Alternate spelling or homonym?
Posted: June 6th, 2016, 3:06 pm
In parsing my collation of manuscripts (http://greekcntr.org), I have encountered another difficulty where I have to determine whether a word is an alternate spelling or homonym. Common sound-alike letter substitutions such as αι = ε, ει = ι, ο = ω, etc. often lead to alternative spellings, but in some cases they could also be a different word. For example, καινοσ could be considered an alternative spelling of κενοσ, or it could be a homonym that has a different meaning (new vs. empty). Likewise, ειδηται could be an alternative spelling of ιδητε or it could be a different word (to know vs. to see). (I think Stephen Carlson published something on the latter, but I don’t remember where I read it or what it said). And then there are hundreds or words with the ending of τε or ται which again could be considered a phonetical misspelling or a different intended meaning.
I see 3 different ways of handling these situations when a word follows the rules for an alternative spelling in the same position in the collation, yet could also be considered a different word.
1. Parse it as a different word, even if it leads to a nonsensical reading.
2. Parse it as a different word unless it leads to a nonsensical reading, in which case it should be considered an alternative spelling of the word that makes sense.
3. Parse it as being the same word, and in that case pick the spelling of the majority, or the one that makes the most sense?
I have tried to go with 2, but probably did not do it very consistently and now I am wondering if maybe I should have gone with option 1.
Take for example the καινοσ/κενοσ issue:
- κενοσ (empty) is the preferred reading, καινοσ (new) might work but seems odd: 1Cor. 15:58, Jas. 2:20
- κενοσ (empty) is the preferred reading, καινοσ (new) seems nonsensical: 2Cor. 6:1, Gal. 2:2, Phil. 2:16
- καινοσ (new) is the preferred reading, κενοσ (empty) might work but seems odd: Rev. 3:12
- καινοσ (new) is the preferred reading, κενοσ (empty) seems nonsensical: Rev. 2:17, 21:5
- could go either way: Eph. 4:5, Col. 2:8, 2Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:1.
This is not all of the occurrences of those words, but only the ones where there is a difference. With 2Pet. 3:13 and Rev. 21:1 it actually created a doctrinal issue for theologians to argue about. How would you handle this issue in general?
I see 3 different ways of handling these situations when a word follows the rules for an alternative spelling in the same position in the collation, yet could also be considered a different word.
1. Parse it as a different word, even if it leads to a nonsensical reading.
2. Parse it as a different word unless it leads to a nonsensical reading, in which case it should be considered an alternative spelling of the word that makes sense.
3. Parse it as being the same word, and in that case pick the spelling of the majority, or the one that makes the most sense?
I have tried to go with 2, but probably did not do it very consistently and now I am wondering if maybe I should have gone with option 1.
Take for example the καινοσ/κενοσ issue:
- κενοσ (empty) is the preferred reading, καινοσ (new) might work but seems odd: 1Cor. 15:58, Jas. 2:20
- κενοσ (empty) is the preferred reading, καινοσ (new) seems nonsensical: 2Cor. 6:1, Gal. 2:2, Phil. 2:16
- καινοσ (new) is the preferred reading, κενοσ (empty) might work but seems odd: Rev. 3:12
- καινοσ (new) is the preferred reading, κενοσ (empty) seems nonsensical: Rev. 2:17, 21:5
- could go either way: Eph. 4:5, Col. 2:8, 2Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:1.
This is not all of the occurrences of those words, but only the ones where there is a difference. With 2Pet. 3:13 and Rev. 21:1 it actually created a doctrinal issue for theologians to argue about. How would you handle this issue in general?