The relationships of the senses of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A cognitive linguistic perspective

dc.contributor.advisorVan der Merwe, C. H. J. en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWitthoff, David Jamesen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2021-11-13T05:17:50Z
dc.date.accessioned2021-12-22T14:20:30Z
dc.date.available2021-11-13T05:17:50Z
dc.date.available2021-12-22T14:20:30Z
dc.date.issued2021-12
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH 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)en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die bybelse Hebreeuse term נֶפֶשׁ met behulp van ʼn kognitief-semantiese (KS) werksmodel te ondersoek, ten einde die verwantskappe tussen die verskillende betekenisse te bepaal. Hierdie ondersoek sluit in hoe en waarom die betekenisse van נֶפֶשׁ na nuwe betekenisse uitgebrei word. Die betekenisse van נֶפֶשׁ is deeglik in vorige navorsing beskryf en die studie verwys eerstens hierna in hoofstuk twee. Hierdie afdeling ondersoek leksika, teologiese woordeboeke en ander monografieë wat die gebruike van נֶפֶשׁ bespreek. Die leksika bied ʼn grondslag vir die saamstel van ʼn voorlopige lys van betekenisse. Die teologiese woordeboeke verbreed ons begrip deur meer inligting oor moontlike gebruiksraamwerke vir die verskillende betekenisse van נֶפֶשׁ te verskaf. Meer onlangse studies deur De Blois (2010) en Müller (2018) bied ʼn voorskou van hoe KS die deur na ʼn meer gedetailleerde ontleding van נֶפֶשׁ kan oopmaak. De Blois se model stel voor dat uitbreidingstipes op die hoofkenmerke van ʼn term gebaseer moet word. Kognitiewe linguistiese teorie word in hoofstuk drie ondersoek, en dit fokus eers op die hoofbeginsels van KS en vorige toepassings van KS op bybelse Hebreeus. Dan word onderwerpe binne KS verken met die doel om ʼn werksmodel vir die ontleding van נֶפֶשׁ te formuleer. Kategorisering en prototipeteorie stel vas hoe mense hulle wereld konseptualiseer en die terme wat ons gebruik. Prototipeteorie verduidelik verder hoe kategoriee “vaagheid” aan die grense daarvan het. Die teorie van beliggaming verwoord hoe menslike kognisie, waaronder taal, deur ons fisiese bestaan bemiddel en gevorm word. Een van die primere insigte van beliggaming is dat mense die liggaam as ʼn bron vir talle semantiese uitbreidings gebruik, hoewel kulturele modelle ook ʼn rol speel. Laastens toon die teorie van grammatikalisering hoe leksikale items semantiese inhoud kan verloor en grammatiese funksies kan ontwikkel. Uit hierdie teoriee word ʼn semantiese werksmodel aangebied, met teikens wat die ontleding in hoofstuk vier rig. In die vierde hoofstuk doen ek ʼn empiriese ontleding van al 754 gevalle waar נֶפֶשׁ in die Hebreeuse Bybel voorkom. Die empiriese ontleding onderskei betekenisse, uitbreidingstipes en -motiverings, kontekstuele domeine, en die verwantskap tussen betekenisse en kontekstuele domeine. Die hoofbevindings van hierdie studie is die volgende: (1) Die reeds bekende reeks betekenisse kan deur ʼn radiale kaart verduidelik word, maar só ʼn kaart het beperkinge; (2) Die semantiese uitbreidings van נֶפֶשׁ volg uitbreidingsbane wat oor tale heen voorkom; maar toon ook aspekte van unieke “taaleie” veranderings; (3) Daar is enkele tekens van grammatikalisering in die gebruik van נֶפֶשׁ soos ʼn voornaamwoord, maar die gebruik van נֶפֶשׁ eerder as ʼn voornaamwoord kan steeds verduidelik word deur ʼn algemene raamwerk van gevaar en lewe-in-nood; (4) Daar is potensiaal vir verdere semasiologiese studies van terme vir liggaamsdele wat met נֶפֶשׁ verband hou. Hierdie studies kan dan gebruik word vir ʼn meer gesofistikeerde onomasiologiese studie. Sodanige studie kan dalk onthul waar betekenisse tussen terme oorvleuel en ʼn mens help om die unieke profiel van elke term te waardeer (bv. sprekers van bybelse Hebreeus begeer gewoonlik met hulle נֶפֶשׁ, maar nie hulle לֵב nie)af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentx, 243 pagesen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123771
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectCognitive Linguisticsen_ZA
dc.subjectBible. Song of Solomon. Hebrew. 1861.en_ZA
dc.subjectSemanticsen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleThe relationships of the senses of נֶפֶשׁ in the Hebrew Bible: A cognitive linguistic perspectiveen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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