[B-Greek] Luke 4:7
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Jun 12 17:27:47 EDT 2007
On Jun 12, 2007, at 3:12 PM, Elizabeth Kline wrote:
> Carl,
>
> I totally agree, SOI is required. SU isn't required as illustrated
> by Matt 4:9.
>
> LUKE 4:7 SU OUN EAN PROSKUNHSHiS ENWPION EMOU
> MATT. 4:9 ... EAN PESWN PROSKUNHSHiS MOI
>
> I checked S.H. Levinsohn (Discourse Features NTG, pp.16-17,37-67) and
> he affirms that the initial slot may be used for focus. In his
> glossary focus is defined as that part of an utterance which makes
> the most important change in the hearer's mental representation. But
> the final slot may also be used for focus.
>
> LUKE 4:7 SU OUN EAN PROSKUNHSHiS ENWPION EMOU, ESTAI SOU PASA.
>
> I would say that SU is LUKE 4:7 while acquiring some added attention
> in the initial slot, is not the focus of the utterance. I place the
> focus of the utterance at the end, ESTAI SOU PASA. There is some
> confusion at this point in my mind about clause level focus and
> utterance focus. SU might be in focus for the protasis but not for
> the utterance.
Here's where I confess that I am "out of the loop" when it comes to
how the Discourse Analysts prefer to characterize and refer to the
precise function served by the SU at the beginning of Luke 4:7. It is
quite sufficient for me as a reader of the Greek sentence to
recognize that the SU is not a required element and moreover that it
falls at the beginning of the utterance and even in front of the EAN
clause to which it belongs. It's clearly emphatic, or stressed, or
whatever one wants to call it -- and I think that any reader -- or
listener, since these texts were composed to be heard rather than
read silently -- senses at once that it's emphatic.
But I'm glad that Elizabeth has called attention to ESTAI SOU PASA in
this utterance of Satan; here's another instance where I have to say
that, although the entire clause is powerful, the concluding PASA is
especially emphaatic -- in FINAL position. And wouldn't we have to
say that PASA here is predicative (the implicit subject being
EXOUSIA)? Something like, "It (the authority) will be yours --
entirely."
>
> On Jun 12, 2007, at 11:02 AM, Carl W. Conrad wrote:
>
>> I really wonder about the SOI as unnecessary: I think that a dative
>> is expected with forms of DIDWMI, and I don't really think there's
>> any emphasis on SOI here.
>>
>> On Jun 12, 2007, at 1:34 PM, Elizabeth Kline wrote:
>>
>>> Since the pronoun is unnecessary, MATT. 4:9 TAUTA SOI PANTA DWSW,
>>> EAN
>>> PESWN PROSKUNHSHiS MOI, the use of the pronoun would draw a certain
>>> amount of attention even somewhere in the middle or at the end of
>>> the
>>> clause. The preverbal slot has received a lot of attention from
>>> linguists as a position reserved for some sort of pragmatic marking.
>>> I would be tempted to use the word focus to describe the position of
>>> SU in Luke 4:7. But focus has been used in reference to the clause
>>> final position as well, so terminology becomes a problem.
>>>
>>> Anyway, there is no question the SU is an attention getting
>>> constituent in this clause.
>>>
>>>
>>> Elizabeth Kline
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jun 12, 2007, at 9:19 AM, James Ernest wrote:
>>>
>>>> Seems to me that in a language where the subject isn't going to
>>>> come
>>>> first, isn't even going to need to be given explicitly because it's
>>>> implicit in the verb ending, sticking the pronoun up front is the
>>>> only
>>>> way to zoom in on the subject before filling in the sentence. In
>>>> some
>>>> languages (ASL comes to mind), one routinely "sets up" the noun
>>>> that's
>>>> the focus of attention in the sentence, whether as subject or as
>>>> object, then adds the statement about it. French puts the subject
>>>> first but then also routinely adds a pronoun, esp. in first-person
>>>> ("Moi, je préfêre . . . ").
>>>>
>>>> In Luke 4:7, the SU not only specifies that this is an offer
>>>> directed
>>>> specifically to Jesus (after the generalizing "to whomever") but
>>>> more
>>>> than that: Satan zooms in to get "in his face" with this challenge.
>>>> Satan can give the kingdoms to whomever . . . special offer for
>>>> Jesus:
>>>> power in exange for proskynesis. Not sure how that can
>>>> translate . . .
>>>>
>>>> James Ernest
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ---
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---
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Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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