ἡ πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας v. σκληροκαρδία

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
Post Reply
Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

ἡ πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας v. σκληροκαρδία

Post by Stephen Hughes »

What might be the difference between ἡ πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας and σκληροκαρδία, both translated as "hard-heartedness"?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
cwconrad
Posts: 2112
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 5:52 pm
Location: Burnsville, NC 28714
Contact:

Re: ἡ πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας v. σκληροκαρδία

Post by cwconrad »

Stephen Hughes wrote:What might be the difference between ἡ πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας and σκληροκαρδία, both translated as "hard-heartedness"?
I think that σκληροκαρδία corresponds to English "hard-heartedness", i.e. lack of sensitivity or compassion, while πωώρωσις τῆς καρδίας corresponds rather to English "being thick-headed," i.e. dull-witted, incapable of understanding what one is told. The latter is used several times by Jesus in Mark's gospel of the thick-skulled disciples who have eyes to see but don't see, while the complaint of σκληροκαρδία seems rather to refer to moral insensitivity.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Post Reply

Return to “Word Meanings”