[B-Greek] Another example of a qualitative QEOS

Barry nebarry at verizon.net
Mon Jul 10 08:46:21 EDT 2006



> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org]
> On Behalf Of alethinon61 at milwpc.com
> Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 11:58 AM
> To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Another example of a qualitative QEOS


> I would say for the same reason we rearrange sentences in English
> from the active to the passive voice: To bring the predicate into
> focus giving it a desired and useful emphasis.  Wouldn't this fit
> with the context?  If words in English don't change their meaning
> when found in the passive vs. the active voice, then why would they
> change meaning in Greek when fronted for emphasis?  No one on this
> forum has addressed this yet.

Sean, I just saw this reply while purging old email.  Two points:

1) The lack of the article in Greek does not in all contexts mean that the
word should be translated with the indefinite article in English.

2) Meaning is a tricky thing.  For example in Latin, you have the verb
*video*, which means "see."  In the passive, however, it is normally
translated "seem."  In Greek, you have such verbs as hISTHMI, which may be
glossed "cause to stand," but in the second aorist means "stand" in the
intransitive sense.  So in some languages, form changes actually do mean,
from the perspective translation into English, different meanings.

N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Adjunct Faculty & IT Support
The Center for Urban Theological Studies
http://www.cuts.edu
Classics Instructor, The American Academy
http://www.theamericanacademy.net

And my site:

http://mysite.verizon.net/nebarry




More information about the B-Greek mailing list