[B-Greek] Potential Opt. Acts 17:18

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Oct 18 02:53:18 EDT 2006


> Potential Opt. Acts 17:18
>
> ACTS 17:18 TINES DE KAI TWN EPIKOUREIWN KAI STOIKWN FILOSOFWN
> SUNEBALLON AUTWi, KAI TINES ELEGON: TI AN QELOI hO SPERMOLOGOS hOUTOS
> LEGEIN; hOI DE: XENWN DAIMONIWN DOKEI KATAGGELEUS EINAI, hOTI TON
> IHSOUN KAI THN ANASTASIN EUHGGELIZETO.
>
> Parsons/Culy suggest that the potential optative TI AN QELOI (BDF
> 385.1)  indicates that the speakers do not expect Paul to say
> anything worth hearing. While the potential optative can be used
> ironically it does not always indicate irony (Smyth 1826). The main
> indicator of irony in this question is hO SPERMOLOGOS hOUTOS. Both
> the meaning of SPERMOLOGOS and the use of the demonstrative hOUTOS
> would serve to trigger an ironic reading of the question. In light of
> these factors the optative TI AN QELOI would also be read as ironic.
> But IMO stressing the ironic tone of TI AN QELOI as if it were
> independent of hO SPERMOLOGOS hOUTOS is somewhat misleading since the
> semantic contribution of the optative in this passage is low by
> comparison to hO SPERMOLOGOS hOUTOS.
>
>
> Elizabeth Kline

Do Parsons/Culy suggest that this usage is ironic?
I would think the potential optative simply emphasises  the "wonderful" (I mean: full of wondering) hypothetical nature 
of the statement. "What might he want to say?" or "What in the world is he trying to say?"
The use of SPERMOLOGOS gives the question a derogatory rather than ironic sense, and it could be interpreted as a 
rhetorical question. However, the demonstrative hOUTOS does not indicate irony or any derogatory sense when it comes 
after the head noun. It only functions as a back reference to the previously introduced person, Paul. Had hOUTOS 
occurred to the left of the head noun, it would have contributed to the derogatory nature of the statement.

Iver Larsen 




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