Re: Nominativus absolutus

From: Daniel Ria–o (danielrr@mad.servicom.es)
Date: Tue Jan 13 1998 - 18:07:03 EST


Re: Nominativus absolutus, I quoted "Il:"3.211:
a)/mfw d' e(zomevnw gerarw/teros h(=en )Odysseu/s

Carl William Conrad wrote:
>the Homeric passage, very interesting, beginnng
>with AMFW hEZOMENW in the dual number, a form that is presumably
>nominative, although it could also be accusative.

        Yes: certainly it is not the best example to prove the existence of
this rara avis (rara in Greek: it's easy to find examples in other IE
languages).

        I'll quote Chantraine's "Grammaire Home'rique" vol. 2 # 20:

"Avec des ve'ritables anacoluthes, le nominatif arrive `a s'employer
absolument:
B 350-353:
fhmi\ ga\r ou)=n kataneu=sai u(permene/a Kroni/wna
h)/mati tw=| o(/te nhusi\n e)n w)kupo/roisin e)/bainon
)Argei=oi Trw/essi fo/non kai\ kh=ra fe/rontes
a)stra/ptwn e)pide/ci'

le nominatif au dernier vers, comme si le po'ete avait dit *kate/neuse
Kroni/wn*
Od.21.322-323
ou)/ ti/ se to/nd' a)/cesqai o)i+o/meq', ou)de\ e)/oiken,
a)ll' ai)sxuno/menoi fa/tin a)ndrw=n h)de\ gunaikw=n ...
(= *a)ll' ai)sxuno/meqa* et *ou)de\ e)/oiken* constitue une parenth`ese)

Od.11.606
o( d' e)remnh=| nukti\ e)oikw/s,
gumno\n to/con e)/xwn kai\ e)pi\ neurh=fin o)i+sto/n,
deino\n paptai/nwn, ai)ei\ bale/onti e)oikw/s.

        Maybe none of the examples would suffice to prove the existence of
the AN construction in Greek, *but*, the clear existence of the
construction in Vedic, Latin, etc and examples like the ones quoted above
(inter alia) proves the living existence of the construction in Greek. Was
the nominative created to comply such function? certainly not, but IMO the
possibility was open for the nominative to function in absolute
construction in, certain, very restricted conditions.
        Daniel.

        Daniel

___________________________________________________________________
Daniel Rian~o Rufilanchas
c. Santa Engracia 52, 7 dcha.
28010-Madrid
Espan~a
e-mail: danielrr@mad.servicom.es



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