Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] how scholars debate controversial issues

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] how scholars debate controversial issues
  • Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:25:14 +1000

Gday Bill,

Thanks for replying as what you say is helpful.



David wrote:-


>I didn't say what you suggest because I already get what Rolf's on
>about. I have read his work. To me the terms are interchangeable, but
>they seem not to be for Rolf.
[snip]
>You know, I object to "uncancellable intrinsic meaning" AND
>"uncancellable semantics" -- not as labels, but as methodological
>assumption(s) in Rolf's work.
[snip]
>Did you read the quotations from his dissertation I provided? Do you
>think the terms are interchangeable?
>https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2007-March/031836.html

Yes, I read those when you first posted them, but I've just reread
your post again. I agree, to me (and most of the world) it *seems*
like they are interchangable. I don't know why they aren't
interchangable for Rolf. But that was my point, for reasons I
don't understand they aren't interchangable. Unless someone
figures out why they're not interchangable and can explain
it to the rest of the world no progress will be made.


I think Rolf objects because to him "uncancellable semantics" is tautologous -- for him, semantics is 100% uncancellable, so there is no need to additionally supply "uncancellable". For him "semantics" = "uncancellable intrinsic meaning". My objection to this is just this assumption -- the assumption that semantics is uncancellable, so for me since I don't hold to his view using "uncancellable semantics" in reference to his view is fine. The principle of uncancellable intrinsic meaning is basically assumed in his work. In his post in reply to this one of yours, he provides some English examples which he takes as proof of his position; however, Peter particularly and intermittently have replied to him in the past that such a presentation of our language is a misrepresentation to which Rolf chooses to not respond. No progress will be made, I think, because Rolf seems unwilling to discuss these basic issues of methodology which have profound effects upon his critique of past scholarship and his own conclusions regarding the BH verbal system.


Karl seems to hold to some similar, though not identical, notion
to what an amateur like me would understand by uncancellable intrinsic
meaning. But Karl has said he doesn't know what to make of Rolf's
theory either.


Karl's approach to lexicography may perhaps be seen as analogous to Rolf's work on the verbal system. Their approach assumes that there is something uncancellable between every occurrence of a lexical item in Karl's case and every occurrence of a verb form in Rolf's.


>Have you noticed, though, that Rolf never concedes anything himself?

Yes, and it is concerning to me. As Peter says this debate has been going
on for ten years or so. Mostly I've just watched. It appears to me to be
going nowhere. Some list members have suggested the apparent
misunderstanding is a religiously motivated behaviour. I tend to give
people the benefit of the doubt, so I'm currently of the opinion that the
misunderstanding is real.


Like I said, Rolf has been presented with evidence time and again with seeming errors but chooses often not to reply. Often his reply restates his position. The debate will continue to go nowhere if this remains the case as it will not be able to get beyond the the issues which have been raised but not dealt with satisfactorily. For me, I'm going to write a longer publishable review of Rolf's work and then move on.


Bill Rea, ICT Services, University of Canterbury \_
E-Mail bill.rea at canterbury.ac.nz </ New
Phone 64-3-364-2331, Fax 64-3-364-2332 /) Zealand
Unix Systems Administrator


Regards,
David Kummerow.




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page