Translating Imperatives

Maurice A. O'Sullivan mauros at iol.ie
Sat Aug 21 15:10:38 EDT 1999


At 20:47 20/08/99 -0500, "Edgar M. Krentz" <emkrentz at mcs.com> wrote:
>Your problem arises from the fact that teachers of elementary Greek usually
>stress that imperative = giving orders. Check out any good grammar of
>either classical or NT Greek and see the wide variety of uses.

As Edgar rightly says, the emphasis is all one way sometimes in the 
teaching of the imperative.
As Smyth remarks:

1835. The imperative is used in commands and
                     prohibitions (negative mê). All its tenses refer to
                     the future.

                     a. Under commands are included requests,
                     entreaties, summons, prescriptions,
                     exhortations, etc.

Smyth, as many on the list already know, is available on the Perseus web-site.
Just now, the search engine works only on the section numbers in the 
printed edition,which is why I have included 1835 in the above quotation.

Anyone wanting to explore further the ramifications of the imperative, as 
so succinctly outlined by Edgar, should go to:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/lexica.html

and enter > Smyth 1835 < in the search box, and scroll forward through the 
various sections.

Enjoy this marvellous tool

Maurice


Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros at iol.ie





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