PaGHEMMo | Particles in Greek and Hittite as Expression of Mood and Modality

Summary
This proposal investigates the original meaning and uses of the particles án and ken in the earliest Greek texts (epic and lyric poetry and inscriptions, VIII-VI BC, there are no examples in Mycenaean, XIII BC) and their interaction with mood and modality, the use of the particles man, san and kan in the Old-Hittite texts (1650-1450 BC) and the comparison between the particles in Greek and Hittite, and to what extent the subordination plays a role in the use of the Greek particles. The use of the modal particle án with the different moods is strictly regulated in Classical Greek (V-IV BC), but epic and lyric Greek, and other dialects án, use ken or ka, and the rules seem less rigid. So far no study addressed the use of these particles in the oldest Greek texts. I gather the data, determine if they are secured by the metre, tag and catalogue them per tense, mood, type of sentence (negative, affirmative, main clause, subordinate and type of subordinate clause) and type of text (narrative, speech) and analyse the use(s). While Greek has a rich system of moods and particles, Hittite has only two moods and conveys the non-realis meaning through the particle man, but also san and kan can specify the verb. Kan is said to be related to ken and becomes the default particle in later texts replacing san, but in Old-Hittite texts san is more common. The original meaning of san and kan is debated. I gather the instances of kan and san, catalogue them per text and sentence type, and investigate the meaning. Then I compare the use of these particles with verbs to Greek ken. Finally, I investigate the link between the Greek particles and subordination. The particles are attested more in subordinate than in main clauses and in some subordinate clauses they are used more often than in others. There are two questions: were the particles used as subordination markers or can the paratactic origin of the subordinate constructions explain their use.
Unfold all
/
Fold all
More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101018097
Start date: 01-05-2021
End date: 30-04-2023
Total budget - Public funding: 171 473,28 Euro - 171 473,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

This proposal investigates the original meaning and uses of the particles án and ken in the earliest Greek texts (epic and lyric poetry and inscriptions, VIII-VI BC, there are no examples in Mycenaean, XIII BC) and their interaction with mood and modality, the use of the particles man, san and kan in the Old-Hittite texts (1650-1450 BC) and the comparison between the particles in Greek and Hittite, and to what extent the subordination plays a role in the use of the Greek particles. The use of the modal particle án with the different moods is strictly regulated in Classical Greek (V-IV BC), but epic and lyric Greek, and other dialects án, use ken or ka, and the rules seem less rigid. So far no study addressed the use of these particles in the oldest Greek texts. I gather the data, determine if they are secured by the metre, tag and catalogue them per tense, mood, type of sentence (negative, affirmative, main clause, subordinate and type of subordinate clause) and type of text (narrative, speech) and analyse the use(s). While Greek has a rich system of moods and particles, Hittite has only two moods and conveys the non-realis meaning through the particle man, but also san and kan can specify the verb. Kan is said to be related to ken and becomes the default particle in later texts replacing san, but in Old-Hittite texts san is more common. The original meaning of san and kan is debated. I gather the instances of kan and san, catalogue them per text and sentence type, and investigate the meaning. Then I compare the use of these particles with verbs to Greek ken. Finally, I investigate the link between the Greek particles and subordination. The particles are attested more in subordinate than in main clauses and in some subordinate clauses they are used more often than in others. There are two questions: were the particles used as subordination markers or can the paratactic origin of the subordinate constructions explain their use.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2020

Update Date

28-04-2024
Images
No images available.
Geographical location(s)
Structured mapping
Unfold all
/
Fold all
Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
MSCA-IF-2020 Individual Fellowships