Αυτός

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
Paul-Nitz
Posts: 497
Joined: June 1st, 2011, 4:19 am
Location: Sussex, Wisconsin

Re: Αυτός

Post by Paul-Nitz »

For a discussion of the αὐτός versus οὗτος question,
see this thread at Ancient Greek Best Practices


tags: 3rd Person Pronoun, demonstrative, anaphoric, anaphora, deitic, deixis, intensive pronoun, indentifying pronoun, identifiers, δεικτικαὶ ἀντωνυμίαι
Paul D. Nitz - Lilongwe Malawi
Emma Ehrhardt
Posts: 58
Joined: December 23rd, 2014, 10:28 am
Location: IN
Contact:

Re: Αυτός

Post by Emma Ehrhardt »

Hi Paul, how then would you interpret αὐτός in the following phrases then? Would you still argue that it is not a simple 3rd person pronoun?
  • αὐτός καί οἱ μετά αὐτοῦ (Mk 2.25)
  • αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, (Jn 2:12)
Emma Ehrhardt
Computational Linguist
Paul-Nitz
Posts: 497
Joined: June 1st, 2011, 4:19 am
Location: Sussex, Wisconsin

Re: Αυτός

Post by Paul-Nitz »

Thanks for the question. This is just what I was wanting to do, look up uses of αυτος in the NOM (and in a predicate position) to see if I could find exceptions. περὶ τοῦτο, συμβάλωμεν (about this, let's throw together/consider/engage/help one another).

I looked at your examples and a few others I found in BDAG. In the following verses you see a similar pattern: He [verb], αὐτός καὶ [others].
  • ἐπείνασεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ
    He was hungry, he and those with him. Mark 2:25

    κατέβη… αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
    He went down…, he and his mother. John 2:12

    ἐπίστευσεν αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτοῦ ὅλη
    He believed, he and his whole house. John 4:53

    εἰσῆλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
    He went in, he and his disciples. John 18:1

In each of these thoughts, I can see how αυτος is playing its role as an identifier.

As far as interpretation, I wouldn’t think this use of αυτος wouldn’t have any real significance. It’s simply the way a writer of Greek would express the thought.
  • The writer had the subject named already in the earlier part of the sentence, e.g.
    • “He was hungry.” ἐπείνασεν
    Then he wants to add the thought, "he and others with him."
    So, the writer identifies the subject again with αὐτός and adds the real point:
    • “HE and those with him.” αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ
Does the choice of αὐτός have much significance? Only if there is another bland way of saying it. Could it be that οὖτος here would give the idea of the subject performing a new action. Maybe ὁ δὲ would give the idea of a new actor. What are B-Greekers' thoughts especially on this point?

The issue of translation is a separate question. I would agree that it should be simply translated as "he." But does that choice for a translation of αυτος here mean that αυτος has the same meaning as a normal use of English "he"? It certainly doesn't have the bland meaning "he," as in the English sentence "he walks." περιπατεῖ is bland "he walks," but αὐτός περιπατεῖ says more, "he himself walks." Could it be that in the English rendition of these thoughts the English word “he” is playing the same special identifying role as αυτος. "He was hungry, [in fact] HE and others." English does it with word order, whereas Greek does it with both word order and (ahem) the word itself, αυτος .

But now I'm really getting into the weeds. Help!

προσδοκῶ τὸ συμβαλεῖν ὑμῶν
Paul D. Nitz - Lilongwe Malawi
Post Reply

Return to “Word Meanings”