From: Kimmo Huovila (kimmo.huovila@helsinki.fi)
Date: Fri Apr 14 2000 - 06:24:48 EDT
Polycarp66@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 4/13/2000 4:08:41 PM Central Standard Time,
> peteslev@splus.net writes:
>
> << I've just completed a self study with BBG (Mounce) and am proceeding with
> his reader and GGBB (Wallace)
> as grammar. The explanations of the proleptic aorist still seem to elude
> me. I wonder if anyone knows of anything similar or analogous in English.
> Lacking; this, perhaps an explanation that was found to be helpful. >>
>
<snip>
> or (p. 563)
>
> VI. Proleptic (Futuristic) Aorist
>
> A. Definition
>
> The aorist indicative can be used to describe an event that is not yet past
> as though it were already completed. This usage is not at all common, though
> several exegetically significant texts involve possible proleptic aorists.
>
> Wallace, Daniel B., Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax of
> the New Testament, (Garland, TX: Galaxie Software) 1999, c1996.
I do not think that there is a rhetorical shift of the deictic center to
the future giving the impression "as though it were already completed"
(if I understood Wallace correctly from the above quote). Proleptic
aorists just point out that the aorist is not primarily a past tense.
The aspectual meaning of perfectivity is more central. Therefore there
should not be anything anomalous in a future referring aorist. Their
rarity can be explained by the aorist having a secondary meaning of
pastness, but this is cancelable.
In other words, the aorist is primarily an aspect, and only secondarily
a tense. The tense meaning is not always there, though it usually is.
Pete, see if my MA thesis might give you any help:
http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/hum/yleis/pg/huovila, pages 44-49,
73-76
Kimmo
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