From: Jim West (jwest@Highland.Net)
Date: Mon Jul 20 1998 - 15:28:44 EDT
This well known aphorism has an interesting parallel structure- according to
some:
a- do not give what is holy to the puppies
b-neither cast pearls to swine
b'- lest they trample them underfoot
a'- and turning, bite you
Now, again, according to some commentators, the structure of the saying
indicates that it is the puppies who turn and bite you, while it is the pigs
who trample pearls underfoot.
Other commentators suggest this:
a- do not give what is holy to puppies
b- neither cast pearls to swine
c- lest they trample them underfoot, and turn to bite you too.
That is, some interpret the trampling and the biting to the pigs- while
others attribute the trampling to the pigs and the biting to the dogs.
Now, the solution to this seems to lie in the verb <gk>rhgnumi</gk> = tear,
rend. It seems to be an aorist verb, 3rd. pl <gk>rhxosin</gk>. So, what is
the antecedent? <gk> kusin</gk>, or <gk>coirwn</gk>. Or is the antecedent
indeterminate and therefore the ambiguity remains?
How readest thou?
Vale,
Jim
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
jwest@highland.net
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