Re: co-terminous verbs

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed May 06 1998 - 06:53:34 EDT


At 5:29 AM -0500 5/6/98, Ward Powers wrote:
>At 12:34 98/05/05 +1000, Rick Strelan wrote:
>
>>I know verbs of 'speaking' (like APOKRINEIN and LEGEIN) are often used in
>>co-ordination or co-terminously (and that this is sometimes seen as being
>>due to Semitic influence). Are there other (non-'speaking') verbs so used ?
>>
>>
>>Any general comments of APOKRIQEIS ... EIPEN, for example, also welcomed.
>>
>>Rick Strelan
>>University of Queensland
>>Brisbane
>>
>
>Rick,
>
>Numbers of commentaries I have encountered over the years make some comment
>on these expressions along the lines that the APOKRIQEIS (or other form of
>APOKRINOMAI) is unnecessary (or superfluous or redundant or otiose -
>delicious word!).
>
>I do not agree with this assessment. Rather, the essence of the thought in
>the use of APOKRINOMAI plus a verb of speaking is to indicate (one might
>almost want to say, to emphasize) that what is then said is a response to
>what has gone before. That is, the use of this verb indicates the close and
>direct link between what is said and what called it forth.
>
>It is, I believe, significant that APOKRINOMAI is used of responding not
>merely to what a previous speaker has said but to an entire situation. For
>example, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew (17:4) and Mark (9:5)
>record that Peter APOKRIQEIS said to Jesus, "Let us build three booths
>here, for you and Moses and Elijah." Now, no one was talking to Peter or
>indeed taking any notice of him. But he APOKRIQEIS. That is, this verb
>indicates that what he said was his RESPONSE to the situation of which he
>was a part (albeit, as a spectator).

While I agree with Ward to the extent that I don't really think the
participle is otiose and should not be translated, I do think that the
phrasing APOKRINAMENOS EIPEN or APOKRIQEIS EIPEN (which I guess is more
common in the NT) is fundamentally a Semitism and that a native Greek
speaker probably would not have used it. Hmm, that makes me want to do a
little search and see just WHICH NT texts actually use this participle).

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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