Comments on: Where does it come from? http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html A writer neither here nor there Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:37:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: kathryn http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-470 Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:38:22 +0000 http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-470 Thanks, Thomas. Quite interesting! Thanks, Thomas. Quite interesting!

]]> by: Thomas http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-467 Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:12:43 +0000 http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-467 [quote post="188"]What’s the middle for sleep?[/quote] Sleep is always in the middle voice. It's active, but it looks like a passive voice verb. The passive verbs in Greek end in -omai, or -amai. Sleep doesn't have a direct object though. It's intransitive. Another example. <i>Biazo</i> means to rush <b>somebody</b>, among other things. It always has an object. But <i>biazomai</i> means to be in a hurry. No object. It's intransitive. But it isn't passive because no one is doing it to you.

What’s the middle for sleep?

Sleep is always in the middle voice. It’s active, but it looks like a passive voice verb. The passive verbs in Greek end in -omai, or -amai.

Sleep doesn’t have a direct object though. It’s intransitive.

Another example. Biazo means to rush somebody, among other things. It always has an object. But biazomai means to be in a hurry. No object. It’s intransitive. But it isn’t passive because no one is doing it to you.

]]> by: kathryn http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-464 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:34:01 +0000 http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-464 [quote comment="461"]Have you studied Classical Greek? If you haven't, you might be interested to know that in Greek grammar there is a middle voice, between active and passive, which is where Coetzee must have got his terminology. We still use it in modern Greek, sort of. Many intransitive verbs, like <i>sleep</i>, have a passive form, but not a passive meaning. In Classical Greek, the middle voice had added uses which no longer exist, such as the implication that the action was being done for the person's own benefit. If you <i>have</i> studied Classical Greek, then you knew all this already. Anyway...[/quote] Another test.

Have you studied Classical Greek? If you haven’t, you might be interested to know that in Greek grammar there is a middle voice, between active and passive, which is where Coetzee must have got his terminology. We still use it in modern Greek, sort of. Many intransitive verbs, like sleep, have a passive form, but not a passive meaning. In Classical Greek, the middle voice had added uses which no longer exist, such as the implication that the action was being done for the person’s own benefit.

If you have studied Classical Greek, then you knew all this already.

Anyway…

Another test.

]]> by: kathryn http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-463 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:33:09 +0000 http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-463 [quote post="188"]the middle voice in modern Greek[/quote] Just testing the new quote plugin I've installed.

the middle voice in modern Greek

Just testing the new quote plugin I’ve installed.

]]> by: kathryn http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-462 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:17:32 +0000 http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-462 Thanks for this! No, I haven't studied Classical Greek, so didn't know, though I'd checked Wikipedia and discovered that there's a Greek middle voice as well as an Icelandic and Sanskrit, if I remember correctly. I haven't studied modern Greek either. What's the middle for sleep? Better look up my Νεοελληνική Γραμματική, which I've neglected. Or would this be in the Συντακτικό; Hmm. Meanwhile, found some online references to the middle voice in modern Greek. Thanks for this! No, I haven’t studied Classical Greek, so didn’t know, though I’d checked Wikipedia and discovered that there’s a Greek middle voice as well as an Icelandic and Sanskrit, if I remember correctly. I haven’t studied modern Greek either. What’s the middle for sleep? Better look up my Νεοελληνική Γραμματική, which I’ve neglected. Or would this be in the Συντακτικό; Hmm. Meanwhile, found some online references to the middle voice in modern Greek.

]]> by: Thomas http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-461 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 13:46:59 +0000 http://www.kathrynkoromilas.com/where-does-it-come-from.html#comment-461 Have you studied Classical Greek? If you haven't, you might be interested to know that in Greek grammar there is a middle voice, between active and passive, which is where Coetzee must have got his terminology. We still use it in modern Greek, sort of. Many intransitive verbs, like <i>sleep</i>, have a passive form, but not a passive meaning. In Classical Greek, the middle voice had added uses which no longer exist, such as the implication that the action was being done for the person's own benefit. If you <i>have</i> studied Classical Greek, then you knew all this already. Anyway... Have you studied Classical Greek? If you haven’t, you might be interested to know that in Greek grammar there is a middle voice, between active and passive, which is where Coetzee must have got his terminology. We still use it in modern Greek, sort of. Many intransitive verbs, like sleep, have a passive form, but not a passive meaning. In Classical Greek, the middle voice had added uses which no longer exist, such as the implication that the action was being done for the person’s own benefit.

If you have studied Classical Greek, then you knew all this already.

Anyway…

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