k as an abbreviation for kai

Post Reply
Steven Avery
Posts: 14
Joined: February 1st, 2014, 11:01 am

k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Steven Avery »

===================



1) Greek abbreviation

Hi,

K (kappa) is said in some encyclopedias to be used as an abbreviation for various Greek words, one source referencing: kai (and), koinon (common), kolonia (colony). Is it possible to find out when the abbreviation for "kai" turns up in Greek writing?

The abbreviation is used in a page title (Acts of Peter and John and the Community) in one part of a manuscript that is sometimes dated to the 4th century. Avoiding circularity, can the usage of the abbreviation help date the particular writing of the title?

e.g. "We only see this abbreviation beginning around x AD."

In Bible manuscripts we know that the nomina sacra, were abbreviated in the early centuries. However, I have never seen discussion of abbreviations of common words. Seeing the abbreviation in the title was a bit of a surprise. However, those who have looked at many Greek manuscripts can helpfully give an informed response.

Thanks!

Steven Avery
Bayside, NY


===================
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
Contact:

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Ken M. Penner »

Steven Avery wrote:K (kappa) is said in some encyclopedias to be used as an abbreviation for various Greek words, one source referencing: kai (and), koinon (common), kolonia (colony). Is it possible to find out when the abbreviation for "kai" turns up in Greek writing?
...
However, those who have looked at many Greek manuscripts can helpfully give an informed response.
I can only claim to have worked much with a couple of manuscripts, but FWIW, Codex Sinaiticus (mid 4th century) has a ligature that looks like Κ with a tail for καί.
KAI.jpg
KAI.jpg (1.15 KiB) Viewed 4705 times
see e.g., Genesis 23:8 at http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscrip ... omSlider=0
Dirk Jongkind addresses the και ligature beginning at the bottom of http://books.google.ca/books?id=5PbDoZSYppEC&pg=PA88
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Steven Avery
Posts: 14
Joined: February 1st, 2014, 11:01 am

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Steven Avery »

Hi,

Thanks, Ken.
The page title from Acts I was referencing is also in Codex Sinaiticus.

Codex Sinaiticus
http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscrip ... omSlider=0

In the very light header on top.
upper - Peter John and Community,jpg.jpg
upper - Peter John and Community,jpg.jpg (3.72 KiB) Viewed 4702 times
(Note that the header is tiny, it is unclear whether such small print was doable with the technology of the 4th century, and the note on the left bottom, Psalm 109 .. Hebrew Bible 110, matching Acts 2:34, is even smaller.)

Interestingly, the page you gave was one of the discarded "New Finds" pages, making it a bit problematic, yet also very helpful in that it shows that at least one Sinaiticus page, not just a header, had the same abbreviation. And I wonder if there are any other K == kai abbreviations even in Sinaiticus.

My point is precisely to find out if this is a anomaly, a philological component, that supports the idea of Sinaiticus not really being 4th century :) .

Steven Avery
Bayside, NY
Steven Avery
Posts: 14
Joined: February 1st, 2014, 11:01 am

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Steven Avery »

Hi,

Ken, after I posted, I caught your reference from Dirk Jongkind, that shows that at least some forms of this abbreviation are common in Sinaiticus. Thanks for the ref.

And I am actually checking now with a gentleman who works with a number of uncial mss for computer software, to see if this is common or not on other early uncials.

The tiny writing is another interesting question, as well as the number letter-forms, however those are more palaeographical than b-greek-ical. The kai ligature can be seen more as a b-greek question.

Steven Avery
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
Contact:

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Ken M. Penner »

The image I attached was actually from Isaiah 1:2 (scribe B).
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
Contact:

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Ken M. Penner »

The και-compendium appears in P66 (c. 200CE). See http://books.google.ca/books?id=Z35H7PQ ... um&f=false
P66.jpg
P66.jpg (49.02 KiB) Viewed 4688 times
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Steven Avery
Posts: 14
Joined: February 1st, 2014, 11:01 am

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Steven Avery »

Hi,

Thanks, Ken.

Especially intereresting .. from Metzger's book I see that there is Rahlfs G (Codex Colberto-Sarravianus) on p. 80 that the scribe "frequently uses kai-compendium".

You have been very helpful, appreciated. Now to return to some other elements.:)

btw, I still frequently reference your Hebrew-Aramaic Hebraisti paper from SBL. The excellent Handout 2 is hidden away in Archive.org, I'm not sure what is available that might be newer.

Steven Avery
Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Stephen Hughes »

It is usual practice to use that abreviation when handwriting Modern Greek.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
ed krentz
Posts: 70
Joined: February 22nd, 2012, 5:34 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by ed krentz »

If you are interested in Abbreviations in Greek texts (Inscriptions, papyri, Mauscripts and early printed books) look at

Abbreviations in Greek: Inscriptions: Papyri, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, A Manual compiled by Al. N. Oikonomides from Monographs by Avi-Yonah, Kenyon, Allen, Ostermann and Giegengack. Chicago: Ares Publishers, Inc., 1974.

Contains useful plates, plus a discussion of Greek Tachugraphy.

Ed Krentz
Edgar Krentz
Prof. Emeritus of NT
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Louis L Sorenson
Posts: 711
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 9:21 pm
Location: Burnsville, MN, USA
Contact:

Re: k as an abbreviation for kai

Post by Louis L Sorenson »

Here is a link to Worldcat for that book: http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=%22Abb ... rch=Search
Post Reply

Return to “Other”