Wordplay in 1 Corinthians

Abstract

Abstract This essay provides the first attempt at a complete inventory and assessment of the use of wordplay in 1 Corinthians. It is organized by attending to the various linguistic features that are exploited to create wordplays. These include the use of different lexemes based on the same root (i.e., sharing etymology; compound words) used in close proximity; the use of the same lexeme but with different meanings in different genders, used in close proximity to exploit the euphony; the use of the same word/lexeme with different meanings in close proximity; the use of the same word with the same meaning twice in close proximity but in a context that plays on an inversion or twist while also exploiting the soundplay; and the use of different lexemes with similar sounds employed for the sake of the surprising rhetorical effect of connecting the two words. It also analyses the kinds of wordplay opportunities that each linguistic feature tends to provide or create. Additionally, it discusses the challenges that different wordplays create for translation (with a focus on translation into English). In the process, the ubiquity and significance of wordplays in 1 Corinthians is demonstrated.