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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Lev 21:18 - Passive Participle

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Karl Randolph <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Lev 21:18 - Passive Participle
  • Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 18:27:25 +0000

On 31/10/2005 18:05, Karl Randolph wrote:

Peter:

It was in logic that I first heard the argument that it is a fallacy to assume that a lack of evidence merely means that we lack evidence of something that exists. Rather we must leave open the possibility that a lack of evidence is evidence of lack, that that something does not exist. In the latter case, lack of evidence is a positive (of a negation) not a negative (don't have the data).


Yes, but a lack of evidence is no longer evidence of anything when there is no longer a lack of evidence, but rather there is evidence even if it is of poor quality or questionable relevance. It is clearly a fallacy to use this "lack of evidence" argument when there is no longer a lack of evidence!

When there is positive evidence from within a language contrasted to positive evidence from a cognate language, I claim that internal evidence trumps cognate language evidence all the time.


I would disagree in cases where the internal evidence is very weak, or non-existent as in this case, and the cognate language evidence is strong and irrefutable.

In the case of XRM, I see positive evidence that one basic meaning fits all uses, therefore there is no evidence for more than one root and none needed, therefore the lack of evidence is evidence of lack, i.e. that there was no more than one root used in Biblical Hebrew.


What positive evidence? I have seen no positive evidence at all, merely a lack of clear evidence to the contrary, and some rather implausible attempts to relate two rather different sets of meanings.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/





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