Speaking Names in the Apocryphal Acts of John
The extant text of the apocryphal Acts of John contains twenty-six names. The present article argues that more than half of these names, i.e., sixteen names, fall into the category of so-called “speaking names.” In scholarship on Greco-Roman comedy, the technical term “speaking names” (sprechende Na...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Brepols
2015
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In: |
Apocrypha
Year: 2015, Volume: 26, Pages: 119-149 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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Summary: | The extant text of the apocryphal Acts of John contains twenty-six names. The present article argues that more than half of these names, i.e., sixteen names, fall into the category of so-called “speaking names.” In scholarship on Greco-Roman comedy, the technical term “speaking names” (sprechende Namen ; noms parlants) is used for names that either reflect or contradict the scenic features of the respective characters. Most likely, the author of the Acts of John was familiar with and employed this literary technique. The sixteen speaking names of the Acts of John are detected and explained. On the basis of these speaking names, some theological, literary, historical, and translation-related conclusions regarding the Acts of John as a whole are drawn. |
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Contains: | Enthalten in: Apocrypha
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1484/J.APOCRA.5.109947 |