Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Those who follow the research of the last century concerning verbal aspect, will realize
the importance of this topic for the understanding of the input of the author / speaker in
the written or spoken word, because verbal aspect gives the specific view of the author /
speaker on an action. However, the input of the author is not unqualified, but takes place
within certain grammatical and contextual parameters. Within these parameters the
author has the freedom to give actions which occur within the written or spoken word, a
specific colour.
As a result of short definitions of the aspect of the different Greek tenses, I was able to
identify six different aspectual uses for both the aorist and the imperfect which agreed
with the chosen definitions. The Acts of the Apostles was used to test the tenability of the
definitions and the aspectual uses. Only with extensive analysis can the theory be
confirmed. Apart from the fact that Acts is an extensive book, it has the additional
advantage that the writer regularly alternates between different genres (narrative and speech). In this way the analysis of the theory can be concentrated further by
investigating whether aspectual changes occur between the different genres.
Analysis of the proposed theory demonstrated firstly that the author does not use the
Greek tenses haphazardly, but that he consciously makes use of the aorist and imperfect
indicative. The aorist is used especially to represent events or acts in totality and as
completed; the imperfect is used to represent events or acts in progress and as processes.
The analysis also confirmed that the author applies the aorist and the imperfect in
different ways. The identified aspectual uses of both these tenses could be recognized
throughout the whole book. Although the author probably did not work with definitions
and aspectual uses, he was clearly aware of verbal aspect and the different ways in which
an action can be portrayed. The analysis finally demonstrated that a change in genre
(from narrative to speech or the other way round) often also effects a change in verbal
aspect. In this way the author portrays his specific view on actions within their context.
The most frequent aspectual use of the aorist, is the aorist used to portray acts as
completed actions in their totality (in both narratives and speeches) and the aorist to
portray the key moments of the story (largely in narratives). The most frequent aspectual
use of the imperfect, is the imperfect to show actions in progress (often in narratives) and
the imperfect to sketch the background (largely in narratives). From the above we can
draw the conclusion that the author of Acts uses the aorist and imperfect aspectually,
while also considering the alternation between genres. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wie die navorsing van die laaste eeu oor verbale aspek in die Griekse werkwoord nagaan,
kry 'n besef van die belang van hierdie onderwerp vir die verstaan van die skrywer /
spreker se inset in die geskrewe of gesproke woord. Verbale aspek gee naamlik die
spesifieke perspektief van die skrywer / spreker op die handeling weer. Die inset van die
skrywer is egter nie ongekwalifiseerd nie, maar vind plaas binne bepaalde grammatikale
en kontekstuele merkers. Binne hierdie merkers het die skrywer die vryheid om aan
handelinge, wat binne die geskrewe of gesproke woord voorkom, 'n spesifieke kleur te
gee.
Na aanleiding van kort definisies van die aspek van die verskillende Griekse tydvorme,
spesifiek die aoristos en die imperfektum, was ek in staat om ses aspektuele gebruike
onder beide die aoristos en die imperfektum te identifiseer wat in ooreenstemming was
met die gekose definisies. Handelinge van die Apostels moes dien as toetsingsmateriaal
vir die houdbaarheid van die definisies en die aspektuele gebruike. Slegs deur
omvangryke analise kan die teorie bevestig word. Behalwe dat Handelinge 'n
omvangryke boek is, het dit verder die voordeel dat die skrywer op 'n gereelde basis
tussen genres (narratief en redevoering) wissel. Op dié manier kan die analise van die
teorie verder toegespits word om te ondersoek of daar aspektuele veranderinge optree
tussen die verskillende genres.
Die analise van die voorgestelde teorie het eerstens aangetoon dat die skrywer nie slegs
lukraak van Griekse tydvorme gebruik maak nie, maar bewustelik met onderskeidelik die
aoristos en die imperfektum indikatief omgaan. Die aoristos word veral gebruik om
gebeure of handelinge in totaliteit weer te gee en as voltooid voor te stel; die
imperfektum word gebruik om gebeure of handelinge in hul voortgang weer te gee en as
proses voor te stel. Die analise het tweedens bevestig dat die skrywer beide die aoristos
en die imperfektum aspektueel verskillend aanwend. Die geïdentifiseerde aspektuele
gebruike van beide hierdie tydvorme kon deur die hele boek herken word. Alhoewel die
skrywer waarskynlik nie met definisies en aspektuele gebruike gewerk het nie, was hy duidelik bewus van verbale aspek en die verskillende maniere waarop 'n handeling
weergegee kan word. Die analise het derdens getoon dat 'n verandering van genre (van
narratief na redevoering of andersom) meestalook 'n verandering van verbale aspek te
weeg bring. Op hierdie manier gee die skrywer dus sy spesifieke perspektief op
handelinge binne hul konteks weer.
Die mees frekwente aspektuele gebruike vir die aoristos is die aoristos om handelinge as
voltooide aksies in hulle totaliteit weer te gee (verdeel tussen narratiewe en redevoerings)
en die aoristos om die hoofmomente van die verhaal weer te gee (grotendeels in
narratiewe). Die mees frekwente aspektuele gebruike vir die imperfektum is die
imperfektum om voortgaande aksies aan te toon (dikwels in narratiewe) en die
imperfektum om agtergrond te skilder (grotendeels in narratiewe). Ons kan dus die
gevolgtrekking maak dat die skrywer van Handelinge die aoristos en imperfektum
aspektueel aanwend, en daarbyook afwisseling tussen verskillende genres in ag neem.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50321 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van Alten, H. H. |
| Contributors | Thom, J. C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old & New Testament. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 130 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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