How Textual Ambiguity Can Be Irrelevant


Ancient Greek is a more flexible language than modern English. In ancient Greek, there is no requirement (rule) that adjectives come before or after nouns. Therefore, the following two sentences can be (not must be) translated the same.

I live in a red house.

I live in a house red.

However, the word order can (not must) affect emphasis. Thus, there can be (not must be) this difference (capitalization indicates emphasis):

I live in a RED house.

I live in a HOUSE red.

Therefore, if there are no indicators of emphatic intention (intention to emphasize something), the following two statements are, indeed, translated the same:

I live in a red house.

I live in a house red.

PS: This would be an instance of no-pass-through construction (see Complete Explanation Of The Absence Of Textual Ambiguity).