Ancora sulle sorti dell’infinito soggetto. Un’indagine sul greco (e sul latino) del Nuovo Testamento

Abstract

The present paper aims at investigating the syntax of subject infinitive in New Testament Greek, according to a corpus-based analysis and in comparison with Homeric and post-Homeric language. The data from the New Testament text show substantial continuity with the post-Homeric syntax, with respect to the previous Homeric stage: that is, a slight expansion of the contexts allowing an infinitive as subject. While in Homeric Greek infinitives are only confined to intransitive clauses, in the post-Homeric and in the New Testament language they may appear as transitive subjects, but with a very low frequency.  We also analyze those occurrences showing the infinitive inflected with the genitive case (τοῦ + infinitive), provided with the value of intransitive subject, as an instance of non-canonically marked argument.