"There is usually no precise equivalent of [Ancient Greek's] 3rd person imperative in English. Euclid often uses it in expressions which are translated by
'let there be' or
'let it have been drawn'. In the Septuagint translation of the
Bible, God uses the 3rd person imperative in the first five and one-half days' work: genêthêtô phôs,
Let there be light or
Be there light. Perhaps an English example of the 3rd person imperative can be found in the stage direction
Enter the King.
"What the commands of mathematicians, God, and playwrights have in common seems to be this, that
the mere act of speaking suffices to bring about the truth of what is being said."
--Alfred R. Mollin and Robert B. Williamson:
An Introduction to Ancient Greek.
Topics in this post: making booktrailer videos, fan mail, making cover art, early childhood reading, editing fantasy, reading science fiction, researching historical fantasy, prison tourism, prison history, memories of watching Doctor Who in the 1970s, editing and laying out leather fiction, wordage.
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