[B-Greek] Two men in one bed?

Harold Holmyard hholmyard at ont.com
Thu Jul 20 16:04:35 EDT 2006


Dear Fridolin,

>How would you explain the masculine article "O"?
>
>  
>
HH: The definite article is modifying EIN and  hETEROS: "the one" and 
"the other."  I don't think there has to be an emphasis on the gender of 
the person. The definite article can function as a demonstrative 
pronoun: "this one," "that one." The word DUO seems to refer to two 
human beings, without concern for gender. In its generic use the article 
singles out an individual who is typical of its class, and the class 
here is person, or human being. So the hO would simply have a generic 
function, specifying, now one of the persons, now the other. The 
masculine may function as the default gender when there are no 
particular details.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard



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