Meaning of the perfect tense

CWestf5155 at aol.com CWestf5155 at aol.com
Sun Jan 14 21:36:01 EST 2001


In a message dated 01/14/2001 1:22:03 AM Mountain Standard Time, 
doulos at chorus.net writes:

> On 1/14/01 12:48 AM, Mark Wilson wrote:
>  
>  > I think your comments here about the prep. phrases are both correct and
>  > incorrect. When you say that the prep. phrases do not describe "states" 
> but
>  > "motions," I think this is correct. But we do not have prep. phrases used
>  > independently here; they are part of a larger syntactical structure, and 
> it
>  > is in this structure that the prep. phrases combine with other 
grammatical
>  > features to communicate a  more complex concept than just a prep. phrase 
"
> in
>  > a vacuum."
>  
>  I far from suggested that the prepositional phrases should be viewed
>  independently or in a vacuum. My point was that the idea of motion in the
>  prepositional phrases of the disputed text is better associated with the
>  completion of the act of movement than with the existing result. It is not
>  the modification by the prepositional phrases of the existing result that
>  produces the transfer from death to life! Rather, it is the modification by
>  the prepositional phrases of the perfect verb as viewed at completion that
>  produces the existing result of having passed from death to life.
>  

I think that Mark's reply was well-worded and well thought-out.

Just three things to add:

1.  The semantic relationship between finite verbs and modifying prepositions

    In stative verbs that occur with prepositions of motion such as EIS, 
Wallace, <<Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics>>, p. 359, says that the stative 
verb overrides the transitive force of the preposition.  He also says that 
(I'm paraphrasing) when due consideration is given to the verb, the 
prepositions should not be treated as though their ontological meaning were 
still completely in tact.
    Part of giving due consideration to the verb is keeping the force of its 
tense--that isn't modified or changed by the preposition.

2.  Markedness of words and forms

    The author's choice of the perfect in 5:24 is marked--it is unusual and 
significant both as far as the verbal system is concerned and as far as 
METABAINW is concerned.

    The collocation of METABAINW with EK and particularly EIS is not 
unexpected or marked, especially if METABAINW is figurative for a change of 
residence. BGAD first lists EIS as occuring with verbs of movement and 
METABAINW is on the list. So if the selection of EIS is customary, then a 
great deal of semantic load should not be attached to it. 

3.  Focus of a sentence/clause complex

    All things being equal, look for the focus of a clause in the finite verb 
clause, not modifying phrases (such as relative clauses, participial and 
prepositional phrases). An exception might be if a modifier had a marked form 
with emphatic particles and/or extensive elaboration.

Cindy Westfall
PhD Student, University of Surrey at Roehampton



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