[B-Greek] Size of Greek NT Vocab

bitan buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Fri Sep 23 07:52:28 EDT 2005


Saw enough typos and unclarities, even my own name, that I am resending the
'type and run'.

SUNGNWMH

 
> G'day Gary
>I understand it is about the same.
>But I bet it is harder to learn all those triliteral Hebrew words than 
>the NT Greek ones.
>David McKay
>>       What is the approximate size of the vocabulary of the Greek NT?
>>I'm interested in comparing it with the roughly 5,000-word vocabulary of 
>>the Hebrew Tanakh.  Thanks in advance for any assistance!>
 
Several points on this. First, the tana"x is closer to 8000 words.
GNT is just over 5000.
 
Hebrew WORDS are words. The roots that students often relate to are not 
words. We always get students here who think that shalakh (with KAF at the 
end)is 'throw' when only hishlikh is 'throw'. 
This is endemic, it seems that the current systems train students to commit 
the etymological fallacy in their process of learning. Consider, SAFAR 
'count', *SIPPAR 'tell, give details', MANA is also 'count', MINA 'appoint'.

As they say, 'go figure'. (In one sense roots didn't exist in the ancient 
world. I tested this recently with a mothertongue modern speaker, educated 
and bright, who responded that the root of HIGGID was GYD, NGD was the
second 
guess. Psycholinguistically, roots are a second level analysis, not an 
unconscious part of language use.)
 
Most importantly, learning is easy IN USE, in context. If a student EBALE 
BIBLION TW MAQHTH, they learn and remember. If a student HIshLIkh SEFER EL
TALMID, they learn. (Naturally, all three words are not introduced together
for the first time! Maybe first a MAQHTHS, then a BIBLION, then the fun
can begin. 
BALE TO BIBLION . . . . PIASON AUTO . . . DOS AUTO . . ., QES AUTO EPI THN 
TRAPAZAN. K.T.L.
 
ERRWSQE
Randall Buth

 

 

 

Randall Buth, PhD
Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

c/o margbuth at gmail.com

also, Director, Biblical Studies in Israel
under Rothberg International School,

Hebrew University

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




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