From: Randy Leedy (Rleedy@bju.edu)
Date: Wed Jul 04 2001 - 14:12:30 EDT
Clay wrote
>>>My question was very specific, only had to do with verbless
clauses with two
nominative constituents. Supplying the "implied verb" to a clause
like this
is a questionable analytical procedure. The idea that a "verb is
implied" in
these clauses is suspect. The idiom in Greek does not require a verb.
The
verbless clause isn't missing anything.
<<<
I can grant this, at least for the sake of argument. My point would
be that there is a significant and objectively discernible (as much as
anything in language can be said to be OBJECTIVELY discernible)
difference between the simple appositive and the predicate nominative.
If you want to say that you can predicate something without expressing
OR implying a verb; so be it. But you're still PREDICATING it rather
than simply APPENDING it.
>>>My question can be illustrated by looking at an opening to one of
Paul's
letters. Take for example 2Cor 1:1 PAULOS APOSTOLOS, the
constituent
APOSTOLOS is in apposition to PAULOS. But I would suggest that
APOSTOLOS is
being used here as a predication about PAULOS. Paul is not just
using
APOSTOLOS as a title, he is making an assertion that he is and
apostle. But
should PAULOS APOSTOLOS (2Cor 1:1) be understood as a verbless
clause?
Probably not. What I am pointing out is a functional overlap between
apposition and predication. This functional overlap causes problems
in some
analytical models of Greek syntax. When an appositive is used to
predicate
but does not really form an independent clause what do we call it?
How do we
fit it into our syntax model?
<<<
I would not take APOSTOLOS as a predicate, because that designation
is clearly nothing more than something APPENDED to the identity of
Paul within a verbless clause that PREDICATES something else (such as
"writes this letter" or "is the author of this letter") inferred from
the context, which in this case is both linguistic and social.
You ask, "When an appositive is used to predicate but does not really
form an independent clause, what do we call it?" My answer: an
appositive. Can you give me an example of an appositive that does NOT
predicate at all? I agree with you that there is an embedded
predication going on with APOSTOLOS and well as with "my father" in my
example in my previous post. But it seems to me that EVERY appositive
does this, so I ask whether you can give me an example of one that
does not. My provisional model (not that I've ever tried to construct
one before) would look something like this: "predication" could serve
as a valid term encompassing the whole range of grammatical
constructions conveying an implicit or explicit assertion that one
entity is or does something. But "predicate nominative" in its
time-honored usage represents a legitimate subcategory in which the
predication is equative in nature (as opposed to being an event), is
explicit, and uses a linguistic formulation that can be taken as a
complete clause, without back-transformation into an underlying
semantic kernel. The other kinds of predication are implicit, EMBEDDED
WITHIN the subject or predicate of the clause. The objective bases on
which a nominative constituent may be identified as predicate are
either the presence of a copula or, by default, when the constituent
in question is the only one available to express the required
predicate and yields good sense when so taken. In writing this
paragraph I've been "feeling my way along," so I'm staking no claim to
perfect validity! I'm interested to see if anyone can point out any
chinks or gaps in my thinking.
In order to avoid an unnecessary diversion into the question of
distinguishing between SUBJECT and predicate, I must state my intent
in this post is only to identify a basis on which to decide whether a
particular nominative in a particular context is an appositive or a
predicate.
My language probably reveals my less-than-thorough conversance with
standard linguistics terminology, but I suspect I'm close enought to
make myself understood.
Blessings! (Acts 3:26)
Randy Leedy
Bob Jones University
RLeedy@bju.edu
P.S. Clay, you mention off-list replies; I wouldn't mind reading any
that you think are germane enough to forward to me.
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