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On language expressed in Greek myths Kim, Won-Ik (Yonsei University) Human beings have kept two stands on language since they invented their own languages. One is to believe that language is able to perfectly express human thoughts. The other is the skepticism that the language which has to be faulty is not. The minds of the former have been led by analytic philosophy, part of philosophy, while phenomenology have represented the latter. Ancient Greek myth writers, like modern exponents of phenomenology, also harbored their deep-rooted skepticism on the language utility. The stark antagonism and argument we now think shown in the conversations in Greek tragedies explain the rationale for the incompleteness of the language. They indicate that the evident incommunicability through words remains latent in their conversation, making them fail to reach a consensus, which tragically causes one of two parties to fade away. That's why we call the conversation in Greek tragedies “antilogia” instead of “dialogia”. The characters appearing in some Greek myths who seem to have mastery over language are often depreciated as mean-spirited and doomed. As examples, Echo, a chatterbox who ignored the talks of others, succumbed to a tragic end. The house of Rumors Goddess Fama is not just one of rumors, but a place haunted with empty words, which reflects this world's evanescent realities. But ancient Greek myth writers did not idle away while lamenting the limits of language. They tried to deal with the problems with consistency. They frequently employed the sophisticated similes to overcome the language bounds. According to Martin Hose, a simile is a characteristic in the epic style dramatically derived from the struggles of the authors who happen to be thrown into language obstacles. The creators constantly changed God's or character's names in their works, such as Athena-changed-Kythereia or Kythera, and Apollon-changed-Phoibos. The efforts were naturally made from the recognition on the imperfection of language that a given name is unable to denote the essence of an object like when in simile. The state is like “epoche” in phenomenology, where a judgement is pending due to linguistic limitations. The “epoche” is a pause where, to carve out the essence of an object, the concerned person ceased to judge at a point before comprehensively searching for various orientations to establish a certainty. Odysseus was an ideal model in Greek myths for ancient Greeks who had to cope with their language. He was trapped with his life being risked in a cave where Polyphemos one-eyed monster occupied. Odysseus stands for the nominalist language, while the giant represents the absolutist language. When asked to offer his name, Odysseus who saw through the difference produced a disguised name “Udeis” to him. The Udeis means ‘nobody’ in English. Using the false name, he managed to escape from the hands of the monster. Odysseus could exploit the supreme language playing to overturn the language limits. The consummate orator came to find himself as an ultimate trouble-shooter in looming conflicts. The skepticism on the language utility that Greek myth writers of early date had maintained was not, fortunately, led to a defeatist abandonment, but rather triggered a tremendous eruption of energy as seen in Odysseus. Had it not been for profound reflections on language among ancient Greeks, could Iliad, Odysseia, and other great Greek tragedies, have been unmatched treasures for humans, and could they be now?

목차

들어가는 말
 I. 그리스 비극의 대화를 통해 본 언어의 한계
 II. 수다쟁이 에코와 소문의 여신 ‘파마Fama’와 말의 한계
 III. 서사시에서의 언어의 한계를 극복하려는 시도
  1. 비유의 빈번한 사용
  2. 등장인물의 복수의 이름
 IV. 그리스 신화 최고의 웅변가 오디세우스의 언어관
 나가는 말
 인용문헌
 Abstract

키워드

저자

• 김원익 [ Won-Ik Kim | 연세대학교 ]

참고문헌

발행기관

간행물

표지보기 관심저널 등록

• 간행물명

  인문언어 [LINGUA HUMANITATIS]

• 간기

  반년간

• pISSN

  1598-2130

• 수록기간

  2000~2025

• 등재여부

  KCI 등재

• 십진분류

  KDC 705 DDC 405