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Module: HmX
For a quick start maybe take a look at this introduction video, that covers the general workflow and a few settings options: https://youtu.be/uQjewyG0Ad8
HermeneutiX offers a graphical user interface for developing syntactical and semantical structure analyses of complex (not necessarily foreign language) texts. Both the "Syntactic Structure Analysis" and "Semantic Structure Analysis" are tools used in the exegesis or discourse analysis, in the attempt to fully understand the original meaning of a given text (e.g. scripture excerpt) and potentially generate a matching translation. The methodology of the "Semantic Structure Analysis" was originally formulated by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL).
A new HermeneutiX project starts in the text input view, where the origin text (to be analyzed) can be entered and the respective origin language should be selected in order to start on the syntactical analysis (at least for determining the proper structure of propositions). From there, the user can switch at any time to the semantical analysis.
Single projects can be saved to a ".hmx" file and respectively loaded from one. There is currently no immediate print option available but rather the possibility to export one of the analyses to an SVG file (scalable vector graphic). The SVG file/image can be viewed and printed by a variety of third party programs (e.g. a modern web browser).
A new HermeneutiX project always starts with the arrangement of the origin text to analyze. Furthermore its language needs to be defined. Because of the analysis´ integrity the latter cannot be changed after beginning the analysis. The selected language determines if the text is aligned from left-to-right or from right-to-left as well as the selectable clause item functions in the syntactical analysis. Thus it is not mandatory to select the actual language. Just choose a language with the same alignment and at least the same syntactical variety.
The font type and size can be adjusted at any time later on. But by pushing the associated button you start the analysis itself and won´t be able to change the selected language again.
In order to avoid the more time-consuming alternative in the syntactical analysis it is recommended to structurize the origin text while in the text input view. Inserting line separators allows you to mark single propositions while tabstops (or 4+ consecutive white spaces) indicate the contained clause items. You can as well just paste a preformatted text and go directly into the analyses.
By finishing the text input you begin the analysis and are asked for some project meta information which is completely optional. Initially you reach the syntactical analysis view.
The first task at hand is to structure your text according to the contained clause items (not necessarily every single word) and propositions. In the analysis view you can accomplish this by means of the clause item context menus (reachable by secondary/right mouse button). Ideally you have already structured your origin text while in the text input view using line separators and tabstops.
The aim of the syntactical analysis is a literal interpretation of the given text. Therefore you determine the functions of the single clause items and check for their counterpart in your translation. Additionally you can assign and verify the clause item functions of the whole propositions by subordinating them to one another.
The button on the left allows you to switch to the semantical analysis at any time, but it is recommended to finish at least the structuring of the propositions first, because later changes in the proposition assignment might drop some branches in your semantical analysis.
The aim of the semantical analysis is a translation that communicates the pristine intended statement of the original author.
It is based on the proposition structure defined in the syntactical analysis. The semantical relations between single or multiple propositions can be represented in a tree structure with their respective roles at each node. Similar to the approach in the syntactical analysis you can subsequently check your translations whether they preserve the uncovered semantical relations.
In principle it is a refining of the translation produced in the syntactical analysis in which you can always switch back via the button on the right. Beware that changes in the proposition structure might affect their assigned semantical relations.
The appearance and behavior of HermeneutiX can be customized to a certain extent via the main menu item File > Preferences (if you are using Mac OS X, you will find the preferences option in the usual application menu).
- Arrow Color: sets the color of the arrows in the analysis views indicating parts of a single proposition that are separated by at least one other proposition
- Relation Color: sets the color of the semantical relation tree lines in the analysis view
- Highlight Color of commented elements: sets the color of the propositions/clause items/relations that have a comment attached
- On Proposition in Analysis View – Show labels: hides or shows by default all proposition label fields when creating/opening a HermeneutiX project
- On Proposition in Analysis View – Show translations: hides or shows by default all proposition translation fields when creating/opening a HermeneutiX project
- On Text Input View for new Analysis – Show settings: hides or shows by default the origin text properties when beginning a new project in the text input view
- Default Author: reset of the corresponding meta data field when starting the analysis of a new project
- Indentation Width: determines how far subordinated propositions in the syntactical analysis view are indented
- Element Colors: colors of arrows, semantical relation lines and the border and background of propositions in the exported images
- Font Colors: possibly diverse colors of texts in the exported images
- Font of all non-origin-language texts: font type and size of all texts in the exported images that are not part of the originally analyzed text (the font type and size of the origin text in the exported images is the same as in the analysis view)
The "Relations" part of the Preferences allow you to define the semantic relations that can be assigned during the semantical analysis via the respective context menus. A separator is shown between each "Group" defined here. Every relation "Template" has at least a "Role with High-Weight" and might already be complete if "Single Re-occurring Role" is selected. Otherwise, a "Role with Low-Weight" also needs to be defined which also "Can be Re-occurring". Both "Roles" are defined, the "Default Order" can be set to cover the most common use case. The entered "Description" is being shown as hover tool tip for the respective relation entry in the context menu.
Here you may define your own origin languages for the texts to be analysed, starting out by cloning one of the two system defined languages: "Greek" and "Hebrew" (which cannot be changed). Such a language is defined by its "Name" and "Text Orientation". Additionally, a list of default fonts can be defined to be preset if available on project creation.
You can alter the individual syntactic functions via the "Edit Syntactical Functions" button at the bottom; defining for each syntactical function the "Name" (shown in the context menu), the shorter "Code" (shown on the respective clause item or indented proposition), and whether it should be "Underlined when selected". Any entered "Description" will be shown as the hover tool tip on the respective context menu item.