Subtle difference between καλούμενον & ἐπικαλούμενον?

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

Subtle difference between καλούμενον & ἐπικαλούμενον?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Jonathan Robie wrote:
Stephen Carlson wrote:But there is one aspect that can fit the forum and that is assessing whether and to what extent do variant readings mean different things. Sometimes, the different is obvious, but other times, especially for word order and article usage, the difference can be subtle. This particular inquiry may be appropriate for the forum.
Yes - I really think that would be interesting and useful.
Which of the Greek words ἐπικαλούμενον (RP) or καλούμενον (NA/UBS) in the phrase τὸν ἐπικαλούμενον (NA/UBS: καλούμενον) Ἰσκαριώτην (Lk.22:3) gives more of a suggestion that Ἰσκαριώτην was (i) a family name, (ii) a toponymic or (iii) a reference to him belonging to the "sicarii" (a Jewish revolutionary splinter group of the zealots bent on driving the Romans out). Is the distinction between the two words distinct enough to infer anything from the variant usage?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Stephen Carlson
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Joined: May 11th, 2011, 10:51 am
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Re: Subtle difference between καλούμενον & ἐπικαλούμενον?

Post by Stephen Carlson »

This is the kind of question, where it would take some digging in the lexica, finding a study, or trawling through a concordance.

Here's what LSJ has to say (excerpted):
LSJ, καλέω wrote:2. Pass., to be called, almost = εἰμί, esp. with words expressing kinship or status, ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι Od.7.313, cf. A.Pers.2 (anap.); ἀφνειοὶ καλέονται Od.15.433; esp. in pf. Pass. κέκλημαι, οὕνεκα σὴ παράκοιτις κέκλημαι because I am thy wife, Il.4.61; φίλη κεκλήσῃ ἄκοιτις 3.138; αἲ γὰρ ἐμοὶ τοιόσδε πόσις κεκλημένος εἴη Od.6.244; ἠγάγετ’ ἐς μέγα δῶμα φίλην κεκλῆσθαι ἄκοιτιν Hes.Th.410; σὴ κεκλημένη . . ἦα h.Ap.324; μηδ’ ἔτι Τηλεμάχοιο πατὴρ κεκλημένος εἴην Il.2.260; οὔτινος δοῦλοι κέκληνται A.Pers.242, cf. S.El.366, etc.
LSJ, ἐπικαλέω wrote:III. call by surname, Δίων ὃν ἐπεκάλουν Χρυσόστομον Eun. VSp.454 B.:—more freq. Pass., to be called by surname, ἐπεκλήθησαν Κεκροπίδαι Hdt.8.44; to be nicknamed, Ἀριστόδημον τὸν μικρὸν ἐπικαλούμενον X.Mem.1.4.2, cf. HG2.3.31; also τὸ ὄνομα ἐπικέκληταί σοι LXX De.28.10; ἐπικληθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομά μου ib.Ge.48.16.
It looks like ἐπικαλεῖσθαι is more specific than καλεῑσθαι and it suggests a secondary act of naming. I'm not sure how that would fit into the various theories for the meaning of Iscariot.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
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