Syntactical mechanics : a new approach to English, Latin, and Greek / Bruce A. McMenomy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McMenomy, Bruce Alan, 1954- author.

Series:

Oklahoma series in classical culture ; v. 51.

Oklahoma series in classical culture ; volume 51

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Latin language--Syntax.

Latin language.

Greek language--Syntax.

Greek language.

English language--Syntax.

English language.

Physical Description:

xvi, 210 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.

Summary:

Syntax Bruce McMenomy would like the beleaguered student to know, is not a collection of inconsistent and arbitrary rules, but rather an organic expression of meaning that evolved overtime. Aimed at intermediate and advanced students of classical languages, this book shows how understanding grammatical concepts as channels for meaning makes learning them that much easier and, in a word, natural. Syntactical Mechanics systematically defines the basic categories of traditional grammar (parts of speech, subjects and predicates, and types of sentences and subordinate clauses), and then unpacks the most important syntactical structures and markings that shape meaning in a sentence. These grammatical entities evolved, McMenomy asserts, from their common Indo-European ancestors as tools for the expression of meaning, and the continuity of an idea can often be traced through these structures. Accordingly, he examines the elements of English, Latin, and Greek syntax together, exploring how their similarities and differences can disclose something of their underlying rationale. With abundant examples from English as well as Latin and Greek, McMenomy considers the grammatical cases of the noun, and the tenses, moods, and aspects of a verb. In an engaging and accessible manner, McMenomy helps to rationalize the apparent inconsistencies between Latin and Greek and makes the mastery of Latin and Greek constructions that much more meaningful, reasonable, and likely. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The Eight Parts of Speech-All Eleven of Them 3

Names 4

Doing and being 13

How, when, where, and why 14

Language glue 17

Herbs and spices 17

Chapter 2 The Parts of a Sentence 19

The two main parts 19

Predication 20

Two kinds of predication 21

Two kinds of being 22

Two kinds of clause 24

Three kinds of independent clause 26

Three kinds of sentence 26

Three kinds of subordinate clause 29

Phrases that aren't clauses 31

Chapter 3 Adverbial Clauses-Every Which Way 32

An overview of adverbial clauses 32

Cause and effect 33

Why? 33

To what purpose? 34

So what? 35

When and if: Time and contingency 36

Doing or keeping time 38

If and then 40

Even if 48

Where? 48

How and bow much? 49

How...! 52

Chapter 4 Adjectival Clauses-Relatively Speaking 54

The normal relative clause 54

Restrictive versus nonrestrictive relatives 57

Relative clauses that act like conditions 60

Connecting relatives 61

Chapter 5 Noun Clauses-Form and Substance 63

The slippery boundaries of substantive clauses 63

Indirect discourse of all sorts 65

Indirect discourse in English 66

Indirect statement in English 66

Indirect question in English 68

Indirect command in English 69

Indirect discourse in Latin 69

Indirect statement in Latin 70

Indirect question in Latin 73

Indirect command in Latin 74

Indirect discourse in Greek 75

Indirect statement in Greek 75

Indirect question in Greek 80

Indirect command in Greek 81

Concluding thoughts about indirect discourse 81

Chapter 6 Interlude - Some Historical Linguistics 84

Chapter 7 Verbs - The Engine Itself 89

What a verb is marked for 89

Person 90

Number 90

Tense and aspect 91

The imperfect system 94

The perfect system 95

The aorist tense and system 97

The aorist and the perfect in Latin 98

Aspect in the Greek verb 101

Mood 103

Indicative 103

Subjunctive 104

Optative 106

Imperative 107

Infinitive: Not quite a mood 109

Gerund: The other side of the infinitive 111

Gerunds and infinitives in English, Latin, and Greek 111

Participle: Also not quite a mood 113

Voice 113

Active 113

Passive 114

Middle 117

Phantoms: Deponents and semi-deponents 118

Chapter 8 Nouns - Substantives and Adjectives 119

What names are marked for 119

Gender 119

Number 120

Case 122

English cases 123

Cases in Greek, Latin, and PIE 124

Nominative 126

Genitive 126

Ablative 126

Instrumental and associative 127

Dative 128

Accusative 129

Locative 130

Vocative 130

The individual constructions 130

Place, space, and time 131

Place 132

Personal source 134

Space 134

Time 134

Comparison 136

Instrumentality 137

Manner 137

Objects of verbs, direct and indirect 138

Objects of prepositions 139

Latin prepositions 139

Greek prepositions 141

Possession: Belonging and owning 142

The partitive 144

Material, measure, and quality 144

Relation 146

Respect 147

Cause 148

Adverbial accusative 149

Cognate accusative 150

Agency with passive verbs 150

The absolute: A tentative interpretation 151

Chapter 9 Verbal Nouns and Adjectives 154

Nouns 154

Infinitives 155

Gerunds 157

The mighty participle 158

Not quite participles 160

Dangling participles and why they're (sometimes) funny 162

Latin: The limited participle 163

Greek: The unlimited participle 165

Attributive participles 166

Circumstantial participles 166

Supplementary participles 167

Participles in indirect discourse 168

Chapter 10 Pronouns 169

A summary of the types of pronouns 169

Personal pronouns 170

Demonstrative pronouns 171

Weak demonstratives 171

Another use for the definite article 173

Strong demonstratives 174

"Persons" of the strong demonstratives 175

Here and there in time 177

Possessive pronouns 178

Reflexive personal pronouns 181

Reflexive possessive adjectives 182

Reciprocal pronouns 183

Intensive pronouns 184

Interrogative pronouns and adjectives 185

Indefinite pronouns 187

Relative pronouns 188

Correlative pronouns 188

Chapter 11 Other Little Words 189

Articles 189

Particles 191

Prepositions 192

Conjunctions 193

Interjections 194

Chapter 12 Concluding Remarks 195

Annotated Bibliography 199

English grammar 199

Latin grammar 200

Greek grammar 202

Indo-European and comparative studies 203.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-203) index.

ISBN:

9780806144948

0806144947

OCLC:

869066242