periphrastic pluperfect

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bingley
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periphrastic pluperfect

Post by bingley »

I'm working my way a little at a time through Lysias' [size=150] (υπὲρ τοῦ )ερατοσθένους φόνου ἀπολογία, which is a reader from a series "A Greek Prose Reading Course for Post-Beginners". <br /><br />In sections 9-10 we have this:<br />[size=150] ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ παιδίον ἐγένετο ἡμῖν, ἡ μήτηρ αὐτὸ ἐθήλαζεν· ἵνα δὲ μή, ὁπότε λοῦσθαι δέοι, κινδυνεύῃ κατὰ τῆς κλίμακος καταβαίνουσα, ἐγὼ μὲν ἄνω διῃτώμην, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες κάτω. καὶ οὕτως ἤδη συνειθισμένον ἦν, ὥστε πολλάκις ἡ γυνὴ ἀπῄει κάτω καθευδήσουσα ὡς τὸ παιδίον, ἵνα τὸν τιτθὸν αὐτῷ διδῷ καὶ μὴ βοᾷ.<br /><br />My query is on [size=150]συνειθισμένον ἦν, which the notes describe as a periphrastic pluperfect. Could anyone point me to more information on the use of the periphrastic pluperfect as I've not come across this before?

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klewlis
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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by klewlis »

a couple of hints from Wallace ("Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics", focused on NT)<br /><br />pluperfect periphrastic = eimi in the indicative + a perfect participle<br /><br />"the periphrastic constructions often resemble an imperfect more than an aorist in translation."<br /><br />it gives a couple of NT examples too, that I can post if you're interested.
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bingley
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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by bingley »

Yes, please. If no-one objects to Koine in a classic thread. ;D

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Jeff Tirey
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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by Jeff Tirey »

Hi Bingley:<br /><br />Goodwin's Greek Grammar has a little bit to say about this. Here's a link to the index to find everything in the grammar about periphrastic forms:<br /><br />http://montgomery.cas.muohio.edu/textki ... f#page=483<br /><br />And of course Smyth has a lot to say about this topic. His grammar is coming....<br /><br />I didn't see the periphrastic pluperfect covered in Goodwin but it is covered in Smyth.<br /><br />jeff
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bingley
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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by bingley »

Goodwin section 448 mentions that where the third person plural ending for the pluperfect indicative middle/passive -[size=150]ντο results in something impossible to pronounce, a periphrastic participle + [size=150]ἦσαν is used.<br /><br />However, section 490.3 has [size=150]ἐθίζω as an example and gives the normal 3rd person singular pluperfect indicative middle/passive form [size=150]εἰθιστο, rather than the [size=150]συνειθισμένον ἦν in this passage.<br /><br />So thanks for trying, but I'm not much further forward. :-\

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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by Skylax »

[size=150]συνειθισμένον could be considered a nominalized participle, meaning "an usual thing", an habit. It would be the same as [size=150]εἰκός "a likely (or "normal") thing" in the phrase [size=150]εἰκός ἐστιν

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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by Paul »

Hi,<br /><br />[size=150]συνειθισμένον would appear to be a perfect participle passive of <br />[size=150]συνεθίζω here meaning something like "having been made accustomed".<br /><br />Smyth 599 has a brief discussion of periphrastic forms.<br />599d states that "..the perfect or pluperfect passive is often paraphrased by the perfect participle and [size=150]ἐστί or [size=150]ἦν.."<br /><br />Cordially,<br /><br />Paul

bingley
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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by bingley »

Does he give any clues as to whether it's a stylistic thing, totally random, or imparts some particular nuance?

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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by Paul »

Hi,<br /><br />For pluperfect indicative active, Smyth does say that the periphrastic forms denote a state rather than an action.<br /><br />But he's mum about the pluperfect passive.<br /><br />Cordially,<br /><br />Paul

bingley
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Re:periphrastic pluperfect

Post by bingley »

Right, thanks for that everyone.

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