[B-Greek] accusative sing with plural adjective

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Wed Jul 16 19:44:55 EDT 2008


Thank you Carl,
On Jul 16, 2008, at 4:29 PM, Carl Conrad wrote:

> Yes, Smyth does include these under an "accusative of  
> respect" (§§1600-1605) and in §1603 notes that "For the accusative  
> of respect the instrumental dative (§1516) is also implied, and also  
> the prepositions εἰς [EIS], κατά [KATA], πρός [PROS],  
> e.g. διαφέρειν ἀρετῇ [DIAFEREIN ARETHi] or εἰς  
> ἀρετήν [EIS ARETHN]." Smyth's next sections (§§1606-1611)  
> encompasses various types of "Adverbial Accusative," including  
> accusatives used as adverbs, accusative expressions of manner,  
> expressions of measure and degree, of motive, and of time and  
> succession.

What exactly does he mean by the "instrumental dative (§1516) is also  
implied"? Is that Smyth's way of saying the accusative of respect can  
function like and the instrumental dative?

>
>
> I vividly recall Joshua Whatmough working through comparative  
> grammar ages ago and coming to the accusative, making the  
> pronouncement, something to the effect: "The accusative is the case  
> of the LIMIT, indicating just how far an action or assertion is  
> efficacious or meaningful" -- as if the "Inbegriff" of the sense of  
> the accusative case should find expression in the phrase "so far as  
> X."
>
> I don't see how the usage of THN TECNHN with SKHNOPOIOI should be  
> disturbing. Smyth (§1602) notes: "Very rarely after substantives:  
> χεῖρας αἰχμητής [CEIRAS AICMHTHS] a warrior valiant  
> with (thy) arm π 242, νεανίαι τὰς ὄψεις [NEANIAI  
> TAS OYEIS] youths by their appearance L. 10, 29."


It isn't really disturbing, just a little blank space in my  
understanding of nouns and adjectives in the object slot with equative  
verbs.


Elizabeth Kline







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