Functional Grammar and the Pragmatics of Information Structure for Biblical Languages

Functional grammars include pragmatic information within formal grammar. Information structure refers to how languages keep track of the topics and introductory material of a text, and how they pre-sent the salient main points of a text. There are differences between normal handling of topical material and special marking of topical material. Likewise, there are default ways of presenting the main points and specially marked ways. The Functional Grammar of Si-mon Dik is helpful in pointing out constituents that carry pragmatic marking through word order. This facilitates reading for meaning in the biblical languages so that readers may recognize special presentations of material in text. The linking of sentences together in a text with marked Topics, recognizing Focus constituents, some unit discontinuities in a text and some rhetorical features in a text can be described. Functional Grammar describes how audiences may perceive these features in various languages and process them rapidly. This adds both to the accuracy and enjoyment of listening to a text or reading it. Extensive application and illustration are provided in Hebrew with additional application to Greek. Modern readers of ancient languages, where normal processes of language internalization may not have taken place, may receive a special ben-efit from considering the interactions of Functional Grammar and information structure. Key Words: Topic; Focus; Functional Grammar; Word Order; He-brew; Greek