Author: Nick Nicholas

Website:
http://www.opoudjis.net
About this author:
Data analyst, Greek linguist

In Ancient Greek, does the middle voice of φιλέω (φιλέομαι) mean “I love in my own interest,” “I love myself,” (reflexive) or “I am loved” (passive)?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-05 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Ancient Greek, Linguistics

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0029:card=976&highlight=filou%3Dmai I’m going to do some backgrounding on this for people not blessed enough to have delved in the waters of Greek. English makes a distinction between active and passive voices of a verb. Homeric Greek made a distinction between active and middle voices of a verb. It distinguished between you actively doing something to […]

Why didn’t the Byzantine Empire have ethnic conflicts like the Ottoman Empire did?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-05 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: History, Mediaeval Greek

Do read this in conjunction with: Stefan Hill’s answer to Why didn’t the Byzantine Empire have ethnic conflicts like the Ottoman Empire did? Ethnicity was not important in the Medieval world. Common people did not have to communicate with the state. They were supposted to work and pay taxes. The best they could hope for […]

What does Archaiomelesidonophrunicherata mean?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-05 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Ancient Greek, Literature

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=SYkS-Vj-g3wC&pg=PA353&lpg=PA353&dq=Archaiomelesidonophrunicherata&source=bl&ots=3zo-hj2vo_&sig=97J1-BT8D-UNebTujARTq3xXhNU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0A_5VLPQFoSf8QXG8IJI&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Archaiomelesidonophrunicherata&f=false My thanks to Konstantinos Konstantinides for doing the back research. The word is real, and it’s not mangled much: it should be –melisi– It’s another coinage by Aristophanes, from Wasps 220: ἀρχαιομελισιδωνοφρυνιχήρατα. Aristophanes, Wasps, line 183 ὡς ἀπὸ μέσων νυκτῶν γε παρακαλοῦσ’ ἀεί,λύχνους ἔχοντες καὶ μινυρίζοντες μέληἀρχαιομελισιδωνοφρυνιχήρατα,οἷς ἐκκαλοῦνται τοῦτον. They arrive here, carrying lanterns […]

What is the word on Wonder woman’s shield?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-05 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Ancient Greek, Linguistics

Wonder Woman’s Shield says that the quote OP gives is on the shield. However, The Badass Quote That’s Engraved On Wonder Woman’s Sword says that it is on her sword: In the “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Tech Manual” (via Digital Spy), it’s revealed that director Zack Snyder wanted inscriptions on the sword and […]

Could toponyms “Trebižat” (in Herzegovina) and “Trebizond” (in Turkey) be related?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Linguistics, Other Languages

Trebizond is derived from the Ancient Greek Trapezous (genitive Trapezountos, hence Modern Greek Trapezounda), meaning ‘table-like’, and referring to the mountain formation in the area. Per People and Culture: Trebižat River, There are two theories on how the river got its name. The first one says that it was named “Trebižat” because it escapes from […]

Can hendiadys ever have singular agreement?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Ancient Greek, Linguistics

Found one! 1 Corinthians 15:50 Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” The verb for cannot is singular in the Greek. See also […]

What’s the most unusual script/alphabet?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Other Languages, Writing Systems

A close companion to What in your opinion is the ugliest/most unappealing script? Cultural familiarity is going to defuse anyone’s opinion; so you won’t get many responses nominating Latin, or anything originating on the same continent as Latin. Is it Lontara alphabet, optimised to be written on palm leaves? Is it Vai syllabary, which aesthetically […]

What are some words or phrases that are only used in your region?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: English, Linguistics

Let us now praise Australian hypocoristics. Or Diminutives in Australian English. I’ve seen hypocoristic used here, because the Australian forms aren’t used like normal diminutives, to indicate that something is cute or small; hence bikie “member of a motorcycle club, with a connotation of involved in criminal activity”. Of course, hypocoristic is just Greek for […]

Does modern Greek still have Latin prefixes and suffixes?

By: | Post date: 2017-05-31 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Linguistics, Modern Greek

Evangelos Lolos’ answer to Does modern Greek still have Latin prefixes and suffixes? gives the prominent Latin affixes of Modern Greek. No, I’m not going to cite them here. You’re going to have to go over there and upvote him yourself. The suffixes Evangelos quotes are vernacular; they aren’t part of the whole apparatus of […]

Does the middle voice of τιμάω (τιμάομαι) in Attic Greek usually have an active (i.e. Epic: “to avenge”) or a mid/passive meaning (“to be honored”)?

By: | Post date: 2017-05-31 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Ancient Greek, Linguistics

Perusing the entry for τιμάω in Liddell–Scott, the negative meaning you mention is not Epic, and first turns up in Plato and Aristophanes; LSJ describes it as an “Attic law term”. The transition is: to honour (since Homer) to award (as an honour) (in Tragedy) to award a penalty to someone, including a fine or […]

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