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Re: Preverbs
On Fri, 4 Nov 1994 rod.j.decker@uwrf.edu wrote:
> OK--I'll be the one to display my ignorance and ask, "What are preverbs?"
> That's a new term to me and I don't find it in any of the standard Koine
> grammars I have here at the house. Since two linguists (Palmer & Olsen)
> and one classical scholar (Conrad) recognized it, I'd assume it is either a
> specialized term from linguistics that I haven't encountered or something
> out of classical discussion. My hope is that I know what it is by a
> different name! :) Mind enlightening me (and the others who are
> also wondering but not asking!)?
OK, OK: on another list yesterday (Ancien-L) somebody suggeted, "Let's
discuss X"--to which in rapid-fire succession came several responses with
single lines, not all worded the same, but all to the same effect: "Yes,
let's discuss it." As yet there have been only two substantive messages
in that "thread" (whereby it 'hangs'). Now it appears that on THIS list,
we (and I do include myself) are ALL (with two exceptions noted in Rod's
message) going to display our ignorance.
SOOOO: I confess my ignorance. I'd never heard of a preverb, but
endeavoring to read between the lines and make an assumption from the
context, namely that "preverbs" must be the prefix-element, originally a
preposition or adverb, used with a verb. I may be wrong, but I posted my
own response to the message in question on that bold assumption. IF
that's what it is, why is the term preferable to 'prefix'; and if that's
what it is, the linguists will, I hope, explain to us why this is a
preferable term.
I also took a stab at "convertible proposition" and assumed that it meant
the kind of linkage of subject and predicate word by EINAI where "X = Y"
may be said to be equivalent to "Y = X."
Convict me of error or stupidity, ye who know, or else congratulate me on
my felicitous guesswork. I don't know which it was. (MEA CULPA, MEA
CULPA, MEA MAXIMA CULPA!)
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
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