Re: USAGE: Initial "and" (was Re: The Babel Text)

Mark J. Reed wrote:


> On Sat, Feb 14, 2004 at 08:26:48PM -0500, Trebor Jung wrote:
> >    Maybe the anded version means something like, '[And so,] all the land
was
> >    one language and few words'.
> It's the start of a chapter, and doesn't really follow logically on the
> end of the previous one, which is an enumeration of the descendants of
> Noah after the Flood.
>
In KJV at least, it seems to be a literal translation of the Hebrew (and
perhaps the Greek)-- Steg I believe gave us the Hebrew line about Shinar the
other day, and it began with v(+vowel)-.  Sentence-initial 'and's are
EVERYWHERE in the Bible, both OT and NT.  I've always assumed (perhaps was
once told by a teacher who knew) that it was a feature of Hebrew narrative
writing.

Aside from KJV (and other writings in lofty or Biblical mode) starting
sentences with "and" is frowned upon in English writingl. (Same with "but").
But they can both be used-- sparingly-- for effect.




> Also, the phenomenon pops up elsewhere.  Consider the song "Closer to
> the Heart", which begins with "And the men who hold high places ...",
> or the song "That's What Friends Are For", which begins "And I never
> thought I'd feel this way".  There are numerous other examples, usually
> in verse rather than prose.
>
> -Mark

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