, even though last
and someone may analyze as most salient part of the sentence) (b)
salient information that comes at the end PLUS special intonation
marking. That is a FOCUS structure and needs incorporation in an
English grammar. However, this last intonational Focus structure can
be used anywhere in an English sentence.]]
 
ERRWSO
Randall Buth
 

 

Randall Buth, PhD

Director, Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

and Director, Biblical Studies in Israel

Hebrew University, Rothberg International School

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




More information about the B-Greek mailing list