indeclinable names

Grammar questions which are not related to any specific text.
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mmorris
Posts: 21
Joined: May 4th, 2018, 4:53 pm

indeclinable names

Post by mmorris »

When an anarthrous indeclinable name precedes and is adjacent to an article, would the name take the same case as the article?
Stephen Carlson
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Joined: May 11th, 2011, 10:51 am
Location: Melbourne
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Re: indeclinable names

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Do you have a specific example?
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
mmorris
Posts: 21
Joined: May 4th, 2018, 4:53 pm

Re: indeclinable names

Post by mmorris »

Genesis 11:31
καὶ ἔλαβεν Θαρα τὸν Αβραμ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ...

Ie. would Θαρα be considered Accusative?

Thanks!
Barry Hofstetter
Posts: 2159
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 1:48 pm

Re: indeclinable names

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

mmorris wrote: May 5th, 2018, 2:44 am Genesis 11:31
καὶ ἔλαβεν Θαρα τὸν Αβραμ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ...

Ie. would Θαρα be considered Accusative?

Thanks!
No. Θάρα here is the subject of the verb, and so if declinable would be in the nominative. Normally the article modifies what follows it, so Ἀβράμ is considered accusative.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Stephen Carlson
Posts: 3350
Joined: May 11th, 2011, 10:51 am
Location: Melbourne
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Re: indeclinable names

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Barry's answer is correct. I'd like to add that with indeclinable names, there's a tendency to add the article if the name is in the accusative or dative and omit the article in the nominative or genitive.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
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