Antigone 42

[huilen]

ποῦ γνώμης ποτ᾽ εἶ;

According to the translation, the meaning would be something like “what do you have in mind?”, but I couldn’t give grammatical sense to the sentence. The notes just say that γνώμης is a partitive genitive, but it didn’t help

[Qimmik]

This is a very idiomatic usage. Take a look at LSJ ποῦ:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dpou%3D1

ποῦ, “where?” sometimes takes a “partitive” genitive: “where of [i.e., in what part of?] a specified locality?”. LSJ gives these examples:

c. gen. loci, π. χθονός; where in the world? A.Pers.231; “π. γῆς;” S.Aj.984, OT108, etc.; “π. τῆς χώρας;” X.Eq.Mag.7.14; τὴν σοφίαν . . π. χοροῦ τάξομεν; in what part of the chorus? Pl.Euthd.279c.

c. gen. loci means “with the genitive of place.”

This usage is extended to more abstract words:

2. so in a sense not strictly local, > “π. ποτ᾽ εἶ φρενῶν;” S.El.390; “> π. γνώμης ποτ᾽ εἶ;> ” Id.Ant.42; “π. ποτ᾽ εἰμὶ πράγματος;” Id.Tr.375; π. σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; at what point of fortune stands he? Id.Aj.102.

The quotes here are all from tragedy–the tragic poets often stretch and extend normal Greek syntax.

So ποῦ γνώμης ποτ᾽ εἶ; is something like “in what part of opinion/thought are you?” “where in opinion/thought are you?” i.e., “what’s your opinion/thought?” or, loosely, as the translation reads, “what’s do you have in mind?”

ποτ᾽ maybe adds a note of bewilderment: “where in the world . . . ?”

Hope this helps.

[huilen]

Thank you very much, your explanation is very helpful

[C_S_Bartholomew]

@Qimmik

2. so in a sense not strictly local, > “π. ποτ᾽ εἶ φρενῶν;” S.El.390; “> π. γνώμης ποτ᾽ εἶ;> ” Id.Ant.42; “π. ποτ᾽ εἰμὶ πράγματος;” Id.Tr.375; π. σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; at what point of fortune stands he? Id.Aj.102.

The quotes here are all from tragedy–the tragic poets often stretch and extend normal Greek syntax.

So ποῦ γνώμης ποτ᾽ εἶ; is something like “in what part of opinion/thought are you?” “where in opinion/thought are you?” i.e., “what’s your opinion/thought?” or, loosely, as the translation reads, “what’s do you have in mind?”

ποτ᾽ maybe adds a note of bewilderment: “where in the world . . . ?”

Suggests a “conceptual metaphor” where thought processes and intentions are formulated as traveling to a place.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_metaphor George Lakoff and Mark Johnson Metaphors We Live By (1980)