[B-Greek] How to ask "Can I...?"
Randall Buth
randallbuth at gmail.com
Thu Oct 30 06:39:42 EDT 2008
Ken, you have asked a wonderful question.
Ken egrapse
> If I want to ask the question,
> "Can I see this/read this/whatever?"
> would I do this just with a mood, like the optative,
> or would I use the modal-like verb (on the analogy of German)
> DUNAMAI? I'm thinking no mood would do the job.
> That owuld be like Might I see this?"
> To say to a group, "Can you see this??"
> you would ask "DUNASQE BLEPEIN TOUTO;"
> Would that be the normal Koine Greek way to do it? Thanks.
Polite little conversational exchanges get at the heart of
language use. You are moving in the right direction to use
them in class.
They are also tricky, as you've noticed.
I'm assuming that your primary question "Can I ...?"
was in the sense of "may I ...?".
First, on DYNASQAI, Germans are sometimes amused when
learning English because the English tell them to ask about
'capability' "am I capable...", "can I ...?"
when they are really interested in 'permission' "may I ...?".
So how does one say "May I ...?"
a rather simple request is
δος μοι αναγνωναι σου το βιβλιον
DOS MOI ANAGNWNAI SOY TO BIBLION.
give me to read your book. ="can I read your book?"
Because of our modern backgrounds, we often feel better adding
παρακαλω
PARAKALW, one possible equivalent of 'please', or
συγγνωμη συγγνωθι
SYGGNWMH and SYGGNWQI, which are also useful as equivalents
for 'excuse me, as a favor'
If the request is simply to look over a book on the spot, then
συγγνωμη (συγγνωθι), δος μοι ιδειν το βιβλιον
SYGGNWMH (or SYGGNWQI), DOS MOI IDEIN TO BIBLION
or
συγγνωμη, θελω ιδειν το βιβλιον
SYGGNWMH, QELW IDEIN TO BIBLION
εαν επιτρεψης, θελω ιδειν το βιβλιον
EAN EPITREPSHS, QELW IDEIN TO BIBLION
or with imperative
παρακαλω σε, επιτρεψον μοι ιδειν το βιβλιον
PARAKALW SE, EPITREPSON MOI IDEIN TO BIBLION
παρακαλω σε ινα επιτρεψης μοι ιδειν το βιβλιον
PARAKALW SE INA EPITREPSHS MOI IDEIN TO BIBLION.
to a superior, perhaps
δεομαι σου, επιτρεψον μοι ιδειν το βιβλιον
DEOMAI SOY, EPITREPSON MOI IDEIN TO BIBLION
Carl's suggestion is also good, though formal,
certainly understandable and usable in 1c CE:
συγγνωμη, βλεποιμι αν το βιβλιον?
(SYGGNWMH), BLEPOIMI AN TO BIBLION?
In a letter or more formal style you can really wax elequent:
επιτρεψας μοι ιδειν το βιβλιον ευ ποιησεις
EPITREPSAS MOI IDEIN TO BIBLION EU POIHSEIS.
ουκ αν επιτρεψης μοι ινα ολιγα βλεπω το βιβλιον?
OYK AN EPITREPSHS MOI INA OLIGA BLEPW TO BIBLION?
σοι χαριν αν εχοιμι επιτρποντι μοι το βιβλιον βλεπειν
SOI XARIN AN EXOIMI EPITREPONTI MOI TO BIBLION BLEPEIN.
δυναμαι ιδειν το βιβλιον?
And if we sometimes say, "DYNAMAI IDEIN TO BIBLION?" we will
forgive ouselves. I'm sure I've done it more than I'm aware. We
would just be visitors to Athens απο των βρετανικων νησων
APO TWN BRETANIKWN NHSWN.
ERRWSO ερρωσο
IWANHS Ιωανης
--
Randall Buth, PhD
www.biblicalulpan.org
randallbuth at gmail.com
Biblical Language Center
Learn Easily - Progress Further - Remember for Life
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