Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Hi,

I've seen this happen so many times but typically it happens more with
academics. Of course, we all like to have precise definitions of terms as it
leads to less misunderstandings in communication. However, if there is a
fundamental truth to natural language it is this. What you perceive the
person you are conversing with to have meant is not necessarily what they
actually meant. I think to those of us who are not searching for or
demanding of Rolf a consistent usage of the term 'narrative' it is
blindingly simple and clear what Rolf meant when he said this. Splitting
hairs over what a 'narrative' is brings nothing meaningful to the discussion
- that about the Hebrew verbal system. I suggest we move on and just accept
that a facet of language is that what people mean and what you interpret are
often two different things. That way we can get on with discussing the more
interesting things like the qualities of the Hebrew verbs and what signals
we can use when translating them properly.

James Christian

2010/1/31 s.a.breyer <s.a.breyer AT gmail.com>

> Karl, James -
>
> I think you mistake my objection to Rolf's statement - and quite
> possibly Rolf's position as well, though it is not for me to address
> that.
>
> Rolf has evolved, and has over the years described on this list, a very
> subtle and ingenious schema for analyzing time and deictic reference. (I
> would point you to some of his earlier descriptions, but those
> references are saved on a system to which I do not at this writing have
> access.) It came therefore as something of a shock to find him
> asserting, quite baldly, that "It is a fundamental linguistic truth that
> verbs used in narratives have past reference." If "narrative" bears the
> common sense (the sense it bears in my own discipline) "an account of
> sequent events", it is demonstrably false. If, as James suggests, it
> embodies a restrictive redefinition of "narrative", it is a tautology.
>
> Stoney Breyer
> Writer / Touchwood Creative
>
>
>