From: yochanan bitan (ButhFam@compuserve.com)
Date: Fri Dec 11 1998 - 05:50:12 EST
{g. kilbrai wrote:}
>I am finding the whole concept of aspect quite fascinating compared to
English (where it doesn't really
>exist). What then is the relative importance of Greek aspect?
{end quote}
aspect exists in english.!
it is just not handled morphologically on the verb but with auxillaries.
[it is hebrew that has partially "ignored" aspect since both tense and
aspect have been lumped into one dichotomy. hence the problem of hebraists
to "define" what is happening. cf. gn. 37.28 "they were passing by"
narrative prefix tense translated by imperfect (!) in LXX]
english:
"while I WAS WRITING an email my daughter BROUGHT me some coffee." . . .
this story would develop the note about daughter and coffee if it were
well-wruitten. the email was "backgrounded".
read lots of greek and relate it to other greek texts.
greek is very pedantic about aspect since every non-indicative event-word
must be marked for aspect (e.g. aorist versus continuative subjunctive,
optative, infinitive, and to some degree participle, though relative tense
plays a role with aorist and continuative participles) to illustrate:
Hebrew can say "Give us our rightful bread". Greek must say either "dos --
Give us [this time] our bread" OR " didou -- Be giving us [over and over]
our bread". Both are right and both appear in the canonical gospels. the
point is that Greek requires one or the other, a choice had to have been
made.
erroso
randall
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