ἴδια and ἴδιοι

Biblical Greek morphology and syntax, aspect, linguistics, discourse analysis, and related topics
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Girgis Boshra
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Joined: January 25th, 2012, 3:40 pm

ἴδια and ἴδιοι

Post by Girgis Boshra »

εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. (Joh 1:11)
Why the first (ἴδια) neuter, and the second (ἴδιοι) masculine?
cwconrad
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Re: ἴδια and ἴδιοι

Post by cwconrad »

Girgis Boshra wrote:εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. (Joh 1:11)
Why the first (ἴδια) neuter, and the second (ἴδιοι) masculine?
οἱ ἴδιοι is a generic plural certainly indicating people of inclusive gender, for the reason that the masculine gender is used that way -- numerous adjectives have only two terminations: one undifferentiated (-ος in the 2nd decl.) matching both masculine and feminine nouns, the other matching neuter nouns). As for τὰ ἴδια as neuter, I have always understood this to refer not just to people but to all the "things" that belonged to the Logos because he was instrumental in their creation. I wouldn't hesitate to convey the sense of the verse as "He entered his own realm and his own people didn't welcome him."
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Girgis Boshra
Posts: 21
Joined: January 25th, 2012, 3:40 pm

Re: ἴδια and ἴδιοι

Post by Girgis Boshra »

Many thanks for your reply Prof. Conrad
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