My research addresses the function of the much-debated particle -nā in Biblical Hebrew, often translated with “please”, from the point of view of the most important ancient Bible translations ... Show moreMy research addresses the function of the much-debated particle -nā in Biblical Hebrew, often translated with “please”, from the point of view of the most important ancient Bible translations (Greek, Syriac, Latin). It combines textual criticism, translation technique, discourse pragmatics, and the study of politeness in language. The bewildering amount of variation in the rendering of this particle in the ancient versions can be explained as the result of a conscious choice by the translator or as a reflex of a different Hebrew original. After a survey of previous research, a systematic and comprehensive investigation of the evidence shows that the pragmatic function of this particle is strongly conditioned by the context and cannot be explained by a unified denominator. Its primary function appears to be emphasis, hence it sensitizes the addressee/reader. Cases of schematic translation can indicate with relative certainty where -nā was present or not in the Hebrew original of a given translation. By and large, the following tendencies can be observed: the Greek often has dē as the most obvious translation equivalent, the Syriac only translates it occasionally, and the Latin connects it most directly with politeness by a Latin expression for request (generally obsecro or quaeso). Show less
My dissertation provides a detailed description of the interaction between verb semantics and the two grammatical voice categories (that is, middle and active voice) in the Vedic Sanskrit of the... Show moreMy dissertation provides a detailed description of the interaction between verb semantics and the two grammatical voice categories (that is, middle and active voice) in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Rigveda (which is the earliest text of the Old-Indic religious tradition, datable to plus/minus 1500 BC). I give a full synchronic description of the middle voice semantic cluster (including a list of all middle readings) and the verbal lexicon with regard to valency and semantic transitivity. In addition, the two last chapters are devoted to paradigmatic voice marking asymmetries found in the text which point to a particular prehistory of its voice system. Show less
Hypertexts are special. Every text segment has to be written in such a way that it can be read independently. This is necessary because the text segments are not presented in a single standardised... Show moreHypertexts are special. Every text segment has to be written in such a way that it can be read independently. This is necessary because the text segments are not presented in a single standardised sequence. Instead, they are mutually connected through hyperlinks. The actual order of the segments only arises in the process of reading. In this setting, the hyperlinks do not only connect text parts, but also play a role with respect to the content. The word that is marked as a hyperlink predicts the content of the linked text segment. Looking at hypertexts from a text linguistic point of view shows that you can build a new hypertext with text segments from different existing hypertexts. The reader would not even notice that these segments actually belong to different texts. Apparently, the text itself cannot mark its own borders. In a network-like environment, this is the task of the paratext, e.g. layout, title or menu. This dissertation focuses on the question how text and paratext contribute to the way that text in a network-like environment is clearly bordered and at the same time can easily be linked to other texts. Looking at hypertexts from a text linguistic point of view shows that you can build a new hypertext with various text segments from different existing hypertexts. The reader would not even notice that these segments actually belong to different texts. Apparently, the text itself cannot mark its own borders. In a network-like environment, this is the task of the paratext, e.g. layout, title or menu. If you click on a hyperlink, the layout for example tells you immediately if you are still reading the same hypertext. This dissertation focuses on the question how text and paratext contribute to the way that text in a network-like environment is clearly bordered and at the same time can easily be linked to other texts. Show less
