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.
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Verbs of Transference and their Derivatives of Motion and State...
functions as a Locative or the abiding locale of rest of the Theme. Thus,
this discussion deems the event of state for these four verbs to be derived
from the event of transference through exclusion of the Agent and Source
of transference. The verbs focus exclusively on the termination of motion
where movement ceases. With this focus, the subject/Theme is totally
affected; the verb is restricted to passive forms; and the Goal functions
as a Locative. The verbs assume the perspective in which the Theme and
Locative are coincident. This perspective permits the verbs to omit direct
consideration of the Locative, which may be retrieved from the Theme,
and to raise only the Theme to the status of a required verbal argument.
Thus, this usage is intransitive. The resulting passive usage of State (#14
on chart) is primary because it permits retrieval of both logical entities
of the event of state. Of the four verbs with this usage, three are best
translated by the English verb “be†plus an adjective that may be derived
from the verb: á¼Ï€Î¹ÏƒÏ…νάγομαι (be gathered, be together); ῥίπτομαι (be
cast down, be worn out, be downcast); and συνάγομαι (be gathered, be
assembled):
[Jesus] was moved with compassion for them because they were troubled and
worn out (Matt 9,36)
á¼ÏƒÏ€Î»Î±Î³Ï‡Î½á½·ÏƒÎ¸Î· πεÏὶ αá½Ï„ῶν ὅτι ἦσαν á¼ÏƒÎºÏ…λμένοι καὶ á¼ÏÏιμμένοι.
The fourth verb, βάλλομαι, specializes its meaning to designate a
particular quality of state, “lie [down]†(< “be placedâ€) and modifies its
syntax to function defectively in the perfect tenses:
Jesus saw [Peter’s] mother-in-law lying [down] and having a fever (Matt
8,14)
ὠἸησοῦς ... εἷδεν τὴν πενθεÏὰν αá½Ï„οῦ βεβλημένην καὶ πυÏέσσουσαν.
Two of the verbs, βάλλομαι and συνάγομαι, may appear with a
Locative adjunct that clarifies that the Theme and Locative are not strictly
coincident. Thus, in contrast to the previous example that portrays
Peter’s mother-in-law as coincident with the locale in which she lies, the
following example portrays the child as not strictly coincident with but
on top of the bed20:
The comparison of the occurrences of βάλλομαι with and without a Locative
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complement clarifies that this complement is not required for the correct grammatical
usage of the verb and so that this complement functions as a verbal adjunct. Thus, these
two occurrences assume a single usage (#14) that raises only the Theme to the status of a
required argument.