Koine Greek Research Articles

Koineization and the Pamphylian alphabet

Abstract In the Hellenistic age, contact with the Ionic alphabet used to write koine Greek rapidly changed the Pamphylian alphabet, initiating the processes of koineization and standardization. The analysis of three case studies (personal names with -muu̯a; personal names built from the root ϝαναξ-; -αυ and -ευ diphthongs) shows how the need to write dialectal personal names led to the creation of a ‘local standard’ of spellings suited to the koine alphabetic set. However, some features of the epichoric alphabet survived in competition with this local standard. It is therefore argued that the process of standardization of the Pamphylian alphabet in contact with the koine alphabet affected different alphabetic features according to the social and identity values given to them by the community.

Vowel hiatus resolution in Koine Greek

Abstract The spellings -ις, -ιν instead of -ιος, -ιον are a characteristic feature of Koine Greek. The circumstances in which they arose have constituted a vexed question. Their presence in Egyptian Greek documentary papyri from III BC to VIII AD stands out. Nowadays it is possible, thanks to new digital tools, to access all the regularized spellings in modern editions. Analysis and typological comparison allow us to rethink the hypotheses put forward in previous studies. In particular, it is useful not to study these spellings independently of the spellings -oῦ, -ῶ(ι) instead of -ίου, -ίω(ι). The graphic omission of ⟨o⟩ in some forms and of ⟨ι⟩ in others reflects different results of a vowel hiatus resolution process in sequences of increasing sonority [i.V(C)]. This process is gradient and different allophones could be represented by the same spelling. Of the possible factors for the omission of ⟨o⟩ or ⟨ι⟩, the word accent distribution is the basic cause determining the final form. However, as usually happens in processes of vowel hiatus resolution in other languages, other internal or external factors may also have influenced the results. Due to this gradience in the process and the distinction of glides of different types, the effect of V1 (converted into a glide) on the previous consonant could be different from what has been documented in [Cj] groups in other stages of Greek.

『그리스어야 놀자』(김창락, 서울: 분도출판사, 2022)

This paper briefly reviews the Greek-Korean lexicon, Let’s Play with Greek Vocabulary (GEURISEOYA NOLJA in Korean) in the context of the author’s career and introduces its strengths and weaknesses.BR This book not only has 744 pages but is also bigger in size than regular books, giving the impression that it would be difficult to study Greek with it. However, it is the work of an English teacher-turned-New Testament professor, carefully designed for use by beginner-level Greek students.BR It aims to help students who want to learn Koine Greek acquire their Greek vocabulary as quickly and easily as possible. To achieve this goal, the author includes almost all the Greek words in the New Testament, and introduces them in the 24 chapters ordered according to letters of the Greek alphabet. Furthermore, he uses three creative methods to help students, that is, association, analysis, and illustrations.BR First, association method utilizes the similarity of pronunciation or meaning between a foreign word and a native word to memorize the word. Second, analysis method analyzes the components of foreign words by etymology to memorize them together. Third, illustrations vividly bring up the image the author presents.BR Despite its many strengths, it lacks the Greek word index. It is not so difficult to find words because chapters are arranged in alphabetical order. But within each chapter, it can be a little inconvenient to find them as they are not arranged in alphabetical order and some words are repeated here and there. It will be more helpful for students if there is an index at the end of the book.BR In conclusion, this book will be useful and helpful for Koine Greek learners.

David L. Mathewson. Voice and Mood: A Linguistic Approach

David L. Mathewson. <i>Voice and Mood: A Linguistic Approach</i>

The Enigmatic Presence of “Evil” in the World and Delivery from It: A Critical Look at Matthew 6:13

In the last two requests in His model prayer in Matthew 6: 9-13, Jesus alluded to leading into “temptation” and delivering from “evil.” The two requests form a composite by the use of the conjunction alla. The construction of the expression ἄpo tou ponērou in Koine Greek poses some translation and theological dilemmas. Does the statement tou ponērou refer to “evil” as a substantive phenomenon or as a personality? Is Jesus requesting deliverance from “temptations,” “tests,” and “trials,” or from the one who originates these conditions? The idiom, tou ponērou, may be interpreted and understood as the sinister conditions in the world. Suggestively, the idiom may also be understood as “the evil one,” or “the devil” due to the use of the preposition ἄpo “away from”, instead of ek “out of” both of which take the genitive case. This article demonstrates, by the use of interpretive methods, that the two requests form one appeal by the employment of the conjunction alla and that the literal translation of the expression alla hrusai hmas apo tou ponērou should be “but deliver us away from the evil one/devil” the theologically alleged source of all “evil.” This petition, which is missing in the Lukan account, hinges on the request before it; hence Luke finds it redundant and omits it. Keywords: Lead, temptation, deliver, evil, evil one.

『새한글성경』의 번역 배경과 주요 특징 — 신약을 중심으로 —

This paper aims to explore and highlight translation backgrounds and characteristics of the New Korean Translation (hereafter NKT) with its New Testament in focus. There are already the New Korean Revised Version which pursues the principle of formal correspondence, the Korean Common Translation which is based on the principle of dynamic equivalence, and the Revised New Korean Standard Version which attempts to optimize merits of these two translations. There seem to be all kinds of translations ranging from more literal to more reader-friendly ones. Then, why do we need another new translation? There are two main reasons for any new translation or revision of existing translations: changes of language and developments of biblical scholarship. These two factors taken into account, periodic update of existing Bible translation is needed to make it possible for people to read the Bible more accurately and easily. In case of the NKT, there was another significant factor in deciding to launch the new translation project, which is the change of media. Korean Bible Society thought that new generation familiar with new media such as smart phones and other electronic devices require a new Bible translation optimized for their unique needs. Thus, Korean Bible Society referred to the BasisBibel which is designed for the same kind of target audience in Germany. BasisBibel is the first Bible translation in the world that considers the change of media to be a significant factor impacting on the Bible readers. As the result, the NKT came to have several characteristics in two dimensions. One dimension is related to coping with the change of language and media: (1) short sentences composed of less than 16 words and (2) linear delivery of information. The goal of these features is to enhance readability and communication. The other is related to an essential principle of translation, which is faithfulness to the original text: (1) use of the most recent critical edition of Greek New Testament (UBS 5SUPth/SUP edition), which shows 33 changes in the Catholic Letters, and (2) meticulous attention to the etymology of the Greek words, word order, tenses (especially historical present), and special usages of Koine Greek. It is now at readers’ hands to evaluate how much the NKT has achieved its goal to satisfy two fundamental goals of all Bible translations: being more readable and more faithful to the original Greek New testament.

Gothic leiþu, “strong drink; fruit wine?” and its Cognates in the Germanic Languages

Gothic <i>leiþu</i>, “strong drink; fruit wine?” and its Cognates in the Germanic Languages

The Encyclopaedic Meaning of Erythros in Koine Greek Toponyms. A Cognitive Approach to the Definition of the Ancient Colour Cardinal Points System

Summary The cartographic and historiographic traditions interpreting the Greek toponym Erythra Thalassa indicate this expression could designate several water basins in classical historiography, though it is usually rendered univocally as the Red Sea. This research applies cognitive semantics to the history of geography to retrieve the encyclopaedic meaning of the term erythros in relation to its dictionary meaning “red”. Computationally generated lists of frequency from about 50 ancient Greek and Latin oeuvres denote a predominant toponymic use of the term and a fixed collocation in conjunction with thalassa “sea”. Additional statistical data extrapolated from the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament reveal the tendency in the biblical tradition to use exclusively the inflected form erythra in fully fixed collocations with the term thalassa. The paper finds out that the specific shade of red denoted by erythors has been used since the seventh century BCE in a number of other toponyms and ethnonyms to convey the conceptual meaning of “southern”. To comparatively verify this hypothesis, several Greek toponyms incorporating the term leukos – “white” or “western” – are discussed in relation to their relative position in the oikumene. Based on comparative chronologies and diatopic attestations of the phenomenon, the hypothesis that the Turkic colour cardinal points system and the linguistic means to convey it was introduced to Greece during the period of contact with the Scythe people is proposed.

MILITARY HEALTH WISHES IN THE GREEK LETTERS OF CAESAR AND OCTAVIAN

AbstractThis article examines and contextualizes a health wish formula found at the opening of eight Roman official letters inscribed in Greek, one of Caesar and seven of Octavian. In each letter the sender mentions that he is well ‘with the army’ (μετὰ τοῦ στρατεύματος), hence the term ‘military’ health wish. The health wish was borrowed from Latin letters into Roman letters written in Greek by means of phraseological imitation. The formulation employs appropriate Koine Greek. It was optional during the Republic for the wish to be used in letters either from or to a Roman holding imperium and commanding an army. Because Caesar and Octavian were in such positions, their use of the wish is conventional. The use of this health wish demonstrates that epistolographers working for Caesar and Octavian not only drafted letters that met the conventions of Hellenistic chanceries but also were proficient enough in the medium to incorporate Roman elements with effectiveness. Attestations of the military health wish declined during the Imperial period. The requirement that the sender or the recipient hold imperium would have restricted usage during the Republic but even more so under the Empire through administrative changes to the command of armies and the increasing centrality of the princeps.

Dana M. Harris. An Introduction to Biblical Greek Grammar: Elementary Syntax and Linguistics.

Dana M. Harris. <i>An Introduction to Biblical Greek Grammar: Elementary Syntax and Linguistics</i>.

Από την ιστορία του ελληνικού φωνηεντισμού: Το «έκτο» φωνήεν

The paper deals with major aspects of the development of the Medieval Greek vowel /y/ ( Koine Greek /y/ , ) towards Modern Greek. The vowel was unrounded by the 11th c., yet there is strong written, as well as direct evidence (recordings) for its (partial) retention in some Modern Greek varieties, and the emergence of high front rounded realizations of /i/ in specific environments in several varieties.

How Can We Investigate Ancient Greek Categories Without the Influence of Our Own? Exploring Kinship Terminology Using Word2Vec

AbstractRecent advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) continue to open up new lines of enquiry for lexicography, especially for research areas concerned with semantic categorisation. The aims of this paper fall into two parts. In the first half, the NLP tool Word2Vec is introduced and discussed with respect to unsupervised category formation for Koine Greek, using kinship terms as a demonstration of the model’s utility. The latter half of the paper employs a prototype theory framework to analyse the model’s distributional information in the construction of new dictionary entries for each kinship term. Such NLP-based research highlights the importance of encyclopaedic information for the construction of lexical entries; it also significantly improves upon earlier attempts at categorisation for Koine Greek (Louw and Nida 1988), which fall victim to using the L1 categories of the lexicographer in the construction of semantic domains for the ancient language.

Житие св. Панкратия: сравнительный анализ фрагментов из рукописей X и XI веков

This work is dedicated to the comparison of textual variants of the life of St. Pancratius of Taormina represented in manuscripts of the 10 th and 11 th centuries. The presumable full corpus of Pancratius story is told in thirteen Greek manuscripts that have been currently uncovered. One of them, the 11 th century AD manuscript, written in Koine Greek, is currently being reposited in State Historical Museum in Moscow under cipher GIM Vlad. 381 (Sin. gr. 15). In this paper the manuscript Sin. gr. 15 is analyzed from codicological and paleographic perspectives; it is also compared to the manuscripts of the first edition. The purpose of the study includes a comparative analysis, namely through reading, studying and translation of excerpts from the lives in Greek language into modern Russian. The comparison between the first edition and the unpublished second edition of the life of St. Pancratius points to significant textual differences, both compositional and linguistic. The composition of the first edition is more extensive, while the second one is shortened and stylistically improved as a result of literary processing, as compared to the first version. Thus, the aforementioned conclusion confirms the hypothesis that the two editions appeared at different historical periods and in different intellectual circles.

Paradigm of passive constructions in the Ukrainian translation of the Bible by Filaret (Mykhailo Denysenko)

This paper investigates how passive constructions are used in Filaret’s translation of the Bible from Standard Russian (Russian Synod’s translation, 2002) into Ukrainian, not from biblical languages, e.g., Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. It specifically argues the nuclear position of the Ukrainian passive constructions paradigm formed by passive constructions with predicative participles in -nyi, -tyi, circumnuclear position of constructions with predicative forms in -no, -to, and peripheral position of constructions with passive verbs in -sia. Ranking of passive constructions with predicative participles over constructions with forms in -no, -to neutralizes syntactical peculiarities of Ukrainian, i.e., a focus on predicativity in finite verb forms and forms in -no, -to. The peripheral status of passive verbs in -sia shows a positive tendency for Filaret’s translation of the Holy Writ to distance from the Russian translation succeeded to passive constructions with predicative participles from Old Church Slavonic. The Ukrainian translation is often marked by active constructions (a mononuclear or two-member sentence) which are the authentical feature of the Ukrainian syntax. Simultaneous synonymous usage of active and passive constructions, particularly in the same environments, however, is largely triggered by a lack of distinction between syntactical peculiarities of Ukrainian and Russian, and, therefore, provides a syntactical variety. In the Ukrainian translation, usage of active constructions and different types of passive forms almost always intersects with the Russian Synod’s version. Keywords: Ukrainian translation of the Bible, paradigm of passive constructions, constructions with predicative forms in -no, -tо, constructions with predicative participles in -nyi, -tyj, sentences with passive verbs in -sia.

Language contact in the Balkan Sprachbund

Abstract This study investigates the meaning-form interface in the Balkan Sprachbund (BS), by researching five different languages: Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Greek. I consider two models that account for recurring properties of the relevant languages in the Sprachbund: convergence and diglossia. If convergence is the cause behind shared features typical of the BS, that predicts that Bulgarian and Romanian would be more transparent than Russian and Italian. Under the diglossic analysis, Koine Greek is assumed to be the source of shared features, which predicts that the BS languages, Romanian, Bulgarian and Greek, would be similar. To compare the two models, I investigate twenty-four opacity features, divided into five categories: Redundancy (one-to-many), Fusion (many-to-one), Discontinuity (one meaning split in two or more forms), Form-based Form (forms with no semantic counterpart: zero-to-one), and a group of typical BS features. The results are consistent with the diglossia model: Romanian, Bulgarian and Greek manifest similar features, which points in the direction of diglossia as the underlying cause of language similarity.

A Linguistic Analysis of πίστις χριστοῦ: The Case for the Third View

This study seeks to demonstrate that the Pauline phrase πίστις Χριστοῦ is best understood grammatically as the ‘Christ-faith’ in accordance with the so-called ‘third view’, where ‘faith’ is taken to mean a system or set of beliefs, and ‘Christ’ qualifies what the system is about. I argue that the grammar disallows the meaning ‘faith in Christ’ where Christ is the object of one’s ‘trust’, since objective genitives can only mean ‘belief of something (to be true)’, as is shown by an analysis of the data in the NT and in Harrisville 1994; 2006. Additionally, the subjective genitive rendering often fails to make sense within the literary context and faces its own grammatical difficulties. Drawing on work from theoretical linguistics in lexical semantics and syntax, I show that the third view meaning, translated as the ‘Christ-faith’, is the most likely rendering given the context of each of the passages, the Greek case system and the meaning of the noun πίστις as used in the NT and other Koine Greek writings.

Underspecification, Parsing Mismatches and Routinisation: The Historical Development of the Clitic Systems of Greek Dialects

In this paper, the historical development of the clitic systems of Standard Modern, Cypriot and Pontic Greek is discussed. These three varieties not only present the whole range of variation one can find across clitic systems in Greek but, furthermore, derive from a common linguistic ancestor, i.e. Koine Greek. This paper argues that the transition from Koine Greek to the Medieval varieties and from the Medieval varieties to the respective modern ones can be explained by making the assumption that routinisation (in the sense of Pickering and Garrod in Behav Brain Sci 27:169–226, 2004) and parsing/hearer assymetries are two important factors behind syntactic change. The claim is that the transition from Koine to the Medieval Greek varieties involves the emergence of a clitic system with encoded syntactic constraints out of a freer one, where clitic positioning was regulated by pragmatic preferences rather than syntactic constraints. Then, the transition to the modern varieties from the respective medieval ones is explained, at least partly, on the assumption that production/parsing mismatches are capable of triggering syntactic change. This last assumption combined with: (a) the tendency to obtain more generalised parsing triggers for parsing the individual clitics and (b) the fact that the Medieval varieties in question differ in minimal but crucial ways, provides us an explanation for the transition to the modern varieties.

Understanding and Interpretation of Revelation 1:8 by Some Asante-Twi Speaking Scholars

Without Bible translation, it would have been very difficult for the Church to perform its preaching and teaching mandate in a new environment, for Scriptures were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. A faithful translation of the Bible allows the Church to help the local indigenes to understand the text and theologise aright in their mother-tongue. However, the Asante-Twi Bible, an example of a translated Bible has some text that have not been translated accurately. One of such is the translation of Revelation 1:8, the study area for this paper. The present translation of the Greek text in the Asante-Twi Bible does not allow God to possess an Ashanti name. This article delves into the study of the text with the lens of Ashanti scholars in the Asante-Twi context and an exegesis of the Greek text to look for the sameness in the Asante-Twi. The paper argues for the translation of Revelation 1:8 as: Mene Ahyεaseε ne Awieeε no, Awurade Nyankopɔn na ɔseε, deε ɔwɔ hɔ, na ɔwɔ hɔ dada na ɔreba, ade nyinaa so Tumfoɔ no (“I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty).

Xenophon de Halbattiker?

Summary This article analyses Xenophon’s lexical choices in Anabasis. It examines ancient and modern critical approaches to his language: Xenophon has often been criticized for lapses from ‘pure’ Attic, but this notion of a ‘pure’ Attic should be regarded as a conservative response to the increasing variety of spoken Attic in the fourth century BC. Xenophon’s lexical choices reflect the influence both of this ‘Great Attic’ (which developed into koine Greek) and of the non-parochial historiographical tradition inaugurated by Thucydides.

Henry Vaughan's Knowledge (and Use) of Greek

In his earliest three books of poetry and prose, Henry Vaughan does not quote any Greek; yet beginning with Flores Solitudinis (1654), he supplies nearly a score of Greek phrases taken from his source text. This interest in Greek is probably the joint product of his enthusiasm for the Jesuit Juan Eusebio Nieremberg and his exposure to texts that incorporated Greek medical terminology. Comparing the original Greek texts and their accompanying Latin translations with Vaughan's English translations in Flores shows that he had a more than rudimentary knowledge of Greek but was seldom independent of the Latin glosses. While there is enough evidence to establish that Vaughan could read Greek—he certainly read the koine Greek of the New Testament—his use of Greek in his translations seems calculated to demonstrate his command of the language. Vaughan uses Greek text in his writing for an effect: it helps establish his ethos as a learned man at a time when he was refashioning himself as a medical practitioner.