TIP of the day: Using a (reverse) interlinear to understand Logos functioning part 1

MJ. Smith

Please tell George I have not gone over to the dark side. Much of the tagging that we depend on working in Logos is actually coded only once in Logos - on the original language (Greek or Hebrew). Interlinears and Reverse interlinears are then used to map the English to the original language and therefore to the tagging. I intend to write a series of tips on that tagging first with a series on tagging in the Resource Visual Filters and then with a series on tagging in the Context Menu. Bear with me as I may provide multiple tips of the day rather than creating long posts and there is specific material I want to get to for personal reasons.

If you are new to Logos and/or interlinears please review two Interactive resources before reading this post.

• Interlinear Explorer
• Reverse Interlinear Explorer

1. How to read the interlinear manuscript line. Remember that the surface text is in normal sequence; the manuscript line is re-arranged to align with the surface text that translates it. I am showing only two lines of the interlinear - the surface text in English and the manuscript text in Greek.

• the subscripted numbers indicate the (natural) order of the manuscript words i.e. the order they appear in the manuscript
• a centered dot on either the manuscript or the surface line indicates a word with no equivalent on the other line
• a thin arrow pointing to the right indicates that the word is a multi-word equivalent to the next word on the right.
• a thin arrow pointing to the left indicates that the word is a multi-word equivalent to the word just passed on the left
• a thicker arrow head with a number pointing to the right indicates that the word is a multi-word equivalent to the word bearing that subscript which will be found to the right.
• a thicker arrow head with a number pointing to the left indicates that the word is a multi-word equivalent to the word bearing that subscript which will be found to the left.

I have been unable to verify that this is a complete list of symbols.

2. How to control what displays in the interlinear. We have our choice of two forms of the interlinear

• Inline interlinear which appears between lines of the surface text in the resource panel
• Interlinear which opens a separate pane at the bottom of the resource panel.

These forms are independently selected and have independent (nearly identical) options that are selected by checking/unchecking the potential lines shown. To bring up the inline selection, click on the inline icon on the resource panel toolbar. To bring up the bottom pane selection, right click in the title section on the left.

The available lines, all aligned at the word level, are:

• Surface text: the content of the translation you are using
• Manuscript text: the content of the manuscript being translated, reflecting the text critical choices made by the translators.
• Manuscript text transliterated; the content of the manuscript text converted to the Roman alphabet using a "standard" but unnamed transliteration scheme.
• Manuscript text lemma: the dictionary form of the manuscript word. I believe Faithlife has developed their own list of such lemmas rather than using a specific lexicon.
• Manuscript text lemma transliterated: again a conversion from the original to the Roman alphabet.
• Manuscript text root: the root form of the lemma. Again I believe Faithlife has developed their own list of such roots rather than using a specific lexicon.
• Manuscript text root transliterated: again a conversion from the original to the Roman alphabet.
• Morphology coding: the grammatical morphological information is shown in codes that are documented here, and used in pop-ups translating the codes into words as well as in Morphological Searches.
• Strong' s number: Greek or Hebrew as appropriate. My take on Strong's numbers is available here.
• Louw-Nida Semantic Domain number: Available only for the New Testament
• Bible Sense Lexicon sense: Available only in the bottom pane interlinear

3. Two other important characteristics of interlinears:

• when you highlight a word all lines of the interlinear are highlighted. Note the use of a lighter shade for words with arrows or arrowheads.
• the feature which includes a full accounting of the morphology is still available as a tool-tip popup.

4. The relationship of the interlinear to the Context Menu choices. Green arrows show the interlinear items that appear as Context Menu items. Orange arrows show that the interlinear transliteration is placed beside the appropriate item in the Context Menu rather than as a separate item. The grey arrow represents the Bible Sense Lexicon entry which only appears in the Interlinear when displays as a pane at the bottom of the panel.

A similar example for the tool-tip pop-up.

David J Cadenhead

I felt cheerfully obligated to stop long enough to thank you for one of the most concise, thorough, and easily replicable explanations of the instruction, use and usability of the (reverse)interlinear Bible in the demonstration of the power behind Logos 6.7. I have never been so sated by such a clear and pleasurable exposure.

For those who I have tried to explain to understanding that Masoretic Hebrew/ Koine Greek in a (reverse) Interlinear does not equal a "one:one" translation of Surface to Manuscript, your illustrations and explanations are, and will continue to be an absolute "Fruit" from the Spiritual Tree.

I am indebted to you for your scholarship, (parts 1 and 2 of Using a (Rev.) Interlinear to Understand Logos Functionality).

Blessings, 

David J Cadenhead