[B-Greek] Definiteness

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Mon Oct 9 03:14:25 EDT 2006


Rolf:
Given that hO QEOS and QEOS are two different referents, the question is how
to understand QEOS without article. Lexically speaking QEOS is a generic
count-noun; one referred to by QEOS can be counted and  belong to the genus
QEOI.

Iver: This illustrates one of the areas where I think you go astray.
It is not a given that hO QEOS and QEOS refer to two different entities. That depends entirely on context, and this 
particular word has the capability to be used as a count noun in some contexts and a singular noun in other contexts, 
exactly as the word "sun" and many other words. When used in a singular sense, the article is optional with QEOS, and 
the use of the article has nothing to do with definiteness in this case.
The word also has the capability to be used of pagen gods and of the God of Israel, etc. It all depends on context.

Rolf:
In John 1:1 QEOS comes before the verb, and the question (with
Wallace´s rule in mind) is: the fact that the PN comes before the verb, does
this change QEOS from being a generic count-noun making it into a quality
(divine)?

Iver: Again I believe you are on the wrong track. A count noun can be used to indicate a quality or to describe an 
entity as a member of a class or it can be used as a basic identificational reference.

Iver Larsen




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