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Re: Predicate nominative in Koine
I suggest Lane McGaughy's book, "Toward a Descriptive Analysis of EINAI in
the Net Testament" from Scholars Press (dissertation series). I am not as
current with the literature as I should be, but there is good material
here.
The most sensible (read: quick and memorable) rules for sorting out two
nominatives associated with EINAI are as follows:
1. Subject is that which agrees with the verb; if one nom. disagrees with
the verb EINAI in person or in number, it is the predicate.
2. The more definite of the two nominatives is the subject (if both could
agree with the verb EINAI). An article flags greater definiteness than an
anarthrous noun; a demonstrative (pronominal or adjectival) ranks higher
than a noun with an article.
NOTE: An anarthrous noun is not necessarily indefinite in this
construction. If the predicate precedes the verb and the
subject follows the verb, the predicate is virtually always
definite.
3. If both nominatives are of equal definiteness, the first is the subject.
This is true for Nom.-Nom.-Vb. clauses and for Nom.-Vb.-Nom. clauses.
--DNW
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Subject: Predicate nominative in Koine
Author: gewex@cais.cais.com_at_internet at X400PO
Date: 9/26/94 12:52 PM
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I am looking for some current thinking on the use of predicate nominative
in Koine, although such thinking may take into account historical
perspectives on the subject. Is there a *best rule* ? Can we have any
certainty regarding word placement in specific instances where the
predicate nominative is used? I am particularly interested in Johannine
use, but are there any characteristic differences between the various NT
writers on this point - either from your own work or other sources you can
cite?
Regards,
Chuck Arnold