[B-Greek] Luke 4:7
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Wed Jun 13 07:42:33 EDT 2007
On Jun 13, 2007, at 3:20 AM, Iver Larsen wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>
>
> On Jun 12, 2007, at 3:12 PM, Elizabeth Kline wrote:
>
>> Carl,
>>
>> 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.
>
> Iver: That is one of the questionable claims in Levinsohn's
> analysis, and based on my own research
> and that of others I am pretty sure it is mistaken. I have studied
> all the references Levinsohn
> claims to exhibit final focus, and in each case an alternative and
> better analysis is possible. The
> final slot can be used for focus in English, but not in Greek,
> because of the extremely flexible
> word order in Greek as compared to English. If both initial and
> final order could be used for focus
> in Greek, the system would break down, because the writer would not
> be able to decide the word order
> choice and the reader would be confused in trying to analyze the text.
>
>> 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.
>
> Carl: .... 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 emphatic -- 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."
>
> Iver: Why is PASA considered to be emphatic? I can see no pragmatic
> or grammatical reason for it to
> be. Greek word order emphasis is much simpler. In the clause ESTAI
> SOU PASA, the major focus is on
> ESTAI, because it appears first, and the least focus is on PASA.
> ESTAI in first position does not
> mean just "it/he will be", but rather "it/he will indeed be". Focus
> is on the fact that it will
> indeed happen, it will definitely come into existence. This is the
> focus of the promise by Satan in
> this clause.
>
> The word PAS has a certain inherent lexical focus and is always
> placed to the left when there is
> emphasis on it.
> Let us look at the context:
> 4:5 EDEIXEN AUTWi PASAS TAS BASILEIAS - he showed him ALL the kingdoms
> Within the noun phrase, there is emphasis on PASAS. (Not within the
> clause).
>
> 4:6 SOI DWSW THN EXOUSIAN TAUTHN hAPASAN - I will give YOU all this
> AUTHORITY
> Within the noun phrase functioning as object the focus is on the
> authority over all the
> aforementioned kingdoms. There is no focus on either TAUTHN nor
> hAPASAN, since both are simple back
> references to already known information (authority over all the
> mentioned kingdoms). At the clause
> level there is focus on SOI by way of its fronted position.
>
> 4:7 SU OUN EAN PROSKUNHSHiS ENWPION EMOU, ESTAI SOU PASA
> So, if YOU bow down in obeisance to me, all (that aforementioned
> authority) will indeed be yours.
> (PASA is attributive to the implicit EXOUSIA hAUTH, but functioning
> substantively).
> There is no need to have focus on PASA, since it is a back
> reference to THN EXOUSIAN TAUTHN hAPASAN.
> PAS/hAPAS occurs three times in this text. Only the first instance
> is emphatic, the rest are back
> references. As the story develops, the writer puts different
> emphases on different aspects by using
> relative fronting of grammatical elements within their scope
> (phrase or clause).
Iver, I fully expected this response from you, and I think you are
well aware that I simply do not find your account convincing. I do
believe that hAPASAN in 4:6 and PASA in 4:7 are emphatic in final
position. We have to agree to disagree on this matter: you hold that
final position is never emphatic, while I believe that it can be and
in many instances is so.
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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