[b-greek] RE: Mat 5:18

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Mon Oct 30 2000 - 09:53:34 EST


At 7:39 AM +0100 10/30/00, Blahoslav Cicel wrote:
><BIG SNIP>
>
>> My grammar ilustrates the use of hEWS with "hEWS ESTI KAIROS,..."
>> If I understand it correctly, then it is ok to say:
>> hEWS PARERCETAI hO OURANOS KAI hE GH,... (without AN and using
>> praesent indicative).
>>
>> If it is legal, what is the difference?
>>
>> With respect,
>> Blaho
>
>What a stupid question. I wanted to ask not about the *now* but about the
>*to be* - future. Is there any other way to expres the *until* this happens
>without AN + aorist subjunctive? If yes, what is the difference in meaning?

You could use PRIN and an accusative + infinitive construction; thus the
above phrase would be written (more or less): PRIN PARELQEIN TON TE OURANON
KAI THN GHN, BUT hEWS or PRIN + AN with an aorist subjunctive is the more
normal way of indicating in a protasis ("if" clause) that which must happen
in the future before an event indicated in a future indicative may take
place.

hEWS with an indicative indicates time contemporaneous with the action of
the verb in the clause to which it is correlative, but hEWS with AN and a
subjunctive (usually aorist, because it really points to a condition that
must fully obtain in the future before the action of the verb in the clause
to which it is correlative).

I hope that helps. Wallace (GGBB) has this on such constructions (I cite
only the essential grammatical part):

"f. Subjunctive in Indefinite Temporal Clause 1) Definition: The
subjunctive is frequently used after a temporal adverb (or improper
preposition) meaning until (e.g.,hEWS, ACRI, MECRI), or after the temporal
conjunction o¢tan with the meaning, whenever. It indicates a future
contingency from the perspective of the time of the main verb."
--

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

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