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- ItemThe complementation of ראה in Biblical Hebrew(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Mathewson, Steven; Van der Merwe Christo, H. J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an investigation of the complementation of the verb ראה in Biblical Hebrew. The problem it addresses is the lack of a coherent account of the various complements selected by this verb, as well as the semantic or pragmatic effects of these various complements. This investigation begins with a survey of previous lexical studies of the verb ראה and establishes that the verb’s most basic sense is perception with the eyes and that this meaning regularly extends metaphorically to cognition—that is, understanding or realization. Then, this study utilizes an eclectic collection of insights from Cognitive Linguistics as the framework for investigating a data set that includes the 1,303 occurrences of the verb ראה in the Hebrew Bible. The concepts that have shaped this linguistic framework include complementation, embodiment, intersubjectivity, information state, and sensory perception. A key feature of the investigation is the grouping and analysis of the verb ראה and the complements it selects within the following categories: • ראה + Object (with or without the object marker אֵת ) • ראה + Ø (no explicit complement) • ראה + כִּי (that) • ראה + וְהִּנֵה (and behold) • ראה + אֲשֶׁר (how) • ראה + prepositions (בְְּ, in/into; עַל, on/upon, etc.) • ראה + other particles (interrogatives, etc.) This investigation yielded several results. First, it determined how the collocation of the verb ראה with various kinds of complements effects meaning. For example, ראה + כִּי constructions signify a mental perception of a proposition which can even be derived from means other than eyesight. Second, it determined that the most prototypical construction involving the verb ראה in the Hebrew Bible is ראה + Object (50.5% of the total instances) and that its prototypical sense is the perception of an object or event with one’s eyes. Third, it established various metaphorical extensions and metonymic paths that move from this sense to others. For example, ראה can extend metaphorically from visual perception with an intentional look to meanings like “inspect” or “choose.” An example of a metonymic path is see → see and encounter → make an effort to see and encounter (= visit). Fourth, this study provided insight into unique expressions associated with the verb ראה . For example, lift up her/his/my eyes signifies an intentional effort to acquire knowledge. Fifth, this study considered how the complementation of other BH verbs of sight and perception compare with the complementation of ראה . For example, the other sight verbs occur with much less frequency and always signify intentional acts of looking. By contrast, ראה frequently denotes the visual stimulation that happens automatically in bodily experience.
- ItemThe Complementation of ראה in Biblical Hebrew(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Mathewson, Steven D. (Steven Dale), 1961-; Van der Merwe, C. H. J.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an investigation of the complementation of the verb האר in Biblical Hebrew. The problem it addresses is the lack of a coherent account of the various complements selected by this verb, as well as the semantic or pragmatic effects of these various complements. This investigation begins with a survey of previous lexical studies of the verb האר and establishes that the verb’s most basic sense is perception with the eyes and that this meaning regularly extends metaphorically to cognition—that is, understanding or realization. Then, this study utilizes an eclectic collection of insights from Cognitive Linguistics as the framework for investigating a data set that includes the 1,303 occurrences of the verb האר in the Hebrew Bible. The concepts that have shaped this linguistic framework include complementation, embodiment, intersubjectivity, information state, and sensory perception. A key feature of the investigation is the grouping and analysis of the verb האר and the complements it selects within the following categories: • האר + Object (with or without the object marker תאֵ ) • האר + Ø (no explicit complement) • האר + יכִּ (“that”) • האר + הנֵ הִּ וְ (“and behold”) • האר + רשֶׁ אֲ (“how”) • האר + prepositions (בְ , “in/into;” לעַ , “on/upon,” etc.) • האר + other particles (interrogatives, etc.) This investigation yielded several results. First, it determined how the collocation of the verb האר with various kinds of complements effects meaning. For example, האר + יכִּ constructions signify a mental perception of a proposition which can even be derived from means other than eyesight. Second, it determined that the most prototypical construction involving the verb האר in the Hebrew Bible is האר + Object (50.5% of the total instances) and that its prototypical sense is the perception of an object or event with one’s eyes. Third, it established various metaphorical extensions and metonymic paths that move from this sense to others. For example, האר can extend metaphorically from visual perception with an intentional look to meanings like “inspect” or “choose.” An example of a metonymic path is see → see and encounter → make an effort to see and encounter (= visit). Fourth, this study provided insight into unique expressions associated with the verb האר. For example, “lift up her/his/my eyes” signifies an intentional effort to acquire knowledge. Fifth, this study considered how the complementation of other BH verbs of sight and perception compare with the complementation of האר. For example, the other sight verbs occur with much less frequency and always signify intentional acts of looking. By contrast, האר frequently denotes the visual stimulation that happens automatically in bodily experience.
- ItemThe psychagogical function of the topos of anger in Greco-Roman moral philosophy(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Park, Jung Hoon; Thom, Johan Carl, 954-ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the psychological tradition of ancient philosophy, emotions were an important topic frequently treated by philosophers with a concern for soul-care. The analogy between philosophy and medical science describes the ancient moral philosophical perspective on emotions. According to the analogy, a philosopher is a doctor, emotions are psychological illnesses, and philosophical discourse is medicine for the soul. This analogy provided the basic frame of the moral philosophical way of deploying arguments on emotions. As the worst kind of emotion, anger was dealt with in this context. Although scholars have observed that anger had been a traditional topic frequently treated in a conventional way by ancient philosophers since Aristotle, there has not been a systematic analysis of the way in which anger was treated as a topos. Accordingly, the present study conducts topos analysis on four moral philosophical treatises on anger written in Greco-Roman period, namely, Philodemus’ De ira, Seneca’s De ira, Plutarch’s De cohibenda ira, and Galen’s De proporiorum animi cuiuslibet affectuum dignotione et curatione. The aim of analysing anger as a topos is to describe the way in which the argument on anger is deployed, its function, and how it performs its function. All four authors deploy their arguments on anger under three headings: 1) what is anger; 2) why is anger to be eradicated; and 3) how is anger to be eradicated. This indicates that the authors discuss anger with a psychagogical concern for curing the soul by eradicating anger. Also, it is observed that the conflict between the monistic and multipartite psychological models is at work in progress throughout the topos of anger, and, that the topos of anger performs a protreptic role as well. The study shows that topos analysis is a valid and effective approach to ancient texts because a better understanding of topoi leads to a more nuanced reading of ancient texts by assisting us in mapping out the ancient intellectual universe.
- ItemThe Apadana reliefs at Persepolis: An iconographic analysis with special emphasis on the identification and function of the gift-bearing delegations(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Swart, Antoinette; Cornelius, Izak; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For many years, specific delegations on the façades of the Apadana at Persepolis posed an ongoing identification problem among scholars. Incongruities occurred in the identification of some of the groups – labelled Problem Groups in the current study. An attempt was made to try and solve the identification problem of specific delegations. It was necessary to look at the context in which these groups occurred, e.g., their physical world as well as their natural environment. The reliefs on the eastern façade of the Apadana was used in this study because they are still in a reasonably acceptable state. The combined iconographic analysis method (Panofsky/ Keel), as well as comparisons, were used to try and find a solution for the identification problem in the Problem Groups. After a detailed analysis and comparative research, the identification problem of the Problem Groups still evades answers except for one group. A totally different approach to the solving of the identification problem was suggested, and this deserves some attention from future scholars.
- ItemThe relationships of the senses of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A cognitive linguistic perspective(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Witthoff, David James; Van der Merwe, C. H. J. ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to examine the biblical Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ in terms of a cognitive semantic (CS) working model in order to determine the relationships of its senses. This examination includes how and why the senses of נֶפֶשׁ extend into new senses. Past research has described the senses of נֶפֶשׁ well, to which the study turns to first in chapter two. This section examines lexica, theological dictionaries, and other monographs that discuss the uses of נֶפֶשׁ. The lexica provide a basis for compiling a provisional list of senses. The theological dictionaries expand our understanding by providing more information about potential frames of use for the different senses of נֶפֶשׁ. More recently, the studies of De Blois (2010) and Müller (2018) provide a preview of how CS may open the door to more detailed analysis of נֶפֶשׁ. De Blois’ model suggests that extension types should be based on key attributes of a term. The study examines cognitive linguistic theory in chapter three, and it focuses first on key tenets of CS and past applications of CS to biblical Hebrew. Then, topics within CS are explored with an aim towards building a working model for the analysis of נֶפֶשׁ. Categorization and prototype theory establish how humans conceptualize their world and the terms we use. Prototype theory further explains how categories have “fuzziness” at their borders. The theory of embodiment expresses how physical existence mediates and shapes human cognition, including language. One of the primary insights of embodiment is that humans use the body as a source for numerous semantic extensions, though cultural models play a role as well. Finally, the theory of grammaticalization shows how lexical items may lose semantic content and develop grammatical functions. From these theories, a working semantic model is presented with targets to guide the analysis in chapter four. In the fourth chapter, I conduct an empirical analysis of all 754 instances of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible. The empirical analysis distinguishes senses, extension types and motivations, contextual domains, and the relationships between senses and contextual domains. The following are the key findings of this study: (1) The already known range of senses can be explained through a radial map, but such a map has limitations; (2) The semantic extensions of נֶפֶשׁ follow cross-linguistic attested extension paths, but also exhibit aspects of unique “language-specific” changes; (3) There are some signs of grammaticalization in the uses of נֶפֶשׁ becoming like a pronoun, but the use of נֶפֶשׁ rather than a pronoun may still be explained by a common frame of danger and life-in-need; (4) there is potential for further semasiological studies of body-part terms related to נֶפֶשׁ. These studies could then be used for a more sophisticated onomasiological study. Such a study could reveal where senses between terms overlap and help one to appreciate the unique profile of each term (e.g., a speaker of biblical Hebrew typically desires with their ֶ נפֶשׁ , but not their לֵב)