32.3 English, as well as other languages such as Latin, has another verbal noun form called the GERUND. Like infinitives, gerunds function as nouns, including serving as subjects or objects of a verb, or as objects of a preposition. To form this part of speech, English adds –ing to a verb. Note the following examples:
- Traveling is a great experience. (Gerund as subject)
- I love farming the land. (Gerund as object of verb)
- My style of cooking is simple. (Gerund as object of a preposition)
- She was arrested for speeding. (Gerund as object of a preposition)
Unlike English, Greek has no separate form for the gerund. Instead, Greek uses the ARTICULAR INFINITIVE, so named because an article accompanies the infinitive (S 2025-2030). For this construction, note the following:
- The article is always NEUTER SINGULAR.
- The article is occasionally omitted if the infinitive is being used in the NOMINATIVE or ACCUSATIVE case.
- The article is never omitted if the infinitive is being used in the GENITIVE or DATIVE case.
- Objects of the infinitive are often placed between the article and the infinitive.
- τὸ ἔχειν σοφίαν καλόν ἐστιν.
- To have/having wisdom is good.
- τὸ σοφίαν ἔχειν καλόν ἐστιν.
- To have/having wisdom is good.
- ἀντὶ τοῦ αὐτῳ λέγειν…
- Instead of speaking to him…
- πρὸς τὸ εὖ ζῆν
- towards/with regards to living well
- τίς δ’ οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μέν ἐστι κατθανεῖν, τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν κάτω νομίζεται;
- Who knows if to live is to be dead, and to be dead is thought to live below? Euripides Fr. 638.
- οὕτως ἐπὶ τῷ κρατεῖν καὶ μέγιστος εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετῆς καὶ τοῦ καλοῦ δοῦλος ἦν ὁ Ῥωμαίων δῆμος.
- So, for the purpose of ruling and being the greatest of all, the Roman people were a servant of excellence and the good. Plutarch Aem. 11.4
- ὁμοίως ἔχει ὁ οἰκοδόμος πρὸς τὸ ποιεῖν οἰκίαν καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς πρὸς τὸ ποιεῖν ὑγίειαν…
- Just as the builder is with regards to creating a house and the doctor with regards to creating health… Aristotle, Top. 5.7