Paul Danove, «Verbs of Transference and Their Derivatives of Motion and State in the New Testament: a Study of Focus and Perspective.», Vol. 19 (2006) 53-71
This article identifies 102 New Testament verbs that designate
transference and describes alternative usages of these verbs as derivates of
motion and state. The discussion first considers the manner in which verbs
grammaticalize the event of transference by assuming a particular focus
and perspective on its elements and by indicating the degree of affectedness
of the subject. The study then develops the usages of motion and state in
terms of the exclusion of elements of the event of transference and changes
in focus and perspective. A concluding discussion summarizes the results of
the investigation.
58 Paul Danove
appear only in this secondary usage of transference: ἀπελαύνω (drive
away), á¼Î¼á½³Ï‰ (spit out), and μετακινέω ([re]move).
In the second variant, eight verbs with the primary active usage of
Transference to a Goal lexically realize not the expected Goal but a
semantic Locative (the literal or figurative place in which an entity is
situated or an event occurs): ἀναφέÏω (bring up); ἀποστέλλω (send);
βάλλω (throw, put); δίδωμι (give); á¼Î¼Î²á½±Ï€Ï„ω (immerse); á½Î´Î·Î³á½³Ï‰ (guide);
σπείÏω (sow); and τίθημι (place). This variant, which has a Classical
precedent, introduces the Locative to emphasize the rest of the Theme
at the Goal6. Since this variant permits the retrieval of all four logical
entities of the event (the Goal from the Locative and the Source from the
Agent), it constitutes a primary active usage of Transference Terminating
in a Locative (#4 on chart):
The father loves the son and has given all things [into and remaining] in his
hands
á½ Ï€Î±Ï„á½´Ï á¼€Î³Î±Ï€á¾· τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν á¼Î½ τῇ χειÏὶ αá½Ï„οῦ (John 3,35)
Here the hand of Jesus is portrayed as the abiding locale of all things.
One further verb, φυτεύω ([trans]plant), is restricted to this primary
active usage of Transference.
2.2. Middle Ditransitive Usages of Transference
Six previously introduced verbs appear with both middle and active
forms when the Agent is subject. Of these, á¼Î¾Î±Î¹Ïέω has the primary active
usage of Transference from a Source; and ἀποδίδωμι, δανείζω, á¼Ï€Î¹Ï„ίθημι,
παÏατίθημι, and τίθημι have the primary active usage of Transference
to a Goal. The middle occurrences signal the affectedness of the subject
/Agent7. These occurrences constitute “indirect reflexive†middle usages
of transference: “indirect†because the Agent is not co-referential to
another required verbal argument, and “reflexive†because the Agent is
the beneficiary of the event in some sense8. These are primary usages
Discussions of this phenomenon appear in H.W. Smyth, Greek Grammar (G.M.
6
Messing [rev.]; Cambridge 1959) 368, and W.W. Goodwin, Greek Grammar (C.B. Gulick
[rev.]; College Classical Series; New Rochelle, NY 1988) 253.
J. Lyons, Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics (Cambridge 1969) 373, discusses the
7
nature of this affectedness.
Indirect reflexive middles receive investigation in R.J. Allan, The Middle Voice in
8
Ancient Greek: Study in Polysemy (Amsterdam 2003) 112-14; A. Rijksbaron, The Syntax
and Semantics of the Verb in Classical Greek: An Introduction (Amsterdam 32002) 147-50;
and E. Bakker, “Voice, Aspect, and Aktionsart: Middle and Passive in Ancient Greekâ€, in B.
Fox and P.J. Hopper, (eds.), Voice: Form and Function (Amsterdam 1994) 36.
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