[B-Greek] Predicate Adjective Participles

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Fri Aug 26 12:35:50 EDT 2005


On Aug 26, 2005, at 11:56 AM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> I have this question about the adjectival use of the
> participle.
>
> Greek adjectives can function as predicate adjectives,
> and so can adjectival participles. But I think I read
> that adjectival participles only rarely function as
> predicate adjectives. Is that right? If so, why would
> there be less frequency of an adjectival participle
> functioning as predicate adjective as compared to the
> basic adjective? What is it in the nature of a
> participle that would restrict its use as a predicate adjective?

There is, of course, one not uncommon use of the participle as a  
predicate adjective in NT Koine: as part of a periphrastic construction:
e.g. Mk 1:6 KAI HN hO IWANNHS ENDEDUMENOS TRICAS KAMHLOU KAI ZWNHN  
DERMATINHN PERI THN OSFUN AUTOU KAI ESQIWN AKRIDAS KAI MELI AGRION:  
here ENDEDUMENOS and ESQIWN construe with HN to yield a periphrastic  
pluperfect of ENDUOMAI and an imperfect of ESQIW.

Eph 2:5 CARITI ESTE SESWiSMENOI, where SESWiSMENOI is a predicate  
adjective construed with ESTE to yield a periphrastic perfect passive.

On the other hand, there are texts like Luke 2:16 KAI HLQAN  
SPEUSANTES KAI ANEURAN THN TE MARIAM KAI TON IWSHF KAI TO BREFOS  
KEIMENON EN THi FATNHi -- here KEIMENON is functions as a predicate  
adjective: "they found the baby laid/lying in the manger ..."

Compare the old parlor game where a pair of scissors is passed around  
a circle of seated persons  and each person says, as he arranges or  
rearranges his legs, "I received them crossed/uncrossed; I pass them  
uncrossed/crossed." These participles are predicate adjectives with  
the ambiguity that they could be accusative (objective) if they refer  
to the scissors or nominative if they refer to the speaker and his legs.

As for numbers, I just think that although predicate adjectives are  
not UNcommon, they are less common than adjectives (and participles,  
by extension) that are attributive or substantival.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/




More information about the B-Greek mailing list