Download App. #04 Dummy subject

Appendix 4: "Dummy"/"empty" Subjects and Greek Negatives
A. "Dummy" Subject
1. A "dummy" subject may be said to be a grammatical subject which has no antecedent
or referent.
2. A "dummy" subject is either embedded in the verb or pronominal + embedded in the
verb.
Example a): English "it rains"; Greek brevcei; English = pronoun + verb ending;
Greek = verb ending.
Example b): English "it is necessary that we do this"; Greek dei' hJma'" poih'sai
tou'to. English has a discrete "dummy" subject, Greek does not.
3. Therefore "dummy" subjects arise typically
a. Re natural or atmospheric phenomena (i.e. Agent and Action cannot really be
separated)
b. With verbs that take a sentential subject
4. English uses DISCRETE "dummy" subjects, but Greek does not.
B. Greek Negatives
1. Prototypically
a. ouj = negation of ASSERTION (i.e. indicatives
b. mhv = negation of PROJECTION (i.e. non-indicatives)
2. Participle and Infinitive modes
a. Classical rule:
1) Partic.: takes ouj except when conditional
2) Infin.: takes mhv except in indirect discourse
b. Later rule:
1) Partic.: always takes mhv
2) Infin.: always takes mhv
3. Pragmatics of ouj and mhv
a. ouj may reinforce mhv, e.g. ouj mh; eijsevlqh/ He will certainly not enter
b. In questions ouj anticipates a positive reply, mhv a negative:
e.g. mh; h[kousan… "Did they hear?" or better "They didn't hear, did they?"
e.g. ouj h[kousan… "Did they hear?" or better "They did hear, did they not?"
c. mhv may qualify/nuance an assertion:
e.g. mh; h[rceto. "He wasn't coming, perhaps."
d. ouj in conditions may appear with the optative, though it is difficult to establish
its semantic impact.