From: Daniel Ria–o (danielrr@mad.servicom.es)
Date: Fri Jan 30 1998 - 09:52:07 EST
>Isn't it true that names for festival days are often in the plural?
>See BDF 141(3) and Turner (Syntax) 26f. I think we're making this way
>too difficult.
I think that Eu.Matt.28.1 is an example of a cardinal instead of an
ordinal. But the statement is true in words like *ga/moi, numfei=a*, etc,
and other cases like probably *e)n th=| h(me/ra| tw=n Sabba/twn*
Eu.Luc.14.16.
This is, by no means, a use exclusive of B-Greek. In Spanish we use
the plural for important commemorations, like "las bodas" = the wedding
(plural, like Latin "nuptiae"), "los funerales" (v.gr. del rey), etc. I
think this usage is common in other languages as well.
(In the same fashion, the Hispanic people wish every day a plural
"buenos d'ias" to their neighbours, instead of a laconic singular. This is
not a case of prodigality since, in my opinion, there's no reason for not
being generous with something that, at the end, is absolutely free.)
N.B: For reasons not related with Eu.Matt, I will be indebted to
anyone who could tell a case of public Greek festivity or celebration whose
duration is no longer than one day and whose name in Greek is in plural,
(excepted the cases of clear Semitic influence, Church Fathers, etc).
___________________________________________________________________
Daniel Rian~o Rufilanchas
c. Santa Engracia 52, 7 dcha.
28010-Madrid
Espan~a
e-mail: danielrr@mad.servicom.es
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