Corpus Linguistics and Textual History: A Computer-Assisted Interdisciplinary Approach to the Peshitta (Studia Semitica Neerlandica)

Over the years the use of computers for research has become increasingly important in Biblical Studies. However, a combination of computational linguistics with diachronic text-critical and text-historical approaches has hardly ever taken place. Quite often, there is mutual misunderstanding between computational linguistics and more traditional approaches in the field of linguistics and textual analysis. For example, in computer-assisted research of modern text corpora it is common to treat the text as an unequivocal and unidimensional sequence of characters. In Biblical Studies, however, either text is considered an abstraction, the result of a scholarly reconstruction based on the extant textual witnesses. Here a fundamental difference in approach reveals itself. The present volume tries to overcome the misunderstanding between the various disciplines and to establish how a fruitful interaction of information technology, linguistics and textual criticism, can contribute to the analysis of ancient texts. It addresses questions concerning the confrontation between synchronic and diachronic approaches, the role of linguistic analysis in the interpretation of texts, and the interaction of linguistic theory and the analysis of linguistic data. The first section of this volume contains the papers presented at the CALAP seminar 2003. In the second section different aspects of the interdisciplinary analysis are applied to a selected passage from the Peshitta of Kings Calap : An Interdisciplinary Debate Between Textual Criticism, Textual History And Computer-assisted Linguistic Analysis / Konrad D. Jenner, Wido Van Peursen And Eep Talstra -- How To Transfer The Research Questions Into Linguistic Data Types And Analytical Instruments? / Eep Talstra, Konrad D. Jenner And Wido Van Peursen -- A Discourse On Method : Basic Parameters Of Computer-assisted Linguistic Analysis On Word Level / Hendrik Jan Bosman And Constantijn J. Sikkel -- Response To A Discourse On Method By Hendrik Jan Bosman And Constantijn J. Sikkel / Pier G. Borbone -- Response To Pier G. Borbone / Hendrik Jan Bosman And Constantijn J. Sikkel -- On Not Putting Descartes Before D. Hume : Balancing Rationalism And Empiricism In Corpus Tagging : Comments On A Discourse On Method By Hendrik Jan Bosman And Constantijn J. Sikkel / A. Dean Forbes -- Response To A. Dean Forbes / Hendrik Jan Bosman And Constantijn J. Sikkel --^ Data Preparation : What Are We Doing And Why Should We? / Janet W. Dyk -- Response To Data Preparation : What Are We Doing And Why Should We? By Janet W. Dyk / Geoffrey Khan -- Three Approaches To The Tripartite Nominal Clause In Syriac / Wido Van Peursen -- Comments On Three Approaches To The Tripartite Nominal Clause In Syriac By Wido Van Peursen / Gideon Goldenberg -- Comments On Three Approaches To The Tripartite Nominal Clause In Syriac By Wido Van Peursen / Jan Joosten -- A Response To Three Approaches To The Tripartite Nominal Clause In Syriac By Wido Van Peursen And A Bit More / Takamitsu Muraoka -- Response To The Responses / Wido Van Peursen -- Points Of Agreement Between The Targum And The Peshiṭta Versions Of Kings Against The Mt : A Sounding / Percy S.f. Van Keulen -- A Reply To Points Of Agreement Between The Targum And The Peshiṭta Versions Of Kings Against The Mt By Percy S.f. Van Keulen / Bas Ter Haar Romeny --^ Response To Points Of Agreement Between The Targum And The Peshiṭta Versions Of Kings Against The Mt By Percy S.f. Van Keulen / Donald M. Walter -- Textual Features Of The Peshiṭta Of 1 Kings 2:1-9 / Percy S.f. Van Keulen -- Worked Examples From 1 Kings 2:1-9 : Word Level Analysis / Hendrik Jan Bosman And Constantijn J. Sikkel -- 1 Kings 2:1-9 : Some Results Of A Structured Hierarchical Approach / Janet W. Dyk -- Lexical Correspondence And Translation Equivalents : Building A Electronic Concordance / Janet W. Dyk -- Nominal Clauses In The Peshiṭta Of 1 Kings 2:1-9 / Wido Van Peursen -- Exegetical And Text-historical Differences From The Mt In The Peshiṭta Version Of 1 Kings 2:1-9 / Percy S.f. Van Keulen -- Epilogue : The Peshiṭta Of 1 Kings 2:1-9 From A Linguistic And Text-historical Perspective / Wido Van Peursen. Edited By P.s.f. Van Keulen And W.th. Van Peursen. Primarily Papers Presented At The Calap (computer-assisted Linguistic Analysis Of The Peshitta) Seminar Held April 3-4, 2003 At The Netherlands Institute For Advanced Study In Wassenaar, The Netherlands. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.