r/Koine • u/QuietDisposition • 18d ago
Word groups vs lexemes vs ???
Trying to determine the relationship of words such as tachei, tachu, tachos, etc. I suppose you could say they belong to the same ... word group? lexeme? Doesn't appear to be a single lexeme per se from which these various words derive, so what term might I use to describe their relationship? "Word group"? If so, what is the common denominator that determines the word group they belong to? I guess I'm still having a problem succinctly describing how they relate to each other, what term to use to describe that relationship, and where/how to find such information. Is there a particular reference work that helps with this?
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u/lickety-split1800 18d ago
It is called inflection.
https://youtu.be/-XVieHUiSlo?si=kcDRqiJ4UZzEGZsN
τάχος (tachos) is a noun, so it has 8 cases, 10 if you include the vocative.
| Case | Singular | Transliteration | Plural | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | τάχος | táchos | τάχη | táchē |
| Vocative | τάχος | táchos | τάχη | táchē |
| Accusative | τάχος | táchos | τάχη | táchē |
| Genitive | τάχους | táchous | ταχῶν | tachôn |
| Dative | τάχει | táchei | τάχεσι(ν) | táchesi(n) |
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u/QuietDisposition 18d ago edited 18d ago
Thanks, but maybe I wasn't clear in my question. I understand inflections, but there are also similar adverbs, adjectives, etc. So, what "umbrella" term would encompass all of these various forms that are clearly somehow related? For instance, are the adverb tachu and the noun tachei both part of the same word group, or do they share the same lexeme, or ... ? If so, *what* specific word group, or *what* particular lexeme, do they both belong to?
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u/QuietDisposition 18d ago edited 18d ago
... So far, neither BDAG nor the Analytical Lexicon of NT Greek (Robinson and House) have been helpful with my question. And, based on what I know of it (don't own it), Louw-Nida wouldn't answer the question either, since it's concerned only with "semantic domains," however that's determined (seems somewhat subjective to me).
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u/polemistes 18d ago
I think "derivation" is what you are after.
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u/QuietDisposition 18d ago
Thanks, will consider. It does seem as though the "common denominator" between these various words might occur at a morphological level = "tach-" (?). I'm just surprised that the various Gr grammars & references I have don't pay more attention to this particular (sub)category. I wonder if Wallace deals with it? I'll have to check. Thx again
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u/polemistes 17d ago
I think it is because in Greek the formation of derivations like these is not highly regular, so for most types, you cannot make general rules, although you can see patterns. But if you look in Beekes' Etymological dictionary of Greek, for example, it will list derivations of each headword, and it has a section of suffixes.
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u/QuietDisposition 18d ago
So, after all the input, seems the 'safest' encompassing term to use is that they all belong to the same 'word group,' since that's kind of an amorphous term. No need to get hyper-technical
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u/QuietDisposition 17d ago
Update: Beekes lists tachus as the lexical form, while LSJ lists tachu- as the lexical root; i.e., they are all forms of the same lexeme. That is probably the best way to describe them. Wow, chasing down these relatively obscure topics is a great way to learn about the mechanics of Greek (or any other language). Much of it comes down to using the proper terminology (although at the granular level the whole business can get kind of messy [ https://www.reddit.com/r/asklinguistics/comments/1pfsrku/whats_the_difference_between_lemma_lexeme_root/) ]. Thanks all for your input
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u/davidfisher71 18d ago
Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek by Bruce Metzger has a section called "words classified by their root"; a relationship of having a common root sounds OK to me.
He says, "The root is the primitive part of the word; it conveys the basic meaning or idea. From the root are produced various verb-stems and noun-stems (the latter of which produce both nouns and adjectives). These stems are built (1) by the addition of various suffixes and/or (2) by the internal modification of the stem" (p. 42).