[B-Greek] word order 1Jo 2.8

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Wed Jun 1 10:51:49 EDT 2005


This is a follow-up to 1 Cor 14:8 for evaluating word order 

 

OTI H SKOTIA PARAGETAI

KAI TO FWS TO ALHQINON HDH FAINEI

 

First clause has a new subject 'darkness' that I would call a
Topicalization, 

that is, it is not the most salient part of the sentence but provides
a point of reference, a point of departure.

 

Then in the second clause we have two 'fronted' items:

'the true light' is not the most salient item of the clause but
provides a comparative/contrastive Topicalization, a point of
reference for its clause and a point of reference to the larger
context. 

 

I read 'already' as the most salient part of the second clause. It is
neither first not last, but it is fronted before the verb. It is a
marked saliency, my definition of 'Focus'. Its position between the
syntactical subject and verb suggests that the subject is not in the
default subject position but that the subject is also pragmatically
motivated, supporting the Topicalization reading just mentioned above.

 

When reading the text, I would recommend a focal intonation on
'already'. (Chet, you will hear it on the old MP3 I sent you.) While
other readings might be possible, I think that the reading described
above would be the most expected. 

 

Randall Buth

 

Blessings

Randall Buth

 

Randall Buth, PhD

Director, Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

and Director, Biblical Studies in Israel

Hebrew University, Rothberg International School

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




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