The Evangelical Universalist Forum

KATA

Theology Biblical Theology
#1

(Robin)
Alright, it seems that the postmodern “kata” can be read as anything she likes, even if compleatly opposite meanings in the English …
I concede; dont like it, but can’t contest it …

However, even though “kata” herself can be read as both “according-to,” and it’s 180 degree opposite “against,”
I dont think that we can read it as “down-against,” since that word function is clearly filled by the adverb “katenanti” (2713); “down-against”

And, yes I did find a “kata” combination word (there may be more?), which invokes the sense of “against” + whatever the other word element is,
of the combination word … oh well

#2

Robin,

What is KATA, and what are you talking about? I don’t have the background to understand you.

I’ve studied quite a lot about writing, and one thing that helped me more than anything else was the advice that I should assume that my audience would have little or no prior knowledge of my subject (unless of course I know that they DO know most of the things I know about my subject.) Most of us haven’t studied Greek at all, and that certainly includes me. If you would explain, that would be very helpful. :slight_smile:

Thanks!
Cindy

#3

I think she’s talking about The greek word kata as in kataballos used in the “foundation” or throwing down of the world.

#4
#5

(Robin)
And that’s another word thats’ always intrigued me …“down” + casting" … of the world-system;
that is, whenerve I come across it, I always get this mental pictue of God boiling a mess
of spaghetti, and He takes some out and throws it against the wall to see if it’s done …
depending upon if it sticks or not, … most likley He likes us al dente (firm, not hard).

#6

The meaning of a number of Greek prepositions depends upon the grammatical object of those preposition. “κατα” is one such preposition.

When the object of “κατα” is in the genitive case, then the word means “down from” or “against”.

When the object of “κατα” is in the accusative case, then the word means “according to” or “throughout, during”.

#7

(Robin)
And that’s what I find so strange; how can any word mean two very opposite things …
“according-to” compared with “against”

Sort of like being told that “white is black, and black is white” depending upon the grammatical object!

#8

I don’t know why you find that so strange. There are hundreds of examples in English. They are called “auto-antonyms” and also “contranyms”:

Here are just a few examples:

SANCTION: (1) permit (2) penalize

FAST: (1) moving rapidly (You got here fast.) (2) unmoving (He held the bolt fast with the wrench.)

TO TABLE A BILL: (1) to put it up for debate (2) to remove it from debate

LET: (1) to allow (2) to hinder (middle English as in the King James Bible)

TO DUST (1) to remove dust (She dusted the shelves.) (2) to add dust (He dusted the potato plants with insect poison.)

OFF (1) activated (The alarm clock went off.) (2) de-activated (He turned off the alarm clock.)

#9

(Robin)
Alright … finally an example, an explaination that addresses the specific question … contranyms, hadn’t ever come across the term,
but I can think of another example …to cleave … not only means “to split,” but also means “to adhere, cling, or stick fast” …almost
seems to be different words, but they both come from the same Middle English “cleven” … just seems so odd that a word can do this.