[B-Greek] Active Middles and Middle Middles
Randall Buth
randallbuth at gmail.com
Thu Nov 6 02:32:09 EST 2008
> I'm searching for good examples of 1/2 Aorist verbs that are Middle in form,
not deponent, and
1. active in meaning
2. True middle
For the "active in meaning," PROSLAMBANO looks like a good choice as a
2 Aor Mid. Indicative. For a true Middle, PERIBALLW looks like a good
candidate in the 2 Aor Mid Ind. Are there some better candidates? I'm
excluding verbs that have a distinct meaning in the Middle like ARCW.
Thanks.
Ken>
I would recommend taking a step back
and asking what is going on.
Don't you feel that the questions are creating something artificial ?
The Greeks themselves just lumped/ mesh verbs together.
EILAMHN 'I chose' is pretty practical,
EKSELEKSAMHN 'I chose, picked out'.
HiTHSAMHN 'I asked for, personally requested'
Of course
HRWTHSE 'he asked'
and
APEKRIQH 'he answered'
just dance around the MESH middle
I wonder how many hundreds of words kids learn before they feel any
attitude difference between
EPOREYQH
HLQE
(And when do they start using MESH in a passive attitude?)
'attitude' is one of the Greek metaphors for these categories. Different
DIAQESEIS different attitudes.
HSPASAMHN 'i greeted' is practical in classrooms
Anyway, do you think that Greek minds followed through whatever
formula you use for describing the MESH?
Or did they pair the word with its meaning, and gradually grew a large
fuzzy category/group that shared the same endings and
might be presented as generically more subject-oriented?
Three-year old kids have to learn that
NOW they say
PERDONTAI 'they are farting'
but two hours ago it's more objective and
EPARDON 'they farted'
And they follow universal grammar rule #1:
"we do it like that because that's the way they do it."
EDEKSW? 'did you receive it?
ELABES? 'did you receive it'?
LABEIN is simpler, DEKSASQAI is more personal somehow.
TI EIPES 'what did you say?'
TI DIHGHSW? 'what did you say in detail?'
EMNHSQHSAN TINOS(TI) EPELAQONTO
'did they remember what they forgot?'
I figure that there are a few hundred verbs that a student needs to
learn "cold" in a warm context, and be able to use them correctly.
then they can discuss the categories, even argue about them, as
a side game.
EI EIRGASANTO if they worked
EI EXRHSANTO TH GLWSSH if they used the tongue
EI OYK EPAYSANTO if they did not stop
PROEKOPSAN / PROYKOPSAN they progressed
EXARHSAN they got happy
OYTWS UPEQEMHN thus I suggested
PROSHYKSAMHN
KAI PROSEYKSOMAI I prayed and I pray
IWANHS
(PS some have asked when am I Randall KAI OTE IWANHS?
I am Randall when writing in English and IWANHS OTAN GRAFHS
EN ELHHNIKH)
--
Randall Buth, PhD
www.biblicalulpan.org
randallbuth at gmail.com
Biblical Language Center
Learn Easily - Progress Further - Remember for Life
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