The Article in Post-Classical Greek

by Daniel King

Publisher:

Summer Institute of Linguistics

, 2019

Overview

For New Testament biblical scholars, this book constitutes a vital summary of contemporary, theoretically-sound interpretations of the linguistic functions of the Post-Classical (Koine) Greek article in a way that will inform exegesis of the text, especially in the field of larger discourse units. There is also significant payoff for the as-yet significantly under-researched field of Koine linguistics. The essays included in this volume are written by notable experts, offering contributions to the linguistic analysis of the Post-Classical Greek language. While there remains no comprehensive treatment of the grammar of the Post-Classical dialects, individual elements of that grammar continue to be fruitfully explored. The collection presented here offers interpretations of the functions and grammar of the Greek article (ὁ, ἡ, τό) from a variety of perspectives, including generative grammar and discourse analysis, along with studies that make use of text-critical and diachronic data. Together, these supply readers of Greek with a thorough understanding of the functions of the article and constitute a starting point for further research efforts.

Key Features

• Summarizes contemporary, theoretically-sound interpretations of the linguistic functions of the Post-Classical (Koine) Greek article.
• Includes essays written by notable experts.
• Offers interpretations of the functions and grammar of the Greek article (ὁ, ἡ, τό) from a variety of perspectives.

Contents

• Contributors
• Figures
• Tables
• Abbreviations
• 1 Introduction (Daniel King)
• 1.1 Previous studies on the article
• 1.2 Brief summary of studies in this volume
• References
• 2 Functions of the Definite Article from Classical Greek to New Testament Greek (Maria Napoli)
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 (In)definiteness in the history of the Greek language
• 2.3 A map of definiteness: The main uses of definite articles across languages
• 2.4 Obligatoriness and optionality in Greek: definite article versus zero article
• 2.5 The definite article in New Testament Greek
• 2.6 Conclusions
• References
• 3 The History of Greek Articles: A Syntactic Approach (Cristina Guardiano)
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Background
• 3.3 Articles in Classical and New Testament Greek
• 3.4 Homeric Greek
• 3.5 Conclusion
• References
• 4 A Discourse-Functional Approach to the Greek Article (Ronald D. Peters)
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 A systemic-functional description of the Greek article
• 4.3 Matthew 13:44
• 4.4 Acts 5:1-11
• 4.5 1 Timothy 4:11-14
• 4.6 Conclusion
• References
• 5 The Use of the Greek Article in 1 Peter: A Case Study (Stephen H. Levinsohn and Mark Dubis)
• 5.1 Preliminaries
• 5.2 Thematic prominence(salience) versus focal prominence
• 5.3 Application to 1 Peter
• 5.4 Conclusions
• References
• 6 Towards a Unified Understanding of the Greek Article from a Diachronic, Cognitive Perspective (Steven E. Runge)
• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Less prototypical uses: Stage III development of the article
• 6.3 Conclusions
• References
• 7 The Function of the Article with Proper Names: The New Testament Book of Acts as a Case Study (Jenny Read-Heimerdinger)
• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 Names of persons
• 7.3 Names of places
• 7.4 General conclusions
• References
• Index

Contributors

• Maria Napoli
• Cristina Guardiano
• Ronald D. Peters
• Stephen H. Levinsohn
• Mark Dubis
• Steven E. Runge
• Jenny Read-Heimerdinger

Product Details

• Title: The Article in Post-Classical Greek
• Author: Daniel King
• Publisher: Summer Institute of Linguistics
• Print Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 216
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• ISBNs: 9781556714139, 1556714130
• Resource ID: LLS:RTCLPSTCLSSCGRK
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-19T22:15:00Z

About Daniel King

Daniel King is research fellow in Syriac studies and Semitic languages, Cardiff University, UK, and a translation consultant with SIL International. His research is principally concerned with methods and techniques of translation in antiquity especially between Greek and Syriac in the fields of philosophy and theology. He has published an edition of The Earliest Syriac Translation of Aristotle’s Categories (Brill, 2010) as well as many articles in the field.