raq and 'ak: Limiting and Countering: Limiting and Countering

This article uses principles from Relevance Theory to distinguish the functions of the limiters raq and 'ak. It argues that raq always constrains a countering interpretation on the material that it introduces. In other words, the presence of raq indicates that an existing assumption is to be co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hebrew studies
Main Author: Levinsohn, Stephen H. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: The National Association of Professors of Hebrew 2011
In: Hebrew studies
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
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Summary:This article uses principles from Relevance Theory to distinguish the functions of the limiters raq and 'ak. It argues that raq always constrains a countering interpretation on the material that it introduces. In other words, the presence of raq indicates that an existing assumption is to be contradicted or eliminated. In contrast, the constraint on interpretation imposed by 'ak is simply that of limitation, without countering overtones (an effect often conveyed by English "just"). Consequently, when introducing a countering proposition, 'ak does not emphasize the contrast, as others have claimed. Rather, it limits or minimizes the contrast, often with the effect of strengthening another assumption.
ISSN:2158-1681
Contains:Enthalten in: Hebrew studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1353/hbr.2011.0023