Re: greek word order

At 7:09 pm -0700 23/9/01, Heather Rice wrote:
>I have been curious about something for a very long
>time.  What is the word order for ancient greek?
>
>Subject-verb-object?
>
>Verb-subject-object?
Not the latter - that is characteristic of the modern Celtic langs (except
Breton) and the Semitic langs, inter alia.

The trouble with ancient Greek is that there was no standard and the
dialects were still strong until the advent of the Hellenistic Koine after
the conquests of Alexander.

One could, in fact, write a whole book on ancient Greek word order if one
had the time to do the research & write it up (I have time for neither,
alas); indeed, I suspect such tomes exist.  The trouble was that with its
rich battery of inflexions it could be relatively free and easier with its
word order.

There is, perhaps, a tendency toward subject-object-verb; but exceptions
are common.   Topic will be fronted (as in modern German) and an element
will be shifted to the end for focus.

Ray.


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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                     [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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