Formulaic Language

Abstract

AbstractChapter 8 explores the 399 formulaic sections of our texts. The epistolary frame is a fixed set of formulae, the presence of which marks a text as a ‘letter’. The chapter is divided into five parts: Section 8.1 introduces the concept of a formula and highlights the differences between the Greek and Coptic epistolary frames. Section 8.2 describes the standard patterns and established variants and variations of each relevant formula. Section 8.3 contains the analysis of errors, both phraseological and grammatical. Section 8.4 evaluates the distribution of the observed errors against the predictor variables set out in Chapter 2. Section 8.5 presents errors regarding the syntax of personal names in formulaic contexts.