Home Classical, Ancient Near Eastern & Egyptian Studies The Accessibility Hierarchy in Post-Classical Greek between Syntax and Sociolinguistics
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

The Accessibility Hierarchy in Post-Classical Greek between Syntax and Sociolinguistics

  • Eleonora Cattafi
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Explore this Subject How to publish with us
Subordination and Insubordination in Post-Classical Greek
This chapter is in the book Subordination and Insubordination in Post-Classical Greek

Abstract

This article presents an application of the Accessibility Hierarchy (AH), first introduced by Keenan and Comrie on a typological basis, to Post-Classical Greek. In particular, taking into account a corpus of documentary papyri from Egypt, it analyses, on the one hand, the functions of relative clauses in the texts from a syntactic perspective, examining the attestations of relative clauses according to the AH in papyri and whether these follow the expectations of the hierarchy. On the other hand, the relationship of the AH with the sociolinguistic context is investigated, providing data on the types of texts where the simpler and more complex positions in the hierarchy are relativised and suggesting that reflexes of the AH are visible in sociolinguistic terms also in Post-Classical Greek papyri.

Abstract

This article presents an application of the Accessibility Hierarchy (AH), first introduced by Keenan and Comrie on a typological basis, to Post-Classical Greek. In particular, taking into account a corpus of documentary papyri from Egypt, it analyses, on the one hand, the functions of relative clauses in the texts from a syntactic perspective, examining the attestations of relative clauses according to the AH in papyri and whether these follow the expectations of the hierarchy. On the other hand, the relationship of the AH with the sociolinguistic context is investigated, providing data on the types of texts where the simpler and more complex positions in the hierarchy are relativised and suggesting that reflexes of the AH are visible in sociolinguistic terms also in Post-Classical Greek papyri.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. List of Tables IX
  5. List of Figures X
  6. Unraveling Post-Classical (In)Subordination: From Syntax to Context 1
  7. FYI: Predicate Insubordination with ἵνα in Documentary Post-Classical Greek 11
  8. Voice, Actionality, and Argument Structure of ‘Εἶναι + Participle’ Periphrases in Post-Classical Greek 43
  9. The Syntax and Pragmatics of the Directive Downtoner καλῶς ποιέω in Post-Classical Greek (I–IV CE) 65
  10. The Ups and Downs, Ins and Outs of Subordination in the History of Greek 93
  11. Reevaluating Parataxis in the Septuagint 111
  12. Lost (and Gained) in Translation: Syntactic Features of Relative Clauses in Septuagint Greek 133
  13. Continuity and Change in the Syntax of δίδωμι in Septuagint Greek 165
  14. Correlating Morphosyntactic Stability, Change, Register and Context of Use in Post-Classical Greek: The Case of Insubordinate Wishes 179
  15. The Accessibility Hierarchy in Post-Classical Greek between Syntax and Sociolinguistics 209
  16. Going Nominal? The Ancient Greek Articular Infinitive between Syntax and Context 237
  17. Subordination and Competing Constructions in Greek Acts of Christian Martyrs: A Case Study 277
  18. Atticist Syntax: Prescriptive Norms on the Infinitival Complementation of μέλλω 301
  19. List of Contributors 301
  20. Index Nominum
  21. Index Rerum
  22. Index of Sources
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111180366-010

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. List of Tables IX
  5. List of Figures X
  6. Unraveling Post-Classical (In)Subordination: From Syntax to Context 1
  7. FYI: Predicate Insubordination with ἵνα in Documentary Post-Classical Greek 11
  8. Voice, Actionality, and Argument Structure of ‘Εἶναι + Participle’ Periphrases in Post-Classical Greek 43
  9. The Syntax and Pragmatics of the Directive Downtoner καλῶς ποιέω in Post-Classical Greek (I–IV CE) 65
  10. The Ups and Downs, Ins and Outs of Subordination in the History of Greek 93
  11. Reevaluating Parataxis in the Septuagint 111
  12. Lost (and Gained) in Translation: Syntactic Features of Relative Clauses in Septuagint Greek 133
  13. Continuity and Change in the Syntax of δίδωμι in Septuagint Greek 165
  14. Correlating Morphosyntactic Stability, Change, Register and Context of Use in Post-Classical Greek: The Case of Insubordinate Wishes 179
  15. The Accessibility Hierarchy in Post-Classical Greek between Syntax and Sociolinguistics 209
  16. Going Nominal? The Ancient Greek Articular Infinitive between Syntax and Context 237
  17. Subordination and Competing Constructions in Greek Acts of Christian Martyrs: A Case Study 277
  18. Atticist Syntax: Prescriptive Norms on the Infinitival Complementation of μέλλω 301
  19. List of Contributors 301
  20. Index Nominum
  21. Index Rerum
  22. Index of Sources
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 18.12.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111180366-010/html
Scroll to top button