αὐτός is an elusive word for me. These thoughts are my "questions" to B-Greek about αὐτός.
Any use of any pronoun, if it is in the Nominative, is “marking “ something.
- εσθίεις τὸν ἄρτον = unmarked.
εσθίεις συ τὸν ἄρτον = emphasizes the subject.
But how do we say “HE is eating” in the same way as we say “YOU are eating”? In other words, what is the 3rd person Nominative personal pronoun equivalent of εγω, συ, ημεις, υμεις?
According to my understanding of the grammarians, that would be οὗτος (& οὗτοι, αὗτη, αὗται, τοῦτο, ταῦτα). Some grammars would also include ὁ δὲ (& ἡ δέ, τὸ δέ, etc.) as 3rd Person Nominative stand-ins.
The way I see it, there's a
identifiable reason for this. The six Nominative forms of αὐτός (singular, plural, x 3 genders) are reserved for an particular
“self” emphasizing function that is a different sort of emphasis than simply adding personal pronouns εγω, συ, ημεις, υμεις.
If we would use αὐτός (or, αὐτή, αὐτό, αὐτοί, αὐταί, αὐτά) as a normal 3rd Person Nominative Personal Pronoun (as an equivalent of εγω, συ, ημεις, υμεις), we would be communicating a special marking that wouldn't be carried by the other personal pronouns. For example, even when αὐτός is used alone, it often has an implicit noun that it is marking as
“self” emphasized.
- We love because αὐτὸς (supply ὁ θεός) first loved us. 1 John 4:19
It would also create confusion because we can add αυτος to the other personal pronouns if we want to add the “self” emphasis.
- αὐτός ἐγώ... I myself am a slave to God’s law (Rom 7:25).
If αὐτός (Nominative only) is a special
“self” emphasizer, then adding it to εγω makes sense. Otherwise, we would look at it and say,
Huh??? αὐτός ἐγώ... He I…. ???
This
“self” emphasizing effect of αὐτός (and other Nominative forms of it) is shown by a connecting αὐτός to a noun in what's called the Predicate position. Or, it can be found alone with an implicit noun (I suppose, still a predicate position in contrast to an attributive).
- αὐτός ὁ πατήρ τρέφει τὰ τέκνα. The father himself feeds his children.
αὐτός τρέφει τὰ τέκνα. He himself (supply “the father”) feeds his children.
The Attributive position is an entirely different story.
The attributive postion (article/noun sandwich) is very clear and identifiable. When you see any form of αὐτός (ANY CASE) in the attributive / sandwich position, then it signifies a
“same” identifying emphasis.
- ὁ αὐτός πατήρ τρέφει τὰ τέκνα - The same father feeds his children. We had maybe been talking about different fathers. But now you want to emphasize that this same father we just mentioned is the one who feeds his children - ὁ αὐτός πατήρ!!!
Note, αὐτοῦ, αὐτῷ & αὐτόν (and variations for number and gender) can be also used as “same” indentifying emphasizers if in the Attributive/sandwich position.
- ἔδωκεν οὗτος τὸν κάλαμον τῷ αὐτῷ ἀνδρί.
He gave the pen to the same man
But, if αὐτοῦ, αὐτῷ & αὐτόν (and variations for number and gender) are
not connected in a sandwich construction, if they are ALONE then they are plain personal pronouns that carry NO EMPHASIS. They are just like μου μοι με σου σοι σε ημων ημιν ημας υμων υμιν υμας.
Unlike the Nominative pronouns, these personal pronouns are needed. The word βλέπομεν contains the pronoun “we.” Adding ἡμεῖς βλέπομεν emphasizes the pronoun. But adding βλέπομεν αὐτούς does not add any emphasis. It simply supplies the information. Whom did we see? αὐτόυς. Whose book did you take? ἐλαβόν αὐτοῦ βιβλίον. To whom did you give the pen? ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὸν κάλὸμον.
τί δοκεῖ σοι;