[B-Greek] Determining questions in the Greek language without an interrogative particle

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Thu Dec 10 12:22:26 EST 2009


A couple of sections from Smyth, _Greek Grammar_ might be helpful.

2636.  Questions are either direct (independen) or indirect (dependent).  Thus τίς ἔλεξε ταῦτα; TIS ELECE TAUTA? ἐρωτῶ ὅστις ἔλεξε ταῦτα ERWTW hOSTIS ELECE TAUTA I ask who said this.
2637.  Questions may have the assertive form with the interrogation expressed simply by tone of voice, or may be introduced by an interrogative pronoun, adjective, adverb, or particle.
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.
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2641.  Any form of statement (2153) may be used as a direct question.  The interrogative meaning may be indicated only by the context, or it may be expressed by placing an emphatic word first or by the use of certain particles (2650, 2651).
 
In other words, it's not so very different from English.  If we start a statement "Who ..." or "Why ..." this is the same as an interrogative preposition / particle in Greek.  But, we may give no other indication than the slight rise in the tone of our voice.  Another way is to change the word order a bit.  "He is a bad person" (statement) OR "Is he a bad person" (question).

 george
gfsomsel 


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________ 




________________________________
From: Blue Meeksbay <bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com>
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Thu, December 10, 2009 9:14:33 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] Determining questions in the Greek language without an interrogative particle

When an interrogative particle is absent how does one tell if a phrase should be a question or a statement? Rom. 14:22 says   SU PISTIN ECEIS KATA SAUTON ECE ENWPION TOU QEOU MARKARIOS O MH KRINWN EAUTON EN W DOKIMAZEI.  Should SU PISTIN ECEIS be considered a question or a statement?
 
The AV translates it as – Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
 
The ASV translates it as – The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he  approveth.
 
Is not the context the only way we can determine the answer?
 
B. Harris


      
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