Re: APAGW in ACTS 12:19

From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sun Jul 05 1998 - 11:24:08 EDT


Once again, David Moore's comments are cogent and well documented. I cannot
fault him on his reasoning, but I do disagree with his conclusion.

Perhaps it is outlandish, arrogant or merely silly for some one to call into
question the conclusions of BAGD, but this is quite necessary if the goal is
rethinking how lexical semantics functions. I am applying a principle called
semantic minimalism, I cannot quote it clearly but it is something like this:
"The best explanation of a semantic component is the one which adds the least
information to the context." This has been stated better elsewhere, perhaps
some one else would like to quote it.

The difference between David Moore's conclusion and my hypothesis is how we
carve up the semantic pie. I am saying that the APAGW has the SENSE, "lead
away" and that the semantic component "where to?" is provided by the context
(linguistic and situational). David is claiming that APAGW in some contexts
includes the semantic component "where to?" I find this hard to accept because
APAGW is used with to many different "where to" variables for the APAGW itself
to carry this information.

Let's assume APAGW does contain the semantic component "Where to", then APAGW
in Luke 13:15 would include the semantic component "to water" and in MK 14:53
"to the high priest" and in Mk 14:44 "under guard" and in Mat 7:13 "to
destruction" and in Mat 7:14 "to life" and on and on and on. It is quite
incomprehensible to me that APAGW could have all of these meanings. I makes a
lot more sense to apply the principle of semantic minimalism and conclude that
APAGW has the sense "Lead away" in all of these contexts and that the "where
to" information is supplied by other means.

It is also possible that APAGW includes the semantic component "where to" in
some contexts and not in others. But unless some one points out to me a clear
principle by which I can determine that APAGW in Mat. 7:13-14 is lacking the
semantic component "where to" but APAGW in Acts 12:19 includes this
component, then I will assume that this cannot be demonstrated in a convincing
manner.

Thanks again to David Moore for his participation in this discussion.

-- 
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

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