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THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: March 19th, 2016, 9:08 am
by Paul-Nitz
A thread for advice on easily confused items·

Such as, παῦσαι versus παῦσαι
  • θέλει παύσαι με γραφοντα He wants to stop me from writing.
    ( ἀόριστος ὄψις, κοινὴ διάθεσις, ἀπαρέμφατος ἐγκλίσις -- Aorist Active Infinitive)
    παῦσαι! [σεαυτόν]
    ( ἀόριστος, ἐαυτικὴ διάθεσις, προστατικὴ -- Aorist Middle Imperative)

    Or, θέλει ἐτοιμάσαι - "he wants to prepare" versus ἐτοίμασαι! - "prepare yourself!"
Such as, ἀναστήσας versus ἀναστὰς.
  • ἀναστήσας "having raised (stood up)"
    Aor, Act, Ptc, Sg, Nom, Masc From the transitive ἀνίστημι (Aor. Infin. = ἀναστῆσαι )
    ἀναστὰς "having stood up"
    Aor, Act, Ptc, Sg, Nom, Masc. From the transitive ἀνίσταμαι (Aor. Infin. = ἀναστῆναι )
Such as distinguishing between: πρέπει, ἀνήκει, λυσιτελεῖ (it is fitting) ... Or, πραθῆναι versus πωλῆσαι (to sell)
  • What brought creating this thread to mind was that somewhere in B-Greek, someone (C. Conrad?) once shared his thoughts on distinguishing between εἰμί and εἴμι. I wanted to go back to it, but can't find it. And again, someone (R. Buth?) once gave advice about the whole confusing issue of ιστημι versus ισταμαι. It would be wonderful to have a place to find these gems.

Post links, comments, or questions here regarding things easily confused in Greek.

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: March 20th, 2016, 9:46 am
by Paul-Nitz
I'm anxious for people to offer their thoughts freely in this thread. When people explain how they understand a thing, it won't work or be helpful for everyone. We all realize that. But don't be shy in offering your way of thinking. It could be hugely useful for someone. What will kill participation pretty quickly is criticism. So, let me head off some of the more keenly analytical and vocally critical minds on B-Greek.

;) You modern day Smythians, you who see the whole of Ancient Greek as a logical web, you who are to Greek what Neo is to the Matrix, you'd best skip this thread. Or, be prepared to allow a little experimental thought to thrive here without nit-picking.

:) You who struggle through understanding confusing stuff in Greek, sit down and stay awhile.

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: March 20th, 2016, 9:58 am
by Paul-Nitz
Paul-Nitz wrote:ἀναστὰς "having stood up"
Aor, Act, Ptc, Sg, Nom, Masc. From the transitive ἀνίσταμαι (Aor. Infin. = ἀναστῆναι )
Correction: From the intransitive ἀνίσταμαι...

Comments on this thread could include anything in Greek that you've puzzled over, not just pairs that are easily mixed up. For example, here's something that really bothered me:
the Accusative Subject of an Infinitive.

The grammars truly had me befuddled with this. The idea of the Accusative being a Subject just didn't jibe with one another in my head. Then, some book somewhere called these "Accusatives of Reference." That makes much more sense to me.
  • ἐβουλήθην ἐλθεῖν ____ ὧδε. "I wanted ____ to come here."

    If I want HIM to come here, I must use the Accusative case to refer to HIM. There's no other choice. I can't say "εβουλήθην οὖτος ελθειν ωδε" That jars. It is not HE that is wanting, it is Εγω! The Dative or Genitive doesn't work either. No, I must use the Accusative, the natural case for referring to and pointing at that thing or person whom I want to come here. ἐβουλήθην αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ὧδε.

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: April 5th, 2016, 5:01 pm
by Mark Lightman
Paul-Nitz wrote:...be prepared to allow a little experimental thought to thrive here without nit-picking.
ὦ χαῖρε, φίλε Παῦλε.
Paul-Nitz wrote:...pairs that are easily mixed up.
τὸ σίκερα τὸ ἐπιὸν ἔπιον σήμερον.

πίνω, πιοῦμαι, ἔπιον -- χρῶμαι ποτῷ (Καρῦσο.) τίθημι ἢ ὕδωρ ἢ γάλα ἢ οἶνον εἱς στόμα. τὰ χείλη μου βρέχω. ἡ ῥίζα = πι
ἐπιών, ἐπιοῦσα, ἐπιόν -- ὑστεραῖος (Καρῦσο.) τὸ ἐρχόμενον, τὸ τῆς ἐπαύριον, τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος. ἡ ῥίζα = επ ι

ἔλθοις δὲ χαίρων, βέλτιστε!

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: April 5th, 2016, 5:29 pm
by Jonathan Robie
A bunch of lookalikes were mentioned in this thread.

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: April 5th, 2016, 10:26 pm
by Stephen Hughes
Luke 9:29 wrote:ἐξαστράπτων
A present indicative active participle of ἐξαστράπτειν "to flash as with lightning", looks like ἐξ ἀστραπῶν "from lightnings", but the tau is not present in the propositional phrase.

καθαιρεῖν "to take down" looks similar to καθαίρειν "to lift up".

κάμνειν "to be sick or suffering" (weighed down by toil or illness) looks similar to the more common κάμπτειν "to bend" (voluntarily bend oneself forward and down (at the hips)).

τίνειν "to pay what is obligatory (esp. in recompense for something)" (cf. ἀποτίνειν to repay what is owing (what an individual owes)) is similar to the more common πίνειν "to drink".

χορός "dancing" looks similar to the more frequent χοῖρος "pig".

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: July 13th, 2016, 12:58 am
by Stephen Hughes
Mark 16:1 wrote:ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν
Listening to Michael Halcombe's free download had me stumped. Why was an infinitive after ἵνα?

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: July 13th, 2016, 3:39 am
by Stephen Carlson
Stephen Hughes wrote:
Mark 16:1 wrote:ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν
Listening to Michael Halcombe's free download had me stumped. Why was an infinitive after ἵνα?
ἐλθοῦσαι a feminine plural participle. The infinitive is ἐλθεῖν. (The subjunctive is ἀλείψωσιν.)

Re: THINGS EASILY CONFUSED

Posted: July 13th, 2016, 5:06 am
by Stephen Hughes
Stephen Carlson wrote:
Stephen Hughes wrote:
Mark 16:1 wrote:ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν
Listening to Michael Halcombe's free download had me stumped. Why was an infinitive after ἵνα?
ἐλθοῦσαι a feminine plural participle. The infinitive is ἐλθεῖν. (The subjunctive is ἀλείψωσιν.)
παρακούσας παρενόησα.