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Carl,
I would like to demonstrate my usual knack for the "basic" and elementary
question. In the recent discussion of accents, it has been observed, and I
am well aware of the fact, that accents were not original to the text (NT
in particular). Where do they come from, and by what system were they put
into place? And if they do, in some instances, make a material difference
to meaning, surely where the meaning is ambiguous in the first place, or a
textual variant disputed, accents cannot be the determiners?
Paul F. Evans
Pastor
Thunder Swamp Pentecostal Holiness Church
Mount Olive, NC
"Endeavouring to make use of NT Greek in a real life ministry!"
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From: Carl W. Conrad <cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu>
To: Andrew Kulikovsky <anku@celsiustech.com.au>
Cc: 'b-greek@virginia.edu'
Subject: Re: accents
Date: Monday, February 10, 1997 7:13 AM
At 11:52 PM -0600 2/9/97, Andrew Kulikovsky wrote:
>Fellow Greeks,
>
>Do Greek accents have any semantic meaning or modify the meaning of
>Greek words in any way?
>
>I remember someone telling me that accents on the last letter of certain
>pronouns indicate interrogation (or something like that anyway). Is this
>correct?
I don't know whether a linguist would be inclined to say that accents have
semantic meanings by themselves, but I think it would have to be said that
they are markers often differentiating otherwise identical morphemes, as in
the instance of the indefinite TIS (unaccented enclitic) and interrogative
TI/S (accented and tending toward the early part of a clause if not even
the initial position). Similarly in personal pronouns, the forms EMOI\ and
SOI\ are marked and emphatic (and tend to precede the verb governing them)
as opposed to the unaccented enclitic forms MOI and SOI. E.g.:
EIPE/ MOI "Tell me, ... "
EMOI\ EIPE/ "Tell ME (not someone else), ... "
ANH/R TIS "some fellow," "a certain fellow"
TI/S ANH/R? "what fellow?"
At any rate there are some significant differences between words otherwise
alike in apparent "spelling"--but you must realize that spelling usually is
inexact. The accent indicates an essential aspect of the word's
pronunciation/sounding that makes it a different word from that pronounced
without it or with an accent of a different kind or on a different
syllable.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA 63130
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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Carl,
I would like to =
demonstrate my usual knack for the "basic" and elementary =
question. In the recent discussion of accents, it has been =
observed, and I am well aware of the fact, that accents were not =
original to the text (NT in particular). Where do they come from, =
and by what system were they put into place? And if they do, in =
some instances, make a material difference to meaning, surely where the =
meaning is ambiguous in the first place, or a textual variant disputed, =
accents cannot be the determiners?
Paul F. =
Evans
Pastor
Thunder Swamp Pentecostal Holiness Church
Mount =
Olive, NC
"Endeavouring to make use of NT Greek in a real =
life ministry!"
----------
From: Carl W. Conrad =
<cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu>
To: Andrew Kulikovsky <anku@celsiustech.com.au>
Cc: 'b-greek@virginia.edu'
Subject: Re: accents
Date: Monday, February =
10, 1997 7:13 AM
At 11:52 PM -0600 2/9/97, Andrew Kulikovsky =
wrote:
>Fellow Greeks,
>
>Do Greek accents have any =
semantic meaning or modify the meaning of
>Greek words in any =
way?
>
>I remember someone telling me that accents on the =
last letter of certain
>pronouns indicate interrogation (or =
something like that anyway). Is this
>correct?
I don't know =
whether a linguist would be inclined to say that accents =
have
semantic meanings by themselves, but I think it would have to be =
said that
they are markers often differentiating otherwise identical =
morphemes, as in
the instance of the indefinite TIS (unaccented =
enclitic) and interrogative
TI/S (accented and tending toward the =
early part of a clause if not even
the initial position). Similarly =
in personal pronouns, the forms EMOI\ and
SOI\ are marked and =
emphatic (and tend to precede the verb governing them)
as opposed to =
the unaccented enclitic forms MOI and SOI. E.g.:
EIPE/ MOI =
"Tell me, ... "
EMOI\ EIPE/ "Tell ME =
(not someone else), ... "
ANH/R TIS "some =
fellow," "a certain fellow"
TI/S ANH/R? =
"what fellow?"
At any rate there are some significant =
differences between words otherwise
alike in apparent =
"spelling"--but you must realize that spelling usually =
is
inexact. The accent indicates an essential aspect of the =
word's
pronunciation/sounding that makes it a different word from =
that pronounced
without it or with an accent of a different kind or =
on a different syllable.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of =
Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, =
USA 63130
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
WWW: =
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
----------