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Skewing the Greek Verb



What in the world is abnormal about a K. Greek verb(al) functioning as a subject in a 
clause? What Rule does it violate? 

Beekman, Callow and Kopesec (Page 50, The Semantic Structure of Written 
Communication, 5th rev., SIL Dallas, 1981) suggest that a Greek verb(al) functioning as 
subject in a clause is an example of semantic *skewing*.  I've been told this is an old 
book which no one reads any more.

I decided to take a look in Richard A. Young's rather newish *Intermediate NT Greek* to 
see how he handled *skewing*. Young includes in his definition of semantic skewing a 
broad class of phenomena: lexical polysemy (multiple meanings of words), idioms, and 
syntax skewing (e.g., verb(al) as subject of a clause). 

Let's pass over the lexical question and idioms and focus on the syntax issue. 

A Greek verb(al) functioning as the subject in a clause is statistically less common than 
some other constructions. So what?! Calling this skewing implies that there is something 
strange about it. There is nothing abnormal about verb(al)s functioning as substantives, 
is there? 

This kind of talk sounds like prescriptive grammar being applied from an alien language 
system. A set of rules applied to K. Greek from some other source than K. Greek. Simply 
because a certain sample of Greek syntax may look odd to a non-native language 
speaker does not imply that there is in fact anything *skewed* about it. 

I am not claiming that semantic skewing does not happen. I think that regional Idioms 
and Hebrew Idioms provide us plenty of NT Greek examples of semantic skewing. 
However, I think it is a serious mistake to instill into the minds of intermediate Greek 
students that each NT Greek *grammatical form* has as fixed assigned function and that 
any variance from that function is abnormal, i.e., and example of *skewing*.

Clay Bartholomew
Three Tree Point

Postscript: 

Some one is undoubtedly going to say: But Clay, you just don't understand how the word 
*skewing* is being used. Sorry folks, I've already cover that one. In both the Beekman . . .  
law firm and R.J. Young, the notion *abnormal* appears to be a central component in the 
semantic value of *skewing*.  
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