[B-Greek] "gnomic" masculine

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Thu Jun 26 15:38:54 EDT 2008


It was the syntax and not the gender that sent me to the reference  
works on Soph.Electra line 770-71

KLUTAIMHSTRA
770       DEINON TO TIKTEIN ESTIN: OUDE GAR KAKWS
	771 PASCONTI MISOS hWN TEKHi PROSGIGNETAI.

J.H.Kells (Soph.ELECTRA P.151 n770f) and G.Cooper (2:43.1.2.c) both  
comment on the masculine[or neuter] participle PASCONTI. KLUTAIMHSTRA  
makes what sounds like a rather modern (late 20th cent.) remark about  
childbirth using the participle PASCONTI. Kells and Cooper: since the  
statement is a general observation the masculine form is used. The  
syntax of the second half OUDE ... PROSGIGNETAI seems both awkward and  
obfuscatious.

Kells

... MISOS hWN TEKHi PROSGIGNETAI "hatred accrues to one of the  
children (one) has borne."

Cooper (Gildersleeve)

OUDE GAR KAKWS PASCONTI
"Not even when one has suffered wrong ..."

MISOS hWN TEKHi PROSGIGNETAI

"... can one be brought to hate the child that one has borne."



Elizabeth Kline







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