Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek: A Survey of Basic Concepts and Applications (2nd Edition)
Overview
This volume introduces Greek students to the field of linguistics and shows how its findings can increase their understanding of the New Testament. “Curiosity about linguistics and its place in the study of Greek is now too great to be satisfied by the handful of specialized studies written mostly for experts,” observes Black. Hence Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek includes a new chapter on discourse analysis.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
- Offer insights into Greek linguistics that lead to systematic language discovery
- Presents a new perspective on Greek that has already been learned
- Instructs the reader in grammar and linguistics simultaneously
- Introducing Linguistics: The Landscape and the Quest
- Phonology: The Sounds of Greek
- Morphology: The Anatomy of Greek Words
- Syntax: The Architecture of the Greek Sentence
- Semantics: Determining Meaning
- Historical and Comparative Linguistics: The Biography of Greek
- Discourse Analysis: Getting the Big Picture
Top Highlights
“Agglutinative languages (Lat. ad, ‘to’ + glutino, ‘I glue’) are those that tend to combine long strings of morphemes into a single word.” (Page 7)
“ isolating languages, such as English, have a tendency to use shorter words.” (Page 7)
“Linguistics is the science that attempts to understand language from the point of view of its ‘inner workings’—what linguists call internal structure. This structure includes speech sounds and meanings, as well as a complex grammatical system that relates those sounds and meanings.” (Page 5)
“Linguists themselves seem uncertain about their conclusions, and the entire discipline is in a state of flux. Why, then, should I enter this ‘jungle’?” (Page 2)
“The grammar of a language is the chief concern of the descriptive linguist. Grammar can be defined as a system of rules relating sound and meaning. The attempt to identify and classify all the sounds used in a given language is known as phonology (Gk. φωνή, ‘sound’ + λόγος, ‘word, science’). Phonologists listen to speech and try to break it down into its constituent parts. Among the basic phonological units of all human sound systems are discrete elements called phonemes—the smallest units of sound that make a functional difference in the meaning of words.” (Page 6)
In producing this first-class practical introduction to the complexities of New Testament Greek, Black has succeeded in making sense of the many arbitrary rules of old-fashioned textbooks, and has shown how the insights of linguistics can make the learning of Greek not only much easier but also more thorough and systematic.
—Eugene A. Nida, former executive secretary for translations, American Bible Society
To be properly prepared for the tidal waves of change that must inevitable make obsolete so much of what we take for granted in grammatical and lexical study, one must also take time out to read and inwardly digest Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek. . . . No intimidation here. Anyone who can read an editorial page can understand this book, and the synchronic emphasis will cure almost any case of overexposure to diachronic presentation.
—Frederick Danker, emeritus professor, Lutheran School of Theology
David Alan Black (DTheol, University of Basel) is professor of New Testament at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including Learn to Read New Testament Greek and Interpreting the New Testament.
Reviews
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Alessandro
6/12/2021
Charles
9/28/2017
