Verbs of sexual intercourse in the Greek Pentateuch: a lexical analysis

T. V. Evans*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

This article examines the neglected evidence of the Greek Pentateuch for verbs of sexual intercourse. I aim to demonstrate the translators' skilful application of their mimetic translation method and the native-speaker competence suggested by their vocabulary choices in the relevant sphere. With one exception manifesting Hebrew interference through semantic extension, all the verbs deployed to describe sexual intercourse represent natural Greek usage and are found in classical literature going back in some cases to early epic. This provides yet another indication that the evidence of the Septuagint should no longer be dismissed when considering the post-classical development of the Greek language.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages23
JournalJournal of Hellenic Studies
Early online date19 Oct 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 19 Oct 2023

Keywords

  • Greek
  • Koine
  • Pentateuch
  • Septuagint
  • sexual vocabulary

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