{"id":47,"date":"2016-03-16T19:27:33","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T19:27:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/ancientgreek\/chapter\/11-conjunctions\/"},"modified":"2018-01-19T11:35:12","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T11:35:12","slug":"11-conjunctions","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/ancientgreek\/chapter\/11-conjunctions\/","title":{"rendered":"Conjunctions"},"content":{"raw":"\n[caption id=\"attachment_545\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]\"2008.16.0374\"<\/a> Altar of Zeus Ombrios, ca. 100 A.D. Athenian Agora Excavations.[\/caption]\n
\n

Conjunctions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Conjunctions in Greek work much as they do in English. Greek, however, uses them far more often, and frequently in subtler ways, than formal written English does. This is in part because Greek has a strong tendency to link clauses and sentences together. While consecutive sentences in English are most often separated by a pause (period), many consecutive sentences in Greek are actually marked or offset by coordinating conjunctions, such as \"and,\" \"but,\" and \"therefore\" (S 2163).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AND<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span>: As a conjunction, \u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span> is used to connect words, clauses, and sentences. If used as an adverb, \u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span> means \"even, also.\"<\/p>\n

\u03c4\u03b5<\/span> (enclitic): Like \u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span>, \u03c4\u03b5<\/span> is used to link clauses and sentences. \u03c4\u03b5<\/span>, however, rarely links individual words in Greek prose. \u03c4\u03b5<\/span>\u2026\u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span> in a sentence is a slightly weaker version of \u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span>\u2026\u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span>, \"both\u2026and.\" As a monosyllabic enclitic, \u03c4\u03b5<\/span> rarely has an accent.<\/p>\n

\u03b4\u03ad<\/span>: This particle is used most often to delineate, and slightly contrast, a clause or sentence from the one that precedes it. How to translate this slight contrast depends upon context. Sometimes \"and\" works well, other times \"but.\" At still other times it is difficult to distinguish between the two, and the word is best left untranslated (S 2834).<\/p>\n

\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span>\u2026\u03b4\u03ad<\/span>: When used together, these two particles mark a contrast between one word or clause, marked by \u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span>, and another, marked by \u03b4\u03ad<\/span>. Sometimes the particles can be translated \"on the one hand (\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span>)\u2026on the other hand (\u03b4\u03ad<\/span>)\"; in other contexts, the \u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span> is best left untranslated, and the \u03b4\u03ad<\/span> translated as \"and\" or \"but.\" Often, however, \u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span>\u2026\u03b4\u03ad<\/span> is not translated in English (S 2904).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

POSTPOSITIVE POSITION<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Greek, some conjunctions always follow the word that they link. Such conjunctions are called POSTPOSITIVE. All the \u201cand\u201d words in Greek are postpositive except for \u03ba\u03b1\u03af<\/span>. As a result of the frequency of postpositive conjunctions, it is often the case that the second word \u2013 or third, if it follows a noun with a definite article \u2013 in a clause or sentence is a conjunction. A postpositive conjunction can never be the first word in a sentence.<\/p>\n

Consider the following examples:<\/p>\n

\u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f51\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd.<\/span>
\nWe give money and property.<\/p>\n

\u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c3\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u1f78 \u1f55\u03b4\u03c9\u03c1.<\/span>
\nWe give the seeds and you give the water.<\/p>\n

\u03c4\u1f70 \u03c3\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd, \u1f51\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5.<\/span>
\nWe give the seeds and you give property.<\/p>\n

\u03c4\u1f70 \u03c3\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd, \u1f55\u03b4\u03c9\u03c1 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5.<\/span>
\nWe give the seeds and you give water.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AND\u2026NOT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>\/\u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>: The conjunctions \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b5<\/span> (with indicative) and \u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5<\/span> (with infinitive) mean \"and\u2026not.\" Note that they are simply combinations of \u03bf\u1f50<\/span> and \u03bc\u03ae<\/span> with \u03c4\u03b5<\/span>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BUT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac<\/span>: This conjunction expresses an opposition (\"but,\" \"yet\") to a previous clause or sentence. It represents a stronger contrast than \u03b4\u03ad<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u03b4\u03ad<\/span>: Depending on the context, this postpositive particle can sometimes be translated as \"but.\" See discussion, above.<\/p>\n

\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span>\u2026\u03b4\u03ad<\/span>: Depending on the context, the postpositive \u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span> is left untranslated, and the \u03b4\u03ad<\/span> translated as \"but.\" See discussion, above.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

OR<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u1f24<\/span>: Note the breathing mark and accent, which distinguishes this little word from \u1f21<\/span>, the feminine definite article.
\n\u03b5\u1f34\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>\u2026 \u03b5\u1f34\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>: either\u2026or
\n\u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>\u2026 \u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>: neither\u2026nor (with infinitives)
\n\u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>\u2026 \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>: neither\u2026nor (with indicative verbs)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CAUSE<\/strong> and EFFECT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Greek constantly explains the cause of a statement or action (\"because\") and the consequence of a statement or action (\"therefore\").<\/p>\n

BECAUSE<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u03b3\u03ac\u03c1<\/span> (postpositive)
\n\u1f45\u03c4\u03b9<\/span><\/p>\n

THEREFORE<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u1f04\u03c1\u03b1<\/span>
\n \u03b4\u03b9\u03cc<\/span>
\n \u03bf\u1f56\u03bd<\/span> (postpositive)
\n\u03c4\u03bf\u03af\u03bd\u03c5\u03bd<\/span> (postpositive)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

OTHER IMPORTANT CONJUNCTIONS<\/b>:<\/p>\n

\u03b5\u1f30, \u03b5\u1f34\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1<\/span> if
\n\u1f10\u03c0\u03b5\u03af<\/span> after, since, when
\n\u1f15\u03c9\u03c2<\/span> until, while
\n\u1f35\u03bd\u03b1<\/span> where
\n\u03bc\u03ad\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9<\/span> until
\n\u1f45\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd<\/span> from where
\n\u1f45\u03c4\u03b5<\/span> when
\n\u03c0\u03c1\u03af\u03bd<\/span> (w\/indicative verbs) until; (w\/ infinitive verbs) before
\n\u1f61\u03c2<\/span> as<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ELISION!<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is common for the final vowel of a conjunction to be ELIDED before a word that begins with a vowel. This process is called ELISION. Note, for example, the elisions in the second sentence of each of the following pairs of sentences.<\/p>\n

\u03b5\u1f34\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd, \u03b5\u1f34\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u1f70 \u1f51\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5.<\/span>
\n \u03b5\u1f34\u03c4\u2019 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1, \u03b5\u1f34\u03c4\u2019 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u1f70 \u1f51\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1.<\/span>
\nEither we don\u2019t give the money or you don\u2019t give the property.<\/p>\n

\u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5, \u1f04\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd.<\/span>
\n \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5, \u1f04\u03c1\u2019 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1.<\/span>
\nYou do not give (it) back, so\/therefore we do not give money.<\/p>\n

\u1f45\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5, \u1f51\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd.<\/span>
\n \u1f45\u03c4\u2019 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c7\u03c1\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1, \u1f51\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b4\u03af\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd.<\/span>
\nWhen you give money back, we give property.<\/p>\n

NOTE: \u1f45\u03c4\u03b9<\/span> never elides, so \u1f45\u03c4\u2019<\/span> always = \u1f45\u03c4\u03b5<\/span>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2013 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c4\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u2013<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Key Terms and Concepts<\/h3>\n