[B-Greek] Another example of a qualitative QEOS

Michael Abernathy mabernathy714 at comcast.net
Mon Jul 10 09:54:07 EDT 2006


Barry wrote:
>   
>> -----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
>
>   
If anything, I think you understated yourself on point 1. I took a few 
moments yesterday and looked at the instances of the predicate 
nominative in John. It seems to me that when the predicate nominative 
precedes the verb that it is more common for it to remain definite even 
though it lacks the definite article.
Sincerely,
Michael Abernathy


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