[B-Greek] Meaning of QAUMASTA?

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Tue Feb 14 15:48:13 EST 2006


On Feb 14, 2006, at 3:14 PM, Christopher Shelton wrote:

> I am working on a translation with multiple uses of the same  
> adjective, some times used substantively, "wonderful words,"  
> "wonderful words," and also, or so it seems to me, as a sort of  
> adverb, "to work in a wonderful manner?" But, let me show it to you  
> first, and then I'll translate it as far as I can.  I believe it is  
> a paraphrasing of the New Testament...but, I really don't know  
> which part of the NT it was taken from.
>
>
> Transliterated as:
>
> AUTOS ELEGON hUMIN, hOTI TW LEGEIN MONON QAUMASTA OU GENHSESQE  
> QAUMASTOI, EI MH QAUMASTA ERGASESQE.
>
>
> "He himself was saying to us, that you do not become excellent // 
> persons// by only saying wonderful things, if you are not working/ 
> do not work //in a wonderful way?//

If it's ELEGON rather than ELEGEN, then ELEGON must be 1 sg.; "I was  
saying." hUMIN is not to us (hHMIN) but "to you." GENHSESQE is future  
tense, not present. ERGASESQE is also future tense, not present.
>
>      It is the last use of QAUMASTA that puzzles me.  How is the  
> adjective used here?  As a substantive: "wonderful things," or, is  
> it as an adverb, "work wonderfully"; though there is no reason to  
> suppose that, since the adverb would be QAMASTIWS.

"wonderful things" is fine; it must be the object of ERGASESQE.  
ERGAZOMAI can be intransitive, but it seems more often to be  
transitive and take a direct object. Since TA QAUMASTA has the  
article, I think it ought to be taken as a substantive, "wonderful/ 
wondrous things." I think that if the adjective in the neuter plural  
were used WITHOUT the article TA, it might more likely have an  
adverbial sense. There is an adverb to this adjective: QAUMASTWS.

>      I would appreciate any help I can get with this.  I am new to  
> the classical lists and I'm painfully aware that I may be seen as  
> somewhat presumptuous if not actually wasting email space.  But,  
> I'm curious.  I am not matriculated in any course where credit must  
> be earned.  But, this is an exercise, not an inscription or quote  
> taken from an actual text.  So, if I do not warrant anyone's  
> attention, so be it.  I am just trying to learn.
>      I probably don't need to add all of this excursive rambling,  
> but I don't want to be seen as encroaching on a near-sacred preserve.
>
> Thanking you in advance,
>
> Christopher Shelton
> Ft. Lauderdale, FL
>
>
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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/




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