From: Rod Decker (rdecker@inf.net)
Date: Sat Dec 09 1995 - 17:06:22 EST
The usual def. of a periphrastic is a form of 'eimi' with a ptcp. to
express a single verbal idea. (Some simply say a "linking verb" + ptcp.)
What are the thoughts of you who are grammarians and linguists on the
subject? Can a periphrastic be formed with any verbs other than 'eimi'? Has
this changed over the course of classical ... koine usage?
I haven't pursued this extensively in the grammars at this point, but did
run over to the seminary briefly this afternoon and checked a few things.
Porter (_VA_ ch. 10) restricts periphrastics to 'eimi'+ ptcp. He has
another classification for other similar combinations: catenative
constructions, with the finite verb contributing verbal aspect and the
auxiliary maintaining "its integrity as an independent contributor to the
semantics of the clause." He notes the following posiblities for this
construction: 1) verbs of capability, desire, etc. (e.g., 'dunamai',
'qelw', 'dei', 'mellw', 'boulomai'); 2) 'ecw'; and 3) 'ginomai'.
I also noted that Smyth lists 'ecw' as a legit. periphrastic (sect. 599b,
1963), along with 'emellon' (1960), 'ginomai' (1964), and 'fainomai'
(1965). Porter notes that 'ecw' is included as a potential periphrastic
element by Gildersleeve, Goodwin, Kuhner/Gerth, Jelf, Chantrine, and Aerts.
BDF had a very sketchy (& not very helpful!) discussion of periphrastics.
I've not pursued other sources at this point. (I have cross-posted this to
both b-greek and the Gk grammar list [the latter of which has been
seemingly defunct lately--unless I've gotten unsubscribed from it also! :)
].
Rod
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rodney J. Decker Calvary Theological Seminary
Asst. Prof./NT 15800 Calvary Rd.
rdecker@inf.net Kansas City, Missouri 64147
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:37:34 EDT