[B-Greek] Mike Aubrey on Middle Voice

cwconrad2 cwconrad2 at mac.com
Tue Dec 14 08:48:07 EST 2010


Another blog-entry worth the attention of B-Greekers. I refer you to it with applause:

http://evepheso.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/dionysius-thrax-translating-%CE%AC/
= http://tinyurl.com/2eathyz

It concerns, at least initially, the meaning of Dionysius Thrax's relatively brief comment
on the DIAQESEIS (διαθέσεις): ENERGEIA (ἐνέργεια) , PAQOS (πάθος) ,
MESOTHS (μεσότης), and the illustrations of each of these by citing particular verb-forms.

I do really wonder whether "voice" isn't itself one of those grammatical terms that we inherited
and can't get rid of because it's set in sepulchral stone. It appears to be a purely arbitrary term,
derived, I guess from Latin; it certainly doesn't reflect the Greek term DIAQESEIS (διαθέσεις)
which would be better Englished as "disposition" or "arrangement." But that, I guess, is a moot
point.

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



More information about the B-Greek mailing list