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Focus in Luke 5:27-32

Posted: July 19th, 2012, 8:38 am
by Jonathan Robie
I'm trying to grasp the basics of discourse analysis, working through Levinsohn and Runge, very slowly.

On page 18, Levinsohn finds only one point of departure in Luke 5:27-32.
27 Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξῆλθεν
καὶ ἐθεάσατο τελώνην ὀνόματι Λευὶν καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον,
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀκολούθει μοι.
28 καὶ καταλιπὼν πάντα ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ.
29 Καὶ ἐποίησεν δοχὴν μεγάλην Λευὶς αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ·
καὶ ἦν ὄχλος πολὺς τελωνῶν καὶ ἄλλων οἳ ἦσαν μετ' αὐτῶν κατακείμενοι.
30 καὶ ἐγόγγυζον οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς αὐτῶν
πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίετε καὶ πίνετε; \
31 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλὰ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· 32 οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.
I would have thought there were three:
27 Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξῆλθεν
καὶ ἐθεάσατο τελώνην ὀνόματι Λευὶν καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον,
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀκολούθει μοι.
28 καὶ καταλιπὼν πάντα / ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ.
29 Καὶ ἐποίησεν δοχὴν μεγάλην Λευὶς αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ·
καὶ ἦν ὄχλος πολὺς τελωνῶν καὶ ἄλλων οἳ ἦσαν μετ' αὐτῶν κατακείμενοι.
30 καὶ ἐγόγγυζον οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς αὐτῶν
πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίετε καὶ πίνετε; \
31 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλὰ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· 32 οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.
What am I missing?

Re: Focus in Luke 5:27-32

Posted: July 19th, 2012, 9:09 pm
by Stephen Carlson
Here's how Levinsohn defines a "point of departure":
Levinsohn, Discourse Features, 2d ed., p. 8 wrote:The term POINT OF DEPARTURE designates an element that is placed at the beginning of a clause or sentence with a dual function:

1. It provides a starting point for the communication; and
2. It "cohesively anchors the subsequent clause(s) to something which is already in the context (i.e., to something accessible in the hearer's mental representation)."
I'm not sure the underlined participles, though at the beginning of the clause, do either function.

Later on pp.187-189, Levinsohn indicates that such participles do not signal a discontinuity of time and therefore not points of departure.

Re: Focus in Luke 5:27-32

Posted: July 20th, 2012, 11:32 am
by serunge
Hi Jonathan,

Stephen is correct in pointing out the dual function of PoDs outlined by Levinsohn. I chose to include circumstantial participles under my umbrella of "frames of reference." Adverbial participles do not mark a change of some kind, so in that case they are not properly PoDs. However, they have the same framing function for relating what follows to what precedes. Rather than trying to come up with another category, I instead joined them with L's PoDs. They are step-children of the PoD, but this seemed preferable to orphaning them. I believe there is a note concerning this decision in the circumstantial frame chapter of the discourse grammar.

Hope that helps,

Steve

Re: Focus in Luke 5:27-32

Posted: July 20th, 2012, 11:41 am
by Stephen Carlson
Steve, I completely agree with your decision to include circumstantial participles under frames of reference. These participles here I would consider what Wallace calls "attendant circumstance," which he distinguishes from circumstantial participles and which others have also found different pragmatic functions.