FYI: predicate insubordination with ἵνα in documentary post-Classical Greek

Book section : Chapter

This chapter examines insubordinate ἵνα in the disclosure formula (‘I want you to know that’) and the future-open conditional sequence (‘if the weather is nice, I will go for a walk’) in the documentary papyri. The future-open conditional sequence with ἵνα as an apodosis-initial signpost appears in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods and seems to disappear afterwards. The disclosure formula in the form ἵνα μάθῃς / μάθητε / ἰδῇς ὅτι ‘know that’ appears in the early Byzantine period only. While in the former ἵνα seems to act as a discourse marker in the left periphery of the sentence, in the latter ἵνα seems to cliticise to the verb. Unlike the adverbial insubordinate ‘just so you know’ which is attested throughout the history of Greek and cross-linguistically common, insubordinate ἵνα in the future-open conditional sequence and the disclosure formula appear to be context-specific developments that diachronically constitute dead ends.

Authors: Fendel, V

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: De Gruyter Brill
• Host title: Subordination and Insubordination in Post-Classical Greek: From Syntax to Context
• Pages: 11-42
• Chapter number: 2
• Publication date: 2025-08-18
• DOI: 10.1515/9783111180366-006
• EISBN: 9783111180366
• ISBN: 9783111179124
• Language: English
• Subtype: Chapter