JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Greek Modality Adverb ἴσως in the First Old Church Slavonic Translation of Gregory of Nazianzus' Homily 38.

  • Published In: Scripta & e-Scripta: The Journal of Interdisciplinary Mediaeval Studies, 2024, v. 24. P. 179 1 of 3

  • Database: Central & Eastern European Academic Source 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Bruni, Alessandro Maria 3 of 3

Abstract

The article examines the translation technique of the Greek modality adverb ἴσως (“possibly, perhaps”) in the First Old Church Slavonic (OCS) version of Gregory of Nazianzus’ Homily 38 “On the Theophany,” translated by an anonymous Bulgarian author between the late 9th and early 10th centuries. It highlights a distinctive rendering where ἴσως is translated not by an adverb but by the verb мьнѣти (“to mean,” “to think,” “to assume,” “to consider”) conjugated in the first-person singular present indicative, emphasizing the subjective modality. This translation approach is also found in the OCS translation of Gregory’s Homily 2 and parallels similar usage in Constantine, Bishop of Preslav’s Didactic Gospel, supporting the hypothesis that Constantine may be the anonymous translator. However, variations in Constantine’s other works suggest further comprehensive study is needed to confirm authorship definitively.

Additional Information

  • Source:Scripta & e-Scripta: The Journal of Interdisciplinary Mediaeval Studies. 2024/01, Vol. 24, p179
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:1312-238X
  • Accession Number:181588763
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Scripta & e-Scripta: The Journal of Interdisciplinary Mediaeval Studies is the property of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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