[B-Greek] Inceptive Verbs

Cliff Boyd jamescboyd at gmail.com
Wed Mar 19 11:35:05 EDT 2008


This is my first contribution to the B-Greek list (though due to my attained
scholarship, or lack thereof, it may more rightly be called nothing more
than participation - with a hint, or more, of ignorance.)

I am requesting comments about inceptive verbs (all of which, if I am not
mistaken, end with -SKW).  I know of only two in the GNT - GINWSKW and
MEQUSKW.  I would like comments on the usage of these two words
particularly.  Also, what other inceptive verbs appear in the GNT?

It is my understanding that with an inceptive verb, some sort of continuing
process is involved.  Thus when GINWSKW or MEQUSKW are used (as in 1 John
2:3, Ephesians 5:18), they indicate that the subject has begun a process
(ie. knowing God, being drunk with wine).  An inceptive verb, then, can
refer to a subject that has begun and continues in the indicated process
regardless of how deeply involved they are.  With regards to GINWSKW (to
know), if one is in the process of coming to the knowledge of regardless of
what level of knowledge he has attained thus far, he might righly be
described with this verb.  With regards to MEQUSKW (to be drunk), if one is
in the process of becoming intoxicated regardless of what level of
intoxication he has reached thus far, he might rightly be described with
this verb.

Please correct my most likely flawed understanding of what it means for a
verb to be inceptive.

Cliff Boyd (son of William the Barbarian)
jamescboyd at gmail.com



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