Re:Book Burning

Don Wilkins (dwilkins@ucr.campus.mci.net)
Wed, 20 May 1998 11:56:25 -0700

At 09:59 AM 5/20/98 +0000, Clayton wrote:
>Perry L. Stepp wrote:
>>
>>I still use Kubo, by the way, but I
>> burned my analytical lexicon.
>>
>Isn't this a bit extreme. There is useful information in an analytical lexicon
>even after you have quit using it for reading.
>
>Only Greek reference I have been tempted to burn is Nigel Turner's Syntax. I
>haven't even burned Jay Green's interlinear because it is my only hard copy of
>the TR.
>--
>Clayton Stirling Bartholomew

Perhaps an analytical lexicon should be given a decent back-yard burial. I
have sometimes thought that a good student can legitimately use one at
around 2:30 AM to avoid insanity after s/he has already spent a couple of
hours trying to hunt down an elusive form. But the disadvantages still
outweigh "legitimate" uses. It takes almost superhuman discipline not to
avail oneself of ready remedies habitually, and there are times when one can
easily make mistakes using an anal. lexicon. E.g., some forms overlap in
spelling, and in general the print is very small and the explanations
cryptic. Do burn the interlinear, though, and if you need a copy of the TR,
buy the official H KAINH DIAQHKH :-).

Don Wilkins