Several Papers on the Philosophy of the Composition of Verbs with Prepositions in Greek As

Illustrated by the Greek of Thucydides. First Paper

Author(s): David H. Holmes
Source: The New York Latin Leaflet, Vol. 2, No. 41 (Feb. 24, 1902), pp. 1-2
Published by: Classical Association of the Atlantic States
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40405037
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Brooklyn, New York, February 24, 1902

TRUSTEES OF THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

ofEducation
Arthur S Somers, Ex-Commissioner
Nicholas Murray Butler, CollegeEntranceExaminationBoard
Frederick D Mollenhauer, MollenhauerSugarRefinery

Several Papers on The Philosophyof the Com

in Greek
positionof Verbswith Prepositions
-as Illustratedby the Greekof Thucydides
First Paper

Every
*of
Every Subscription
goes intothe
Scholarship Fund

No. 41

1) Argumentfromdiprothetics
a) Principles underlying diprotheticcomposition
b) Tendency toward strengthof combination
2) Argumentfromtriprothetics

ofTheorem
() Statement
ofCorollaries
(2) Statement

Definition and Scope of Subject

In
Greek
thesubjectof composition
Tlpooimov
in generalhas
1. Definitionand Scope of Subject
receivedbut littleattention. So far as I know,the
2. Justification
and Aim
has notbeentreated
chapterwhichI have undertaken
at all. And, while the virginityof the soil is not

its least attractivefeatureand does not of necessity

I A Considerationof the Individual Prepositions
() (2) (3) (4) (s) ** (6) insure a rich yield,yet I believe that Greek offers
to the studentof thischapterof
() (8) () (9) () ( ) greaterinducements
() ( 2) (13) (14) (15) the subject than eitherSanskritor Latin. For we
are not beset on the one hand by the obscurityre(6) (;)
II StatisticalTables
in the early
sultingfroma lack of crystallization
Sanskrit, nor on the other by the subtletyre() Explanation
sultingfrommetaphoricalusage in the more recent
(2) Table I General Table of Statistics
Latin. Yet therewill be sufficient
of bothobscurity
(3) Table II Showing Prepositional Ranges
and subtletyremainingto satisfyand justify,if not,
III An Examination of the Statistics
indeed,to mystify,
to see
(1) Introductory
thoughit is not difficult
thatmytask is lightenedby the limitations
(a) Fundamental notion of the verb
givento
(b) Fundamental notion of the preposition
my subject. The questionof compositionin general
presentsmanydifferent
(c) Kinship of motion and place
phases. But whenwe have
confinedour discussionto the compositionof verbs
(2) Internal Modification
with prepositions,we have before us at least a
(3) External Modification
definiteif not an easy task. Yet to stop here is still
(4) Statementof Main Thesis
to include too much, for there still remain three

to be avoided. The firstof theseis the prinperils

Motion
) Physical
ciples governingthe change of meaningcaused by
2) Motion as Existence
composition. Principlesand causes doubtlessthere
3) Motion as Speech
are, but as yet undiscovered. To know and under4) Motion as Thought and Perception
stand all the causes would require,it seems to me,
5) Objections refuted
all the originalsituationswhichled the way to the
(a) (b) (c) (d)
firststep in the change,togetherwiththe situations
6) Evidence fromdiprothetics
7) Evidence fromtriprothetics
givingrise to the second,and so on, mostof which
musthave been fromthe necessityof the case collo8) Suggested Corollaries
(a) Favoritismof Verbs for Prepositions
quial, and hencenot preservedin the recordsaccessible to us. The secondis the muchvexed question,
(b) Extension and Reinforcement
full of unsolved riddles,the principlesunderlying
(c) Exclusion
the case constructions
of compounds. In seekingto
(d) Usurpation
avoid thisperilI cannotreproachmyself,seeingthat
(e) Phraseological Expressions
have uniformly
(f) Loss of Color of Prepositions
treatedit withthesame
grammarians
(g) Relative Consciousness of Prepositions
respect. The constructionsof the cases- whether
Analysis of Treatment

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THE LATIN LEAFLET

due to the verbor to theprepositionor to both,and

(15) Are these principlesever set aside, and if
- are ques- so, bytheactionof whatcounter-influences
to whatextenttheinfluence
of each is felt,
?
tions that have been standingpuzzles ever since
To answertheabove questionsforThucydideswill
GreekPhilologybecamea science. The thirdis the be themodestaim of thesepapers. It is perhapsposinfluenceof the prepositionin compositionon the sible to predictthe answersto some of these quesvoice of the verb. Here again the misthas not yet tions,but it is none the less pleasingto have one's
clearedaway. Even Rutherford
in his New Phryni- predictionsverifiedby actual results. With this aim
chus, afterbewilderingus with a maze of rhetoric, in view,then,I shall presentthe followingmaterial:
leaves us stillill at ease. I have endeavored,there- ist, A considerationof the individualprepositions
foreso to statemysubjectas to enableme to escape withstatistics.2d, Statisticaltablesformonoprothetthese dangers.
and triprothetics.
ics, diprothetics
3d, An examinaI shall confinemyselfto Thucydidesforgood and tion of the statistics.
DHH
reasons. In the firstplace his historyis
sufficient
in scope,kindand material,
sufficiently
comprehensive
IMPORTANT NOTICE
so thatresultsbased on his language,will be forthe
The Fifth Meeting of The Latin Club
most part applicableto the whole of the language.
Send Your Postal Card at Once
Again,he occupiesa place midwaybetweenthe early
The fifthregular meetingof The New York
and late periodsof classicalGreek. The formshave
had time to crystallize,but theirusage has not yet Latin Club is called forSaturday,March29, at 12 m,
become seriouslywarped from its natural course. in the Hotel Albert,cornerof UniyersityPlace and
Thirdly,he is also quite accessibleby reasonof von EleventhStreet,New York. ProfessorHarryThurEssen's Index Thucydideusand the attentionhe has ston Peck, the head of the Latin Departmentof
Columbia University,will address the Club on the
receivedin Liddell and Scott's lexicon.
If any justification
is neededforundertaking
such generalsubjectof SecondaryLatin. All personswho
a task, it is found in the interestand instruction are interested,
whetherteachersof Latin or not,are
whichattachto the answersto the followingques- cordiallyinvitedto be present. The plan is to serve
luncheon (50 cents a plate for members,75 cents
tions:
forguests) at 12 m promptly,
so thatthereshall be
(1) What are the combinableprepositions?
no delay. The addresswill followthe luncheon,and
(2) What are the combinableverbs?
will occurabout2 , thusleavingthe
(3) What verbs combinewith only one preposi- adjournment
stillunbrokenforthosewho attend. Please
afternoon
tion? withonlytwo? withonlythree?etc.
send a postalcard at once to the Secretary,Mr A L
(4) As the range of prepositionsincreases,how
Hodges, 36 East TwelfthStreet,New York, if you
is the rangeof verbsaffected?
intendto be present,so that we may informMr
(5) What class of verbspossessesthe greatestafthe proprietorof the hotel,how many to
Frenkel,
for
and
finity prepositions, why?
Please
attendto this at once. Ladies are
expect.
(6) Has the prepositionlost its color in any cominvited.
especially
pounds?
The above is the only sort of invitationthat is
(7) If so, in what compoundsand how is it issued.
shown?
Out-of-town
teachersmay findit convenientto be
(8) What verbshave thegreatestrangesof prepo- in the
on the day announced.
city
sitions?
Information
as to theconditionsof
in
have the greatestrangesof The Latin Club can be had at this membership
(9) What prepositions
meeting,or by reverbs?
ferringto Nos. 3 and 10 of The Latin Leaflet, or
(10) What compoundsare used more than the by addressingthe Secretary.
simplesand have usurpedas it weretheplaces of the
H F Towle, President
simples?
A L Hodges,Secretary
(11) What prepositionsare the favoritesof the
Four Important Features
different
verbs?
(12) What verbsare the favoritesof the different The New York High School College EntranceScholarship
whichis nowbeingestablished
is to be absolutelydemocratic.
?
prepositions
1 It will be opento all New York high school graduates
What
is
the
of
(13)
range
diprotheticsand tri- alike,boysor girls,
on a
examination.
bothfromthepointof view of thepreposi- 2 It will be open to allcompetitive
prothetics
departments
alike, no department
rankinghigherIn importancethananyother.
tion and of the verb?
3
It
will lead to all schoolsalike, liberal,professional
or
(14) In short,what are the principlesunderlying
*
withinthechoiceofthewinner.
of thecomposition
thelimitations
of verbswithprep- technical,
4 It is beingcontributed
tobyall kindsof friendsof educaositions?
iIon alike,withoutreference
topolitics,race or religion.

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