ITW:1 - Pres. indic. + ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον + pres. indic.

How can I learn to express my ideas in clear and intelligible Greek?
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Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

ITW:1 - Pres. indic. + ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον + pres. indic.

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Writing Greek can be easy and fun, and this in a first Invitation To Write 1
I'd like to invite anybody interested in it to write a few simple sentences using only the most basic verbal forms. The phrase ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον "for as long as" is such a simple phrase and so versitile. Using this phrase and only the present indicative, that most people know right at the beginning of their road to Greek fluency, we can make very nice and meaningful sentences. I hope that members can peer correct each other.

The pattern is used in the NT at
Romans 7:1 wrote:ὁ νόμος κυριεύει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ
"The law holds sway over a man for as long as they live"
1 Corinithians 7:39 wrote:Γυνὴ δέδεται νόμῳ ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς
"A woman is bound legally for so long as her husband is alive."
Galatians 4:1 wrote:ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν·
"Despite being the lord of all things, the hier is no better than a slave for so long as he is below the age of majority (ἀνήλικος)"
And compare this one where I have supplied the χρόνον required by the sense:
Matthew 9:15 (with [i]sc[/i].) wrote:Μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος πενθεῖν, ἐφ’ ὅσον (sc. χρόνον) μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ νυμφίος
"Those who accompany the groom can't mourn for his departure from their company while he is still with them."
Perhaps we can try to write some sentences along these lines... You might like to add two (or more) endings for each beginning.

My few of my own compositions for this pattern are:
  • ὁ χειμαροῦς ῥεῖ ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον βρέχει ὁ οὐρανός.
    "The Wadi goes on flowing for as long as rain falls from the sky"
    ὁ χειμαροῦς ῥεῖ ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον κατακλύζει τὴν ἔρημον λαῖλας μετὰ βροντῶν καὶ ἀνέμων.
    "Water flows down the wadi when there is a storm in the desert."
  • ἡ ὁρνὶς ᾠὰ τίκτει ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ.
    "The hen lays eggs throughout its life."
    ἡ ὁρνὶς ᾠὰ τίκτει ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον ἐκτρέφει αὐτὴν ἡ οἰκοδέσποινα.
    "The hen lays eggs for as long as it is reared by the mistress of the house."
  • ὁ νεανίας συμπίνει τοῖς φίλοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον δαπανῶσιν αὐτοὶ (ἐπ’ αὐτῷ).
    "The youth keeps drinking with his friends so long as they keep footing the bill for (his) expenses"
    ὁ νεανίας συμπίνει τοῖς φίλοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον δύνανται εὑρίσκειν τὸ ποτηριὸν αὐτοῦ.
    "The youth keeps drinking with his friends so long as he can find his cup."
  • ἡ μητὴρ θηλάζει τὸ τέκνον ἑφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον βρέφος ἐστιν.
    "The mother breastfeeds the child for so long as it's a wee baby"
    ἡ μητὴρ θηλάζει τὸ τέκνον ἑφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον διψᾷ.
    "The mother breastfeeds the child for so long as it is hungry"
  • ὁ παιδαγωγὸς περιμένει τὸν παῖδα ἑφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον ῥαψῳδεῖ ἐμπροσθὲν τοῦ διδασκάλου.
    "The slave waits for the boy while he recites in front of the teacher."
    ὁ παιδαγωγὸς περιμένει τὸν παῖδα ἑφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον κυβεύει μετὰ τῶν συμμαθητῶν αὐτοῦ.
    "The slave waits for the boy while plays dice with his classmates."
  • ὁ ἀνὴρ θάλπει τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἑφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ αὐτός.
    "The husband cherishes his wife for as long as he lives."
    ὁ ἀνὴρ θάλπει τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἑφ᾿ ὅσον χρόνον τίκτει υἱούς.
    "The husband cherishes his wife for as long as she bears him sons."
I hope that people can have fun and add many more sentences of this easy pattern in this thread...
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
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