[B-Greek] textured layering and clausal demotion
R Yochanan Bitan Buth
ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Sun Apr 18 15:24:26 EDT 2004
XAIREIN
I read several of the recent thread on relative pronouns and clausal
relations. I think the responses worked in the right direction, explaining
that a relative pronoun or participle does not mark many of the
relationships that are listed and taught to beginning Greek students trying
to quasi-translate into English. Thw writer assumes that the relationships
are inherent to the context. I would like to look at that from another
perspective (that may have been in that thread, but missed by me).
Greek writers get to choose prominence of one clause in relationship to
another by means of the weight of finite verbs versus "other" (participles
and infinitives). Finite verbs must explicitly mark something about the
relationship, though admittedly a DE, TE, KAI, OUN, GAR, OS or asyndeton are
not highly defined.
The important distinction for a Greek reader to notice is whether the
writer/speaker gave full finite-verb clause status to the proposition or
whether the proposition/event was demoted to something like a participle,
infinitive, abstract noun, etc. Such prominence ranking is one of the main
clues that an audience has when following a Greek argument. It is one of the
skills and 'rhythms' that develop from extensive reading and use of Greek.
It is also one of the reasons for reading a text in Greek rather than
translation, because one can follow the texture of the text, feel the bumps
in the road. Favorite texts may take on a different perspective or clarity,
e.g. Rom 3:23-24, or 5:1.
There are also occasional conventions that function as a foil, as a
counterpoint to the above, like EU POIHSEIS TOUTO POIHSAS where the main
request is demoted to a participle, which provides a kind of polite
softening of a wish/command.
ERRWSQE
Randall Buth
Randall Buth, PhD
Director, Biblical Language Center
www.biblicalulpan.org
and Director, Biblical Studies in Israel
Rothberg International School
Hebrew University
ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list