Friday, June 18, 2010

Hauspie on Calques in LXX Ezekiel (LXX 3)

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For general orientation to this series of posts see here (with forward links).

Katrin Hauspie, 'The Idiolect of the Target Language in the Translation Process: A Study in the Calques in the LXX of Ezekiel' in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 205-213.

Although Hauspie's English was difficult to follow, her study of calques in LXX Ezekiel questions the stereotypical way of viewing translation technique in a particular LXX book. She manages to demonstrate the independence of the translator, even in places where the Hebrew seems to be determining the Greek phrasing.


She examines three grammatical constructions: (a) the use of the nominative αὐτός for the Hebrew הוא. Hauspie shows that αὐτός is not a stereotypical rendering of הוא but is used to denote emphasis; (b) ἐν with dative rendering -ב instrumenti. LXX Ezekiel uses ἐν only when the verb and the complement denoting instrument are in a loose relationship; (c) objective
clause by τοῦ with infinitive. Hauspie shows that τοῦ never occurs after modal verbs, as in proper Greek style, for the constructed infinitive preceded by -ל in the MT.


Hauspie's study shows that even in apparent "literalistic" translations, there is more freedom and conformity to the norms of the target language than meets the eye.

Μυρτώ Θεοχάρους

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