Grammatical Voice Tags Missing in GNT28-T Module

[dvdmoore08]

I've run into a problem with the GNT28-T module. I did a search which included the Greek word ειμι (EIMI) in active voice which came up empty. Looking into this, I found that EIMI is undefined as to voice, apparently in all instances. I am hoping this can be corrected. 

 

I also find that the nouns in the same module remain undefined as to proper or common. I would think this could easily be corrected by writing a short program which would tag all uncapitalized nouns as common and all capitalized nouns, except those initiating a sentence, as proper. Nouns initiating a sentence would need to be checked individually.

 

Thank you,

David Moore

[Donald Cobb]

Hi David,

 

Re εἰμί, this isn't a problem with Accordance. It's just the way this particular verb is categorized. Most grammars will tell you something like this: "The verb εἰμί (“I am”) […] expresses a state of being, not transitive (i.e., “she wrote a book”) or intransitive (“he ran”) action. Αs a state of being verb, εἰμί has no voice component"

Gerald L. Stevens, New Testament Greek, Accordance electronic ed. (New York: University Press of America, 1997), 25.

 

Also, do you do realize that when you are looking for specific forms, you don't need to check all the elements in the search box? I.e., if you just put εἰμί in the search box (or, just "first person, singular," etc.), it will be sufficient to find the verb, etc., you are looking for. Leaving "active" or "passive" unchecked will not hinder you from doing your search.

 

As to your second point, I just did a quick search for all proper names in NA28 and came up with 4155 hits. I didn't verify them all (!), but Accordance seems to be working fine for this. There may be something you missed. Perhaps if you tell us how you tried your search, someone can give you some pointers. 

 

Hope all this helps!

 

[dvdmoore08]

Thanks, Donald for addressing my question.

 

I'm new at using Accordance. I've used Gramcord for many years but decided to make the change, because running Gramcord by using Wine (a substitute for Windows) on Linux is getting progressively more difficult. And even under Windows itself, in recent iterations, it encounters problems.

 

I was unable to access Stevens's New Testament Greek. I got a message warning that I'd requested a site that's not secure and was unable to get the browser to go further. Nevertheless, I looked through instances of ειμι (I hope my Greek font comes through readable to others) in Matthew and found the following instances of ειμι in middle voice: Mat. 17:17; 19:30; 20:16, 26, 27; 22:28; 23:11, 30;  24:7, 9; 24:10. These are all middle-voice forms. BDAG mentions Galatians 4:3 which has ειμι in both active and middle voice. Perhaps Stevens mentions these middle forms in his explanation that "ειμι has no voice component." 

 

You are correct that the proper and common nouns are indicated correctly in the GNT28-T module. 

 

 

[Donald Cobb]

1 hour ago, dvdmoore08 said:

Thanks, Donald for addressing my question.

 

I'm new at using Accordance. I've used Gramcord for many years but decided to make the change, because running Gramcord by using Wine (a substitute for Windows) on Linux is getting progressively more difficult. And even under Windows itself, in recent iterations, it encounters problems.

 

I was unable to access Stevens's New Testament Greek. I got a message warning that I'd requested a site that's not secure and was unable to get the browser to go further. Nevertheless, I looked through instances of ειμι (I hope my Greek font comes through readable to others) in Matthew and found the following instances of ειμι in middle voice: Mat. 17:17; 19:30; 20:16, 26, 27; 22:28; 23:11, 30;  24:7, 9; 24:10. These are all middle-voice forms. BDAG mentions Galatians 4:3 which has ειμι in both active and middle voice. Perhaps Stevens mentions these middle forms in his explanation that "ειμι has no voice component." 

 

You are correct that the proper and common nouns are indicated correctly in the GNT28-T module. 

 

 

 

Welcome to the Accordance user forum, then! I see what you mean. Yes, for the future and imperfect of εἰμί, the form is typical of middle forms (e.g., ἐσομαι, ἔσῃ, etc.), as BDAG correctly states. That being said, the verb itself, as a stative, escapes the typical passive/active categorization. Stevens also say this (p. 68, italics in the text):

 

"Εἰμί (“I am”) is frequent in the New Testament. This verb belongs to the second conjugation of Greek verbs (-μι verbs) but is introduced for now disregarding issues of -μι verbs. Notice carefully that the paradigm is not labeled “Present, Active, Indicative.” The verb εἰμί expresses a state of being, not transitive or intransitive action (e.g., “she wrote a book” or “he ran”); thus, εἰμί has no action to relate to a subject, so εἰμί has no voice component."

 

As for Stevens' grammar, you may have it in your Accordance collection. I think it comes pretty much standard. I quoted it just as a typical grammar book. You should be able to find similar statements in other grammar books.

 

[dvdmoore08]

If there is a question here, it seems to be: shall we consider these middle forms as middle voice, or shall we interpret them as unvoiced to fit our understanding of what a stative verb is? According to Moulton, the middle conjugation of ειμι is a characteristic of Koiné from northwest Greek (Prolegomena, pp. 33, 55f.). Moulton also acknowledges both active, and middle voice for ειμι (Accidence and Word Formation, p. 203). Blass-DeBrunner-Funk doesn't apparently address the matter of middle voice in ειμι; nor does Robertson. 

 

If Accordance has definitively decided to leave voice undefined in ειμι because it is a stative verb, then I would hope they would advise those who have included voice in any search with that verb. Otherwise the search comes up empty without explanation.

[Fabian]

A little bit off topic but I found lastly Ego Eimi... Die religionsgeschichtliche Herkunft und theologische Bedeutung der johanneischen Bildreden, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Quellenfrage des vierten Evangeliums (FRLANT 56).pdf.zip

 

It's older and in German.

Ego Eimi... Die religionsgeschichtliche Herkunft und theologische Bedeutung der johanneischen Bildreden, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Quellenfrage des vierten Evangeliums (FRLANT 56).pdf.zip

[dvdmoore08]

Thanks, Fabian, but German is beyond my reach. I can, for the most part, make out what articles in the Romance languages are saying. But thanks again any way.

 

David