Greek Particles: More Than Just Filler Words?
This paper challenges the traditional understanding of Greek particles. By comparing spoken English, rife with hesitations and filler words, to written Ancient Greek texts, the author argues that many Greek particles, previously interpreted as having specific grammatical or semantic functions, are actually meaningless expletives similar to 'um' or 'uh' in English. The author uses examples from Xenophon's Anabasis and Watergate transcripts to highlight the parallels between seemingly meaningless additions in spoken language and the frequent occurrence of Greek particles. The conclusion suggests a re-evaluation of how we interpret these particles, proposing they are more akin to speech artifacts than meaningful grammatical elements.
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