[B-Greek] Correct notions about "deponent" verbs

James Ernest jdemail at charter.net
Thu Nov 20 09:53:04 EST 2003


> > I think this ultimately depends upon the genius--the native
> > feeling latent within the speakers of each language regarding 
> > self-involvement in actions. English speakers, at least by 
> > contrast with French speakers and German speakers, don't seem 
> > very self-conscious about actions they perform, and I think 
> > that's why there are so few reflexive verbs in English, 
> > relatively speaking.

I wonder whether this (evidently six-year-old?) paragraph is similar to
the kind of thing James Barr (The Semantics of Biblical Language)
suggests is fallacious in his discussion of earlier speculation on the
difference between Hebrew and Greek thought? Should we conclude any more
from grammatical structures about un-self-aware English-speakers than we
would about egocentric French- or German-speakers? --unless one
disagrees with Barr, which is always possible (but I suspect never safe)
;-) .

Puckishly yours,

James

--------------------------------
James D. Ernest, Ph.D., Editor
Baker Academic
+1 616 891 5625 (office)
jernest at bakerbooks.com
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