[B-Greek] Re: 1 Cor. 14:8 - word order
R Yochanan Bitan Buth
ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Mon May 30 12:36:35 EDT 2005
> I am happy to hear a suggestion of Paul using Hebrew (cf. Acts
22:2).
On the other hand, Hebrew does not like to front more than one item in
> a sentence, rarely two. Yet in 1 Cor 14:8 there are three fronted
> items. The Greek is good and does another thing that Hebrew does
not
> do: a Focal item ADHLON is fronted before fronted Topical items,
> SALPIGKS FWNHN. When there are two frontings in Hebrew the first is
> topical the second is usually focal (Focal = 'fronted, i.e. marked,
> most salient piece of predication').
>Hi Randall. What you mean by "in 1 Cor 14:8 there are three fronted
items". Specifically, what are they and where are they fronted from?
Chet Creider>
Shalom Chet, QELW SE XAIREIN
The fronted items would be ADHLON (focus) SALPIGKS
(topicalized=setting up a contextual referent) FWNHN (topicalized=more
assumed, completing the topicalization of SALPIGKS). This ignores the
positioning of conjuncitves/relators. The above assumes that items in
front of the verb have been fronted for reasons that may include the
Functional Sentence Perspective you quoted, though also including
Focus, 'marked salient information'. It is the mixing-in of this last
item that can skew many linear readings of communicative dynamism. In
particular, I would argue that the (more assumed)--to-(salient) cline
of Firbas also fits ancient Greek, though with the option of placing
Focal elements in front of the verb, anywhere in Greek, though usually
Topic-Focus in Hebrew if two fronted elements occur. As mentioned, a
book long treatment of this is available in H. Dik. She wrote on
Herodotus, though I see the principles and functions as still
operative in the Koine, just with varied frequencies.
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
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