Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com>]

On 16/07/2003 11:32, Trevor Peterson wrote:

> > ===== Original Message From Peter Kirk <peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com> =====
> > Trevor, I think you are failing to appreciate properly the field of
> > comparative linguistics.
> >    
>
> How so? Do you seriously think I could have studied Ugaritic without it?
And you studied Ugaritic only in its cuneiform orthography?

> Perhaps more intelligent than some, but there are a lot of problems in this 
> area. To make intelligent use of the comparative data cited in a lexicon, you 
> have to take it as a hint, a suggestion, a proposition that may or may not be 
> correct. You don't just accept the connection and go on with life. ...
Well, fools turn the best data into folly (is that in Proverbs 
somewhere?), but the intelligent always take this kind of data with a 
pinch of salt. Anyway, if it isn't obvious already, Bennett teaches you 
to do so.

--
Peter Kirk
peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/