(1) From North America, a kind friend sends me Byzantine Rite parish newsletters the blank formats of which appear to be mass produced. The front covers feature ikons; these are nearly always in a uniform and recognisable style; and adjusted to the Gospel Reading.
But for the Twelfth Sunday of Matthew recently, the House Style was varied, as was the accompanying script. 'The Prophet Moses receives the Law apo ton Theon'.
Apo with the accusative case! Does one just write this off as being a symptom of the collapse of the case system in the later 'Byzantine' period?
(2) A new Right Reverend Lady Abbess of S Cecilia's Abbey on the Isle of Wight having been blessed and installed, a pleasing prayer card has been printed with the text:
IN FESTO BEATAE MARIAE VIRGINIS MATER BONI CONSILII BENEDICTIO ABBATIALIS EUSTOCHIUM LEE ABBATISSA QUARTA MONASTERII PAX CORDIS IESU APUD S CECILIAM DE RYDE.
I have indicated in red the words which puzzle me. They appear to be in the nominative case, and I can't for the life of me see why they are. MATER should, surely, be MATRIS; the other four words should also be genitive.
Additionally, the Laudes are expanded for the occasion; "Superni Pietati deservienti" appears with the 'translation' "serving the Divine Goodness".
Does one just write this off as being a symptom of the collapse of the case system in the later 'Bergoglian' period?
According to Liddell and Scott, ἀπό is found with the accusative case in later Greek, beginning in the fourth or fifth century (https://tinyurl.com/5e7mte5h).
ReplyDelete'The Prophet Moses receives the Law apo ton Theon'. Apo with the accusative case! Does one just write this off as being a symptom of the collapse of the case system in the later 'Byzantine' period
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought the offending words must be ἀπὸ τῶν Θεῶν, and I was quite worried that bad grammar had led the priest to inadvertently embrace polytheism!
Google Translate, I bet.
ReplyDeleteYou could test it by entering the translation in English, and then seeing what Latin pops up.
None of the words are in red, btw.
ReplyDeleteI cannot quite see why this article is subtitled "mainly for pendants". Truth and accuracy are for all men. Pedants concern themselves with subjective niceties.
ReplyDelete