How do you tell when 持つ is stative or dynamic?


I am confused on how to distinguish if a verb is stative or dynamic when used
in a sentence. For example, 持つ appears to have two definitions, one for a
dynamic meaning and one for a stative meaning.

  1. 物の一部分をつかむ 
  2. 所有している 

How do I tell the difference between the two definitions when used in a
sentence? For example,

武器を持った乗っ取り犯たちは乗客をりつ然とさせた。

Is the interpretation "The hijackers who had weapons terrified the passengers"
(stative) or "The hijackers who had obtained weapons terrified the passengers"
(dynamic)?




You should be able to tell from the context nearly 100% of the time. On the
rare chance that it is difficult to tell, it would generally be of little
importance which way you interpret it. Off hand, I could not think of such an
example.

> 「[武器]{ぶき}を[持]{も}った[乗]{の}っ[取]{と}り[犯]{はん}たちは[乗客]{じょうきゃく}をりつ[然]{ぜん}とさせた。」

In this sentence, the vast majority of Japanese-speakers, myself included,
would take the 武器を持った part to mean "holding weapons". That is because it is
really irrelevant as to who actually legally owns those weapons that are
presently in the hijackers' hands.

