THE USE OF THE OPTATIVE IN LUKE-ACTS: GRAMMATICAL CLASSIFICATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSLATION
Abstract
In view of the restricted use of the optative since the time of Homer and especially in the New Testament (68 occurrences in all), the article addresses the question: What is the central, most elementary feature of qualification by which the optative can be characterised? After discussing the various issues related to this question, a short classification of the optative in the New Testament as a whole is offered. It appears that it is impossible to give on definition of the optative that would work in every instance. Each example should therefore, be considered on its own merit and in its own context. As a general rule, however, it can be said that the optative is more concerned with qualitative time (type of action) than quantitative time. The latter can only be determined by the context and in conjunction with another verb. In terms of these guidelines, every example of the optative in Luke-Acts is subsequently analysed in more detail and the implications for the translation of the various sections are pointed out.Downloads
Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this Journal.
This is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Authors may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors’ publishers version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal webpage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: “This is an electronic version of an article published in Scriptura, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX–XXX”, DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (http://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub) may be found.
Authors publishers version, affiliated with the Stellenbosch University will be automatically deposited in the University’s’ Institutional Repository SUNScholar.
Articles as a whole, may not be re-published with another journal.
The following license applies:
