Omission of the Article with hElios, selEnE, anemos, ouranos

From: wes.williams@twcable.com
Date: Fri Jun 07 1996 - 16:21:56 EDT


     I often find that grammars state that "monadic nouns, such as hElios,
     do not need the article since the hearer knows that there is only
     one." However, in researching all occurrences of hElios in the GNT, it
     ALWAYS occurs with the article in the nominative case.
     
     Occasionally the genitive and dative hEliou and hEliw do lack the
     article. Perhaps similar to our English "I wake up at sunrise." Even
     still, the genitives and datives occur mostly WITH the article.
     
     As a result, it appears to me as though the omission of the article is
     more a "possibility" or "writer style" than something that should be
     held up in grammars as a "rule". I am curious as to how true this is
     with classical greek. Do words such as hElios, ouranos, anemos,
     selEnE, occur mostly with the article in the nominative as in koinE?
     Or is it more mixed than koinE?
     
     Sincerely,
     Wes Williams



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