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

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Tue Jun 28 15:53:57 EDT 2005


Shalom Iver,
 
Egrapsen:
>So, you are also assuming SVO as the default word order.>
Actually not. I assume VSO, based on removing pragmatic generation
rules rather than statistics.
 
>> I would have to agree with Levinsohn that 'on the earth' is much
>> less salient than 'three years'. 
>>...
 
>Yes, in English, because "rain" is a very specific word in English.
BRECW is
nowhere that specific in Greek. ...
Therefore, "on the earth" it is not nearly as predictable and
redundant in
Greek as it is in English. Maybe James wanted the reader to think of
Gen 2:5
where God caused it to "rain upon the earth"? After all, it is God who
caused it NOT to "rain upon the earth" when Elijah prayed.>
 
These things are weighed relatively. Look at the context. BREXEIN by
itself naturally has a natural context and can be used alone, even
adding fire in place of water. If a writer wanted to add 'on the
earth' it is still highly predictable information. However, not
raining for 3 years, that is hardly predictable and is what places the
event outside of the normal course of events.
You can read 'on the earth' as more prominent if you want to, even
alluding to Gen 2:5 (which I don't see since this refers to Eliyahu),
but this becomes too long stretch for me.
 
>> We are looking at a common process in languages. In Hebrew there
>> is a 'quiet spot' after the verb and after the subject.  ...
 
>What happens in Hebrew and English is quite different from what
happens in
Greek, as far as I can see.  ...>
 
Of course the languages are different. I was citing a common process
of 'demoting' predictable information by placing it in special places
within the core predication and not in front of the core predication.
This is seen in many languages where pronouns are attracted towards
verbs but occurs in other slots/structures as well. The point is that
it would not be strange for Greek to do something like this. And that
is what I see happening with 'on the earth'. Demoted, predictable
information leaving 'three years' to receive full prominence but
without necessitating Focus movement. Hence, I do not have a final
Focus movement structure for Greek, though 'three years' has a natural
high saliency in this sentence. 
 
EUXOMAI SE EUODOUSQAI
Randall

 

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

 




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