[B-Greek] ZWH vs. BIOS (ζωή vs. βίος)

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Mon Mar 31 06:06:15 EDT 2008


Here's another one that slipped through the cracks somehow.
In response, I might cite the beginning of BDAG's entry on BIOS:

"βίος, ου, ὁ  [BIOS, OU, hO] (s. βιόω [BIOW] ; Hom.+;  
Hermas prefers ζωή [ZWH] ) ‘life’ in its appearance and  
manifestations freq. distinguished from ζωή [ZWH], the condition of  
being alive, cp. Plotin. 3, 7, 11, 4; Schmidt, Syn. 327–30. {p. 177}  
Although there is freq. overlapping in usage, βίος [BIOS] may be  
said to denote the manner in which one’s ζωή [ZWH] finds  
expression (cp. Plut., Mor. 114d τῆς ζωῆς βίος  [THS ZWHS  
BIOS]), and the latter term may be used to connote quality of  
existence as such (cp. IPriene 105, 10 the birth of Augustus marked  
the ‘beginning of life (βίος [BIOS]) and living (ζωή  
[ZWH])’; s. also line 49; cp. Od. 15, 491; X. Mem. 3, 3, 11 and Cass.  
Dio 69, 19 ‘Here lies Similis, alive [βιόω [BIOW]] for a number  
of years, but really living [ζάω {ZAW}] for seven’.). Hence, as  
the semantic history shows, the loss of βίος [BIOS] need not  
terminate ζωή [ZWH] (q.v.)."

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Ret)

==========
From: "Andrew Ball" <anball at gmail.com>
Date: March 30, 2008 3:39:27 PM EDT
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: ζοη versus βιος / zoí versus bíos


So far, I've seen no difference in translations of ζοη and βιος  
(zoí
and bíos).  Does anyone know of any difference in meaning?  A
Methodist minister conjectured that ζοη may connote human life and
mentioned that it was probably the form used in "life and life more
abundantly".  Any thoughts?

-- 
Peace,
Andrew
=======================
Andrew D. Ball
勃安
deus caritas est
http://wwwx.cs.unc.edu/~adball/blog/
http://filebox.vt.edu/~anball1/
http://www.trilug.org/




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