From: LegoMan07@aol.com
Date: Tue Feb 10 1998 - 12:46:29 EST
GregStffrd@aol.com wrote:
> Isn't it about time we rename this thread "Re: Jn. 1:1c word order"?
Done.
> To which Paul replied:
> << The upshot of my thesis was to demonstrate that in the vast majority of
> similar constructions (precopulative anarthrous predicate nominative) in
> John's Gospel, the significance was qualitativeness (94% of occurrences).
> If statistics mean anything, then we probably should not expect the
> force to be that of (C) above.>>
>
> As has been acknowledged here many times, your thesis is an excellent piece
of
> work, but it does not necessarily represent the facts concerning the primary
> nuance of a precolpulative, predicate nominative. Several sections of my
book
> discuss this matter, and if the statistics revealed in Appendix D mean
> anything, then choice C is quite possible. In fact, one might say probable.
>
Other research on Johannine anarthrous predicate nominatives preceding
copulative verbs were previously posted to the list and showed a different
conclusion than what Paul reached.
Statistics are nice but are not helpful and are likely misleading when applied
to a marked use of a word.
Mitchell Andrews
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