[B-Greek] SE in Mark 1:24

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Mon Feb 3 07:39:40 EST 2003


Although the original response was sent only to me, I think this belongs
on-list, and I need to correct my error that Barry calls attention to.

At 7:12 AM -0500 2/3/03, Barry Hofstetter wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>
>To: "Barry Hofstetter" <nebarry at earthlink.net>
>Cc: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
>Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 6:23 AM
>Subject: Re: [B-Greek] SE in Mark 1:24
>
>
>At 1:38 AM -0500 2/3/03, Barry Hofstetter wrote:
>>SE functions as the direct object of OIDA.  TIS is the subject of EI, the
>>clause
>>being an indirect question.   A literalistic translation, however awkward in
>>English, might help to see the construction here: "I know you, who you
>>are..."
>
>>>I would alter this only to the extent of saying that TIS is a predicate
>word rather than the subject of EI; the construction (SU is the subject
>implicit in the verb's 2nd-person inflection), anticipating the subject of
>the indirect question by making it the object of the introductory verb, is
>a standard one in traditional Greek. See Smyth, §2668.<<
>
>I can't see where Smyth 2668 supports your point?  He seems to be
>discussing the
>use of the relative pronoun instead of the indefinite relative or the
>interrogative, and, unless I am missing something (which is quite possible),
>does not reference whether or not the pronoun should be considered a predicate
>or subject.  Whether or no, this is one of those grammatical points that could
>be read either way, I should think.

Yes, Smyth §2668 is the wrong reference, although it does cite the
construction in question and note that OIDA SE hOS EI and OUK OIDA SE
hOSTIS EI are the standard patterns--which is the primary point I was
referring to. I would still maintain that the interrogative word TIS,
although first in its clause as interrogative words most commonly are, is a
predicate nominative rather than the subject; perhaps that would be more
obvious if it were "I know WHAT you are" than as "I know WHO you are."
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/


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