[B-Greek] SIKELOS OMFAKIZETAI What kind of middle?
Mark Lightman
lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Sat Jan 1 11:37:59 EST 2011
LSJ defines ὀμφακίζω (OMFAKIZW) "to be unripe, properly of grapes" and refers to
Isaiah 18:5 where the active is found. Then it goes on to say "in Mid.,
Σικελὸς ὀμφακίζεται the Sicilian steals sour grapes, proverb. of one who will
steal anything worthless, Epich. 163 Ahr., cf. Aristaen. 2.7 Erasm. Adag. p.
240."
I don't get how the middle is working here. If the active means to produce sour
grapes, how does the middle come to mean steal sour grapes? I understand that
this is a free translation, but what is going on here? Is this some special
kind of a middle that I am unfamiliar with? Are there other examples?
I don't really understand the syntax of the passage in Isaiah, either, where
ὄμφαξ...ὀμφακίζουσα seems to be a (semitic?) redundancy.
Mark L
Φωσφορος
FWSFOROS MARKOS
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