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In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.

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Main Author: Atkinson, Ian Thomas
Other Authors: Van der Merwe, C. H. J.
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2021
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access_status_str Open Access
author Atkinson, Ian Thomas
author2 Van der Merwe, C. H. J.
author_browse Atkinson, Ian Thomas
Van der Merwe, C. H. J.
author_facet Van der Merwe, C. H. J.
Atkinson, Ian Thomas
author_sort Atkinson, Ian Thomas
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123676
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:38.086Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123676 In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose Atkinson, Ian Thomas Van der Merwe, C. H. J. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies. Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax Cognitive linguistics Hebrew language -- Semantics Discourse analysis Hebrew language -- Lexicology Bible. Old Testament -- Language, style UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present dissertation is an investigation into the phenomenon of fronting within Classical BH prose. Applying developments of linguistic analysis and typological patterns of linguistic constructions that have come to light in recent years, it is my conviction that we can work towards a comprehensive model to account for pre-verbal constituent order in the Genesis-Kings corpus. The sheer number of previous treatment in BH studies is testament to the importance of paying attention to such nuances and their pragmatic effects as the Bible continues to speak to us today. Yet, besides the information structural concepts of topic and focus, which will be discussed at length throughout the study, the results of these (primarily functional) approaches to BH constituent order, and specifically fronting, has been limited to a diverse and seemingly disconnected taxonomy of semantic values imposed upon the clause. As we will see in the literature survey, these semantic values surface time and time again from different scholars in different decades, who have intuitively arrived at similar proposals. Nevertheless, a robust linguistic organising factor has been lacking. On the other hand, those studies which have limited themselves to tried-and-tested models with descriptive adequacy have fallen short of comprehensive explanatory adequacy. It is hypothesised that the linguistic model proposed here will provide an expansion of explanatory power under an organised understanding of information flow and common ground in human communication. Drawing upon an integral approach of treating both information structure and information status, I will apply insights primarily from Cognitive Grammar and Construction Grammar to the study of BH fronted clauses along with the thetic-categorical distinction in information profiling as a typologically-informed approach. Taking into account discourse tendencies as well as the prototypical semantic and morphosyntactic characteristics of thetic statements, the explanatory power of the model will then be tested on the corpus of 1241 fronted clauses in Samuel-Kings, which is hypothesised to be representative of the entire Classical BH corpus. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die verskynsel van vooropstelling in die klassieke prosa van bybelse Hebreeus (BH). Deur die ontwikkelings in linguistiese ontleding en tipologiese patrone van linguistiese konstruksies wat oor die afgelope paar jaar na vore gekom het, toe te pas, is ek oortuig dat ons kan werk aan ʼn omvattende model om rekenskap te gee van die preverbale orde van sinstukke in die Genesis-tot-Konings-korpus. Die blote aantal vorige behandelings in BH-studies getuig hoe belangrik dit is om aandag aan sulke nuanses en die pragmatiese effekte daarvan te skenk, aangesien die Bybel vandag nog tot ons spreek. Buiten vir die informasiestrukturele konsepte van topiek en fokus, wat breedvoerig regdeur die studie bespreek sal word, is die resultate van hierdie (hoofsaaklik funksionele) benaderings tot die sinstukorde van BH, en veral van vooropstelling, egter beperk tot ʼn diverse en skynbaar onsamehangende taksonomie van semantiese waardes wat vir die sin opgele word. Soos uit die oorsig van die literatuur blyk, kom hierdie semantiese waardes keer op keer na vore by verskillende vakkundiges in verskillende dekades, wat intuitief by soortgelyke proposisies uitgekom het. Nogtans ontbreek ʼn robuuste linguistiese organiserende faktor. Daarenteen het daardie studies wat tot beproefde modelle met beskrywende toereikendheid beperk is, nie omvattende verduidelikende toereikendheid bewerkstellig nie. Die hipotese is dat die linguistiese model wat hier voorgestel word, ʼn uitbreiding van die verduidelikende krag, met ʼn georganiseerde begrip van inligtingsvloei en gedeelde grond (“common ground”) in menslike kommunikasie, sal bied. Deur te put uit ʼn integrerende benadering waarin inligtingstruktuur en inligtingstatus behandel word, sal ek insigte uit hoofsaaklik kognitiewe grammatika en konstruksiegrammatika op die studie van sinne met vooropplasing in BH toepas, saam met die teties-kategoriese onderskeiding in inligtingsprofilering as ʼn tipologies-ingeligte benadering. Die verduidelikende krag van die model sal dan, met inagname van die diskoerstendense, asook die prototipiese semantiese en morfosintaktiese kenmerke van tetiese stellings, op die korpus van 1 241 sinne met vooropstelling in Samuel tot Konings, wat volgens hipotese verteenwoordigend van die hele klassieke BH-korpus is, getoets word. Doctoral 2021-10-05T08:21:07Z 2021-12-22T14:15:22Z 2021-10-05T08:21:07Z 2021-12-22T14:15:22Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123676 en_ZA Stellenbosch University x, 249 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax
Cognitive linguistics
Hebrew language -- Semantics
Discourse analysis
Hebrew language -- Lexicology
Bible. Old Testament -- Language, style
UCTD
Atkinson, Ian Thomas
In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose
title In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose
title_full In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose
title_fullStr In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose
title_full_unstemmed In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose
title_short In pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical BH prose
title_sort in pursuit of a more comprehensive framework for fronting in classical bh prose
topic Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax
Cognitive linguistics
Hebrew language -- Semantics
Discourse analysis
Hebrew language -- Lexicology
Bible. Old Testament -- Language, style
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123676
work_keys_str_mv AT atkinsonianthomas inpursuitofamorecomprehensiveframeworkforfrontinginclassicalbhprose