RE: EIPE LOGWi Matt & Luke
Jonathan Robie (jonathan@texcel.no)
Wed, 26 Nov 1997 17:02:26 -0500
At 07:58 AM 11/27/97 +1100, George Athas wrote:
>Greetings All!
>
>Brian Wilson stated:
>
>>If the official was a centurion, however, should we not also be
>>considering whether the phrase might be a Latinism? The Vulgate
>>rendering of EIPE LOGWi in both Mt 8:8 and Lk 7:7 is DIC VERBO
>
>And, if the centurion was around for long enough to build a synagogue,
>he would have spoken with the local Jewish populace in Greek. I think,
>therefore, that we can dismiss the possiblity of a Latinism here in this
>expression.
But it could well be a fixed expression that would be used by a centurion who worked for Rome, even if the centurion did not speak Latin (or did not speak it well). We say "Gesundheit" in English, even if we don't speak German, and a lawyer will issue a "habeas corpus" even if he doesn't speak Latin (and I don't either). The phrase "KURIE ELEISON" was used in many early liturgies in languages like Latin and Coptic. So I see it as quite possible that DIC VERBO would be a fixed expression, possibly used without translation within the military hierarchy, but more likely translated word-for-word into Greek. After all, to "issue a command" is a very official event which must be conveyed unambiguously, very likely to result in fixed expressions; in English, we "issue" commands and statements, but certainly don't issue words, sentences, or emails.
I'll see your two cents and raise you one denarius.
Jonathan