Incidence of article

Thomas J. Kraus thomas-juergen.kraus at theologie.uni-regensburg.de
Thu Jun 24 03:28:00 EDT 1999


On:          Thu, 24 Jun 1999 15:04:28 +1000 Rick Strelan wrote:

> Is it at all possible that the use/non-use of the definite article not only
> with names but in other circumstances has to do with the metre or rhythm or
> the 'sound' of the text as much as with grammatical rules or usage?

Dear Rick,
 
lacking articles in short verses may have to do with rhythm, e.g. 
Menander´s GNOMAI MONOSTICHOI (cf. ed. by Jaeckel) do rarely contain the 
article. But there may be other reasons cited for this (the complex 
functions of the Greek articles have no place in most of them!). The same 
counts for the massive corporae of inscriptions (primacy of brevity!) and 
some early. Your assumption might be correct with some special usage 
(think of hymns or the like, pieces of literature which had to be 
memorized easily), but on the whole the problem with the Greek article is 
that its usage is very complex, changing during the process of a language 
developing (see the rare use in Homer, the more or less undogmatic usage 
in the Graeco-Roman papyri, and the changing attitude towards the article 
during literary Koine - e.g. new Atticism).
If you consult D. Sansone, Towards a New Doctrine of the Article in Greek: 
Some Observations on the Definite Article in Plato, in: Classical 
Philology 88 (1993) 191-205 and H. Kurzowa, Zum Charakter des griechischen 
Artikels, in: Listy Filol. 92 (1969) 199f. you´ll find some of the 
problems mentioned and treated. Gildersleeve´s Syntax (part II) is a 
classic and as useful as the treatment by D.B. Wallace, Greek Grammar 
Beyond the Basics. An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids 
1996) 209ff.
Please, be careful to judge the Greek article on an absolute basis, i.e. 
to say the functions of the Greek article are such and such, and then look 
up references in a text to identify these functions. Style is always an 
effect of subjective joice. If you need more references or have an 
explicit example to discuss, please, feel free to contact me immediately. 
I cannot promise to solve problems (who does anyway?), but will try to 
throw in my five pennies, if you want me to.

Best wishes,

Thomas J. Kraus
Universitaet Regensburg
Kath.-theol. Fakultaet
Universitaetsstr. 31
D-93053 Regensburg
Federal Republic of Germany

Tel. + 49 941 943 36 90
Fax. + 49 941 943 19 86
thomas-juergen.kraus at theologie.uni-regensburg.de



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