St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary

Scholarship devoted to the manner in which the vocative singular has been translated from ancient Greek texts to modern English is lacking. The address toward a man in the vocative singular, ἄνθρωπε, while rare in the New Testament, is often translated as “man” within the context of a rebuke and appears to be accurately translated. However, when a woman is addressed as γύναι, the general interpretation of its Greek usage in the New Testament is that it is an address of respect, while its frequent translation into English as “woman” does not capture this aspect. Non-biblical Greek literature contemporary to the New Testament uses this address in the same way, with the implication of respect. More research is needed to determine how the meaning of this term can be accurately expressed in English.