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Smyth's Greek Grammar


Steve Raine

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I think I made this suggestion once before, back when the forum was an e-list; I enthusiastically second this request. Smyth's grammar (Messing revision of 1956) is far more valuable than the current standard regularly cited in questions of Greek grammar, Wallace; although Smyth's central focus is on Classical Attic Greek, the notes extend backwards to Homeric and forward to Hellenistic Greek. While Wallace seems to multiply subcategories of grammatical constructions, most of Smyth's categories have stood up well and useful; moreover, the translations of Greek texts cited for illustration are remarkably lucid. It would really be useful to have BDF (Blass-Debrunner-Funk) also, and, were it possible, it would be nice too to have A.T. Robertson's big grammar, however dated some of it may be. BDF is more useful, in my opinion, than Wallace, but Smyth would be the prime desideratum among grammars. Ah, if we could have Smyth and the up-to-date unabridged LSJ ("the Great Scott"), the research potential of Accordance for Greek NT students would be extended immeasurably.

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  • 7 years later...

Agreed. Smyth, along with an ancient database such as Perseus, TLG, PHI Greek Inscriptions, Theoi Greek Mythology Project, and Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine (perhaps all?!) would be stellar!

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Agreed, on all counts James. Sad that TLG was withdrawn by them.

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  • 2 years later...

+1 for Smyth primarily but the others would be cool too.

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Report: regrettably, no electronic text of Smyth's larger work exists, though a readable PDF is available on Google books.

 

This is often the case with these older standard works. Converting them to an e-text is a huge amount of work, made more difficult because of the many different languages and fonts in books like these. That's not to say we haven't done it in the past, or that we will not do it in the future, but it is a major project. I imagine there would have to be a large demand and that it would fill a need not currently met by any of our other publications before we'd even consider it.

 

I maintain a personal library of books that are not available in Accordance. Among them, for instance, is Strack and Billerbeck's commentary on the NT. I don't look for it to appear anytime soon in Accordance, either.

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All the more reason to dream about a PDF manager that is integrated into Accordance! :)

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Speaking of... Tim, what are you using for PDF management in the meantime?

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Hi, Abram!

 

I have had Devon Think Pro recommended to me (http://www.devontechnologies.com/products/devonthink/devonthink-pro.html). I even bought it, but really did not use it that much. It does seem like a very worthy product, though.

 

Frankly, I had completed my Ph.D. by the time Accordance was released. I lived such a long way from the university, I had already bought the reference works I needed, so I am pretty much set. I rarely buy a print book or download a PDF now. I am content with Accordance's resources; they cover more than 90% of what I need. My personal library covers half of the rest, leaving only about 10% I need to secure through inter-library loans, personal library visits, etc.

 

If and when Accordance adds some of my old favorites (original ICC, Westminster Old Testament Library series, the previously mentioned Strack and Billerbeck, Goodenough's Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Era, etc.), I'll sell my hard copies and shrink my personal library a bit more. After all, at 58, I'm now looking forward to the day when I can retire into a motor home and tour the country, laptop at my side! ;-)

 

post-29215-0-65613500-1423061185_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

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Yes, I've also heard good things, and have a license, but just haven't had time to play with Devon Think! Will do that now.

 

I am content with Accordance's resources; they cover more than 90% of what I need. My personal library covers half of the rest, leaving only about 10% I need to secure through inter-library loans, personal library visits, etc.

 

So, in other words, you're researching at more than 105%? ;)

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Hah!

 

90% Accordance; 10% personal library; 10% everything else.

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Hello Accordancers!

 

Robertson's big grammar is available in Accordance (at least it was included with a bundle I purchased), but BDF is still top on my wish list. From past discussions on the forum, grammars are notoriously difficult to tag, and apparently there was no e-text of BDF available, making such a project even more difficult.

 

Still we can express our interest and perhaps Accordance will weigh the cost and take up the challenge!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jonathan

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  • 1 year later...

BDF is now available in Accordance (in case anyone missed the announcement at the time of ETS/SBL).

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  • 4 months later...

I noticed that Smyth is now available from another software company that shall remain nameless. Might this increase the chances of coming to our one and truly favorite software?

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  • 6 years later...

I found this one on a list. Reviving this thread to see if the interest is still there.

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