[b-greek] Re: Scientific theory of aspect - To Rolf

From: Rolf Furuli (furuli@online.no)
Date: Tue Jan 23 2001 - 15:59:08 EST





Daniel Riaņo Rufilanchas wrote:


>Rolf Furuli wrote:
>
>>I would say that meaning is neither found in the individual word nor in the
>
>>context, but meaning is connected with concepts in the minds of living
>>people. This meaning can be communicated because a group of people has the
>>same presupposition pool and the same linguistic conventions. So the
>>letters and sounds have no intrinsic meaning, they are just codes, and the
>>context (written or spoken) neither produces meaning, it just has the role
>>of a pointing finger. But the meaning is connected with the concepts in the
>>minds which are signalled by the words. Many substantives signals just one
>>concept, others signal two, and a few more than two concepts.
>
>[a large part of this interesting answer snipped above and below]
>
>
> Many thanks to Rolf for this thoughtful answer. I can't say I
>share all the terms and path of the reasoning, but I am not sure if
>part at least of the divergence isn't just a matter of terminology:
>If one word (in your sense of "word") signal one concept in the mind
>of both the speaker and the addressee, Can't we say that such word do
>possess meaning (within a collectivity). Or, to take another code: a
>round-shaped traffic signal of certain dimensions placed on the spot
>by an authorised institution, containing a certain combination of
>figures and colours, doesn't certainly have a meaning? (even if it
>points to a concept in the people's mind; maybe a complex concept
>that didn't exist previous to their knowledge of the traffic signal
>value?


Dear Daniel,


Our different viewpoints regarding the *word* may wholy or partly be rooted
in a different terminology. We agree that a traffic signal *signals*
meaning. But this is not because it has any intrinsic meaning, but because
of linguistic convention. It is agreed upon that red signals "stop", but
there is absolutely no reason why it could not signal "free passage". My
stress on meaning being connected with the mind rather than with the word
or the context is not just a form of academic gymnastics. But it is highly
important for Bible translation, because the translator who realize this is
faced with the dramatic conclusion that the context does *not* generate
meaning. This may help the translator more often to pose the question: Do I
read my own theology into the text with the excuse thatit is found in the
context?



Regards

Rolf

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo











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