Biblical Hebrew Forum

[David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>]

Hi James,

> Hi David,
>
> I don't know if you realise it or not. But with the analysis of the uses 
> of plod in Australian and English variants of English you have shown 
> that you do not disagree with their having an uncancellable meaning. But 
> rather that you disagree with what that uncancellable meaning is.

No, that is not what I said and is a misrepresentation of my view. I 
explicitly stated the opposite:

https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2009-June/038988.html
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2009-June/038993.html
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2009-June/038989.html

I do in fact strongly disagree in defining semantics as uncancellable 
meaning. (Why would I be arguing this point again and again if I thought 
otherwise?) The way forward is defining semantics prototypically, not 
uncancellably.

> Of course, as we have already agreed. Everything can ultimately be 
> cancelled. We just need to make a new usage and get enough people to use 
> the word in the new way and we've cancelled the meaning. But as Karl has 
> already pointed out I don't think Rolf was ever suggesting that 
> languages do not evolve in this way. He was analysing a very specific 
> snapshot of the language.
>
> James Christian

Regards,
David Kummerow.