[B-Greek] word order in questions John 18:33
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Apr 14 07:55:02 EDT 2005
At 9:47 AM +0200 4/14/05, Beata Urbanek wrote:
>B-Greeks,
>
>is there any specific word order in Greek questions? I can't find any info
>either in BDF or in Wallace. If there is no question word how can we know
>that it's a question?
>I'm thinking about Pilate's question: SY EI hO BASILEUS TWN IOUDAIWN.
>On the base of Greek grammar (not context) can we say if it's a question
>or a statement?
>
>Any help appreciated
There certainly isn't any indication in the FORMATTING of "SU EI hO
BASILEUS TWN IOUDAIWN" that it's a question; on the other hand, the context
makes it clear enough: the very emphatic SU at the outset and then the
clear indication in 18:34 APEKRIQH IHSOUS. I think it could also be
suggested that Pilate's statement, "SU EI hO BASILEUS TWN IOUDAIWN" could
be taken as sarcastic: "YOU are the king of the Judeans!"--but the doubt
would seem to be implicit in any case.
Certainly absent from this are standard question particles: ARA, H, MH or
the MHTI used by Pilate in 18:35, APEKRIQH hO PILATOS: MHTI EGW IOUDAIOS
EIMI? "Pilate replied, "Surely (you don't think) that _I_ am a Judean?"
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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