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Co-subordination in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Greek

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Co-subordination is a clause-linking device which shares characteristics of coordination as well as subordination. It resembles coordination in that it lacks embedding, but at the same time it resembles subordination in that “the linked unit is dependent on the matrix (or ‘licensing’) unit in some way” (Van Valin 2021: 243). Co-subordination figures prominently in Role-and-Reference Grammar as a third syntactic clause-linking device in addition to the two traditional ones (cf. Van Valin 2021 for a review). Although the term is relatively new, the concept is not. Wackernagel mentions a few examples of “Beiordnung statt Unterordnung” in AncGr (1926: 61): τόδε μοι χάρισαι καὶ λέγε (Plat. Rp. 351c), πειρασόμεθα καὶ ἐροῦμεν (Plat. Phil. 13c). Under the heading “Koordination statt Subordination”, Blass-Debrunner-Rehkopf list a number of ‘co-subordinate’ uses of καί in NTGr: (a) “bei Zeitbestimmungen”, (b) “statt Relativum”, and (c) “statt ergänzendes Ptz., ὅτι oder AcI” (1990: 368), e.g. καὶ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ ἔλεγον (Mark. 6.14), καὶ εἶδον καὶ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο (Rev. 6.12). The “anfügende Satzfügung” ist considered to be a characteristic “der schlichten Sprache” (1990: 388). Semitic interference is often adduced as an additional factor (e.g. Turner 1963: 334-5). In similar vein, Muraoka compares different constructions with the same matrix verb in Septuagint Greek under the heading “parataxis vs. hypotaxis”, e.g. σπεῦσον καὶ φύρασον (Gen. 18.6) vs. σπεύσασα ποιήσω (Judg. 12.14). While observing that ‘the paratactic construction of Hebrew or Aramaic is not infrequently transformed into various hypotactic ones’ (2016: 698), he also notes that ‘parataxis in Greek is often considered typical of the vernacular” (2016: 6993). In LMedGr and EModGr, the use of co-subordination as an alternative to subordination increases spectacularly, particularly with verbs of saying (Horrocks 2019: 1886), e.g. δέν λέγω καὶ κλινίσκει σας ἡ πεῖνα (Pist. kekoim. 11-2), control verbs (2019: 1890-3), e.g. τὸν εἶδε καὶ ἐπέρνα (Venetzas, Varl. & Ioas. 39.34-5), ἄρχισε καὶ ἔβγανε φωνές (Papa-Lavr., Diigisis 106.26) and as an alternative to final (2019: 1897-8), consecutive (2019: 1900-1) and causal clauses (2019: 1919-20), e.g. ἀπὸ πτωχὸν μὴ δανεισθῇς καὶ κλαίει καὶ ἀκολουθᾷ σε (Paroim. H 44). LMedGr and EModGr thus offer us a precious perspective on the dependence of cosubordinate clauses to matrix clauses in terms of their syntactic and semantic relationship (cf. Van Valin 2021: 242). With reference to ModGr, Mackridge notes that “it cannot be overemphasized how common such uses of καί are” (1985: 242), e.g. αρχίζω και πεινάω vs. αρχίζω να πεινάω, τί έπαθες και δε μιλάς; vs. τί έπαθες που δε μιλάς; τον άκουσα και φώναζε / φώναζε vs. τον άκουσα να φωνάζει / φωνάξει vs. τον άκουσα που φώναζε / φώναξε. Being a living language, ModGr offers us an even more precious perspective on the dependence of co-subordinate clauses to matrix clauses in terms of their syntactic and semantic relationship, particularly for the expression of tense and aspect. As in many other respects, ModGr thus provides us with a ‘Back to the Future’ perspective on the development of co-subordination in the history of the Greek language. References Blass, F., A. Debrunner & F. Rehkopf. 1990. Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Griechisch.17. Aufl. Göttingen. Horrocks, G.C. 2019. The Cambridge Grammar of Medieval and Early Modern Greek. Vol. IV: Syntax. Cambridge. Mackridge, P. 1985. The Modern Greek Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Muraoka, T. 2016. A Syntax of Septuagint Greek. Leuven: Peeters Turner, N. 1963. A Grammar of New Testament Greek. Vol. III: Syntax. Edinburgh. Van Valin, R.D., Jr. 2021. “Cosubordination”, in R.D. Van Valin, Jr. (ed.), Challenges at the Syntax-Semantics-Pragmatics Interface, 241-254. Cambridge. Wackernagel, J. 1926. Vorlesungen über Syntax. 1. Reihe, 2. Aufl. Basel.
Boek: Subordination and Insubordination in Post-Classical Greek : Syntax, Context and Complexity
Pagina's: 12 - 14
Jaar van publicatie:2022
Toegankelijkheid:Open