[B-Greek] SE in Mark 1:24

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Mon Feb 3 21:35:45 EST 2003


I think this was intended for the list rather than for me alone; our
list-software is configured to send replies to list-messages to the
original sender only; if you want a reply to go to the list also you have
to cc it or fix your settings in your own mail program as "reply to all."

Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 16:36:41 -0600
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] SE in Mark 1:24
From: Steven Lo Vullo <slovullo at mac.com>
To: "Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>

On Monday, February 3, 2003, at 06:39 AM, Carl W. Conrad wrote:

>> 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."

There is a good section in Wallace (pp. 42ff.) on distinguishing the
subject from the predicate nominative. His general principle is that
the subject is the **known** entity. The pronoun (explicit or implied
in the verb) trumps all. It will be the subject regardless of the
grammatical tag of the other substantive. The only exception is the
interrogative pronoun, which will always be the predicate nominative.
He states:

"The reason that personal, demonstrative, and relative pronouns
function differently than interrogative pronouns is this: the former
are a substitute for something already revealed in the context (a known
quantity), while the latter are anticipatory of a substantive not yet
revealed (an unknown quantity). One refers back to an antecedent; the
other looks forward to a postcedent" (p. 44 and n. 24).
=============
Steven R. Lo Vullo
Madison, WI</x-flowed>


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