[B-Greek] Mt. 7:14

Randall Buth randallbuth at gmail.com
Fri Jun 2 03:30:19 EDT 2006


>TI STENH hH PULH KAI TEQLIMMENH hH hODOS hH APAGOUSA EIS THN ZWHN KAI
OLIGOI EISIN hOI hEURISKONTES AUTHN
  . . .
  An interesting point here is the word APAGOUSA (pardon me while I
see whether this new service provider will convey the Greek
acceptably) ἀðÜãïõóá.  We frequently have posts which rely upon
the etymology of a word.  The deficit in this approach is apparent in
this passage.  One would think based upon etymology that the word
intends "to lead AWAY" when it is here APAGOUSA EIS "to lead to."
Now, admitedly this is to lead away from one place to another (and
hence "to"), but this is frequently the method of etymologogizing --
it ignores ALL of the parameters to concentrate upon ONE, that of the
"original meaning" of the PARTS of a word.  A WORD TO THE WISE should
be sufficient.
george>

That is a great example. Thank you. You wouldn't happen to have a list
of more? I am a bad list maker and see these from time to time but
cannot remember them when students want to know why context is
decisive.
Not a few APO- verbs come to mind. E.g. APODOUNAI AUTW "to pay to him"
also has a directional/dative goal as a normal part of usage.
Of course, one can reconstruct the etymology for APO- "to lead away
from HERE to somewhere else", and "payback" "pay from debtor to
lender", but usage is determinative and people are not conscious or
origins when using a language.
-- 
Randall Buth, PhD
www.biblicalulpan.org
ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
randallbuth at gmail.com


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