[B-Greek] Question concerning syntax
learngreek at aol.com
learngreek at aol.com
Wed Jan 28 16:53:02 EST 2009
In a message dated 1/28/2009 7:09:48 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
cwconrad2 at mac.com writes:
If it's a matter of understanding the difference between two
categories or subcategories of genitive usage, we might be able to
help you, but from what you have told us, it appears that you have not
the first idea of how the categories of genitive usage differ from
each other and you are, in effect, asking list-members to do your
homework for you when you have no idea how to begin doing it. My first
inclination upon reading your message was to suggest: If you can
translate MUSTHRION THS ANOMIAS as "mystery of lawlessness," and
understand what that phrase means, you really don't need to go any
further: it is an adnominal (= adjectival) genitive wherein the noun
in the genitive indicates something pertaining to the noun on which it
depends. Some grammars call that "possessive"; I've learned to call it
"pertinentive"; most grammars tend to subdivide the "possessive" or
"pertinentive" into a slew of subcategories never dreamed of by Greek
speakers or writers. I don't know what Dana & Mantey's subcategories
might be nor even what their preferred term for an adnominal genitive
is. If you really don't understand D&M's account of genitive
constructions, then you probably need to go back to your first-year
textbook and review everything said about genitive constructions
there. Again, my own sense of MUSTHRION THS ANOMIAS is that if you can
English it as "mystery of lawlessness" or as "lawlessness mystery",
then you don't really need to go any farther than that. But I would
guess that's not the sort of solution that your homework assignment
Thanks for your answers.
I do understand first year Greek ok ( I used Mounce & also Machen), it's
just that sometimes I'll go through these categories and not be able to discern
what the correct answer is.
I thought it was a starlight forward Genitive of description. But wasn't
sure you seem to say it was a possessive, I didn't think it was that one, but
just a straight forward. But I wanted to ask you all (the b-greek list who
would know)
Thanks for the other's who also answered me, I do appreciate it.
It seems D & M don't explain as good as D. Wallace, after I posted I went
there, and he seemed to help me understand much better these sub categories. He
explains to ask the text questions, and also translate the text using
certain key phrases.
Thanks again my friends!
Jay Johns
envisions.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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