Re: Active, deponent, passive

• To: b-greek@virginia.edu
• Subject: Re: Active, deponent, passive
• From: "Lindsay J. Whaley" <Lindsay.J.Whaley@dartmouth.edu>
• Date: 28 Oct 94 13:40:13 EDT

With regard to David Wigtil's remarks on deponent/passive forms, it should be
pointed out that Greek writers also "(perversely?) allow indirect object
items to behave as passive verb subjects." (E.g. in Romans 3:2).

In fact, examples of "secondary passive" are found in all kinds of languages
which have nothing like deponent verbs, including most Bantu languages, some
Mayan languages, Indonesian, Chammarro, Seri, and many others.  Therefore, I
think it is a mistake to suggest that deponency is established on the basis
of an object-like nominal co-occurring with a passive verb form.  

Lindsay Whaley
Dartmouth College

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