[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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