The Reception of the Codeswitchings of the Syriac Versions in the Gospel of Mark

Abstract

The Gospel of Mark contains numerous loanwords and code switches from Aramaic to Greek. These borrowed terms were not unconscious and developed important social, literary and narrative functions in key passages of the Gospel. This article considers how the Old Syriac versions and the Peshitta have treated these borrowed terms given that the translators were native Aramaic speakers and how the functions developed by these borrowed terms have been altered due to the translation process.