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Word count in Greek text?


mac98aop

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Hi there

 

Way back when, my Greek seminary lecturer produced fantastic handouts for a biblical book. These helpfully included a table of all used words, with a number count.

 

Am I able to do this in Accordance?

 

Thanks so much

Adam

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May you want to know how?

 

I'm glad you ask.

 

* [RANGE matt-rev]

or

* [RANGE matt]

 

This search for all words in the Range you want. Then go to "Analyse" and choose one of the count ...

post-32723-0-73289400-1535453134_thumb.png

 

Greetings

 

Fabian

 

 

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Thanks, Fabian.

 

Really clear and helpful, but doesn't seem to work and no doubt it's my error!

 

When I search:

 

WORDS: * [RANGE 1 PET] 

 

... the analysis I receive is simply 'Total number of verses displayed'

 

If I widen the search to simply:

 

WORDS: *

 

... then it gives me exactly what I need, but for the whole GNT.

 

Any tips?

 

Thanks

Adam


MY BAD!

 

I realise that I needed to use the + to access the 'range options' and then I defined a new one for 1 Peter.

 

Thanks!

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Adam, you almost got it, but you need to remove the space between 1 and PET (WORDS: * [RANGE 1 PET]). Make the command WORDS: * [RANGE 1PET] and it should work. Accordance places the Arabic numeral of a book in the name with no spaces. Yes, it took me a few head scratches to get this way of doing things as well. ;)

 

Shalom

Joseph

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Years ago when Daniel Wallace published his Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, he pointed out some minor discrepancies in word counts from Accordance. Has this been fixed since that grammar was published?

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Some of those discrepancies are related to how things are tagged, specifically I recall him mentioning nominative vs vocative tagging. The tagging isn't based on Wallace's grammar and thus doesn't always agree with it.

 

Thx

D

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Word counts in general depend on a variety of factors.

 

For example, compare the NA 28 GNT with 138213 words with the Tyndale GNT with 138015 words.

 

I wouldn't draw too many strong conclusions on word counts.

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Word counts in general depend on a variety of factors.

 

For example, compare the NA 28 GNT with 138213 words with the Tyndale GNT with 138015 words.

 

I wouldn't draw too many strong conclusions on word counts.

 

Interesting, I wonder why Tyndale's has fewer words.

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The bigger question is, how many words in in any Greek NT? The "Greek NT" is a patchwork (eclectic) text that is derived from multitudinous manuscripts. Scholars have attempted to generate a "photo" form of the NT this way. Their work is exemplary but issues like this then arise. Remember the NA28 does not represent a real text, it does not exist, but rather is a compilation of the text critics have assembled to be what they think is the best readings. One way around this is to adopt a diplomatic text (much like in OT studies where the BHS and BHQ are based off one text family, the Leningrad Codex) and mark other text group family differences in the apparatus. This approach has been put forward by many in NT studies in the form of Byzantine Priority. I hope that helps this discussion some as many times the different Greek NT copies are displaying differences based on manuscript preference, not actual textual differance.

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Part of the reason I like to read the Ecumenical Patriarchal Text first. I go to NA for the supporting dbs.

Of course mere gross word counts don't mean all that much except to highlight that the texts are not the same. There is more meat in the actual differences themselves, and that will go beyond a mere 198 words. I might add that 198 in 138015 is basically 0, ok about 0.143 %.

Language being as flexible as it is this discrepancy, alone, also doesn't mean that they say different things.

 

We've got very used to copies being exact and there being one source of truth for a document these days. But for ancient documents you are going to see slop. The reason it's so confusing in the NT case is the sheer number of witnesses. For other documents of substantial age we don't have anywhere near the number.

 

@Matt, I didn't quite get what I think you were trying to convey with "...differences based on manuscript preference, not actual textual differance...". Are you saying the differences vary depending upon what you take as your reference text ?

 

Thx

D

Edited by דָנִיאֶל
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Part of the reason I like to read the Ecumenical Patriarchal Text first. I go to NA for the supporting dbs.

Of course mere gross word counts don't mean all that much except to highlight that the texts are not the same. There is more meat in the actual differences themselves, and that will go beyond a mere 198 words. I might add that 198 in 138015 is basically 0, ok about 0.143 %.

Language being as flexible as it is this discrepancy, alone, also doesn't mean that they say different things.

 

We've got very used to copies being exact and there being one source of truth for a document these days. But for ancient documents you are going to see slop. The reason it's so confusing in the NT case is the sheer number of witnesses. For other documents of substantial age we don't have anywhere near the number.

 

@Matt, I didn't quite get what I think you were trying to convey with "...differences based on manuscript preference, not actual textual differance...". Are you saying the differences vary depending upon what you take as your reference text ?

 

Thx

D

That is correct! The editor of the text decides which manuscript version to go with (which should be, IMO, the choice of the one doing textual work- Which is why I am more fond of a diplomatic text).

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I'll just throw another wrench into the works here. Do we want to count the words in brackets? Most GNT editors use brackets to indicate text that is "old, but not original." Accordance's HMT-W4 and ETCBC Hebrew Bibles use them to enclose the Qere. Stay tuned for the most nerdy podcast I've ever done: Bracketed Words.

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… Stay tuned for the most nerdy podcast I've ever done: Bracketed Words.

 

I suspect that this podcast will be just as anticipated, discussed, and viewed as those collegiate spring basketball playoffs. ;) 

 

Sorry, I just immediately got that crazy idea in my mind when I saw 'Bracketed Words'. I will now go consume some anti-coffee and settle down!

 

—Joseph

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I'll just throw another wrench into the works here. Do we want to count the words in brackets? Most GNT editors use brackets to indicate text that is "old, but not original." Accordance's HMT-W4 and ETCBC Hebrew Bibles use them to enclose the Qere. Stay tuned for the most nerdy podcast I've ever done: Bracketed Words.

 

Hey Dr. J, while I realize that Acc uses the same bracketed words feature to find Greek bracketed words and Hebrew Qere I have the impression they are not the same phenomenon. I haven't studied this but I have to say - Hebrew studies are slow at the moment. But if this is so it would be good to explain that briefly.

 

Thx

D

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If you can hang on about a week, I have a new Lighting the Lamp podcast that will explain it thoroughly.

 

The short answer is that it varies from canon to canon and, within that canon, from text to text. I was astonished at the variety when I started digging into this issue. Check the Read Me or the front matter of the apparatus for details on your particular text, if you are unable to wait for the podcast.

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I, like everyone else here I'm sure, have more than enough to fill a week while you collect it all together and present it. I have no wish to rush you - just thought it would an opportunity to explain the phenomenon as well as how to use Acc to search for it. And besides it should raise the "geek quotient" still further. :)

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  • 4 years later...
On 8/28/2018 at 3:20 PM, mac98aop said:

Hi there

 

Way back when, my Greek seminary lecturer produced fantastic handouts for a biblical book. These helpfully included a table of all used words, with a number count.

 

Am I able to do this in Accordance?

 

Thanks so much

Adam

Yes! You can do it. 

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