5

I'm trying to find a more sophisticated and/or elegant way of saying

  • "Sort/Kind of related/similar"

To elaborate, I'm trying to say the following in a more sophisticated/elegant manner:

John The Baptist of the New Testament's character/role is "sort/kind of related/similar" to Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

Would the following be correct? Are there any better alternatives?

John The Baptist of the New Testament's character is "vaguely similar" to Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

John The Baptist of the New Testament's character is "remotely similar" to Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

John The Baptist of the New Testament's role is "vaguely related" to Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

John The Baptist of the New Testament's role is "remotely related" to Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

Improve this question
1

7 Answers 7

Reset to default
11

Akin might be the word you are looking for.

Cambridge Dictionary - Akin

  • Looking or being almost but not exactly the same

John The Baptist of the New Testament's character/role is somewhat akin to the role of Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

Improve this answer
2
  • I'm no native speaker, but it's a bit odd to pick a word meaning "similarity >= 0.97" and then degrade it with "somewhat" to mean "kind of similar" (which would correspond to a lesser similarity value in my interpetation)
    – sylvainulg
    Commented Apr 12 at 8:35
  • @sylvainulg - Akin is a perfectly valid English word and is well suited to the OP's situation - often used for exactly the OP's case. ( I am a native English speaker with a background in literature/academia.) "similarity >= 0.97..." - Such quantitative analysis is not really applicable in questions of style, usage and the nuance of a particular word.
    – Vector
    Commented Apr 12 at 15:57
9

Three verbs with similar meanings:

The role of John The Baptist of the New Testament echoes/recalls/evokes that of Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

echo (v.)

To repeat details that are similar to, and make you think of, something else:

The design of the church echoes that of St. Paul's Cathedral.
Cambridge

recall (v.)

To cause you to think of a particular event, situation, or style:

His paintings recall the style of Picasso.
Cambridge

Perhaps slightly weaker is

evoke (v.)

To cause something to be remembered or expressed
Cambridge

First, John's initial physical description in chapter 3 evokes Elijah.
Kendra Mohn; Masculinities in the Gospel of Matthew Joseph, John, Peter, and Judas (2024)

If you are writing (even a speech or presentation), I would avoid the informal group genitive: "[John The Baptist of the New Testament]'s role" because it can be (mis)read as the role of the New Testament. We get away with this construction in speech when we start a sentence, paint ourselves into a corner, and use the group genitive to save us from restarting and rephrasing. But we should always rewrite to avoid something like "The boy I saw on the corner yesterday's father is my professor."

Improve this answer
1
  • @Lambie - I see your comment about re-writing above... BUT the OP is asking for sophistication/elegance. Re-writing advice seems in order here!
    – Dan
    Commented Apr 12 at 14:30
3

That possessive is bothersome. Putting the noun character or role at the head of the sentence is better.

The character [or role] of John The Baptist in the New Testament is in a way [or somewhat] related to Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

sort of/kind of=in a way or somewhat.

Reference: My own internalized grammar.

Improve this answer
2

There is actually a theological term for this example. For the later person:

antitype [noun]

(1) a person or thing that is foreshadowed or represented by a type or symbol, especially a character or event in the New Testament prefigured in the Old Testament.

[Dictionary.com] (the earlier person being the type)

  • ... John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah, an antitype of Elijah. [ie John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah; he is/was an antitype of Elijah.]

[John W Ritenbaugh; BibleTools]

Improve this answer
2
  • Edwin, how does antitype differ from antetype?
    – DjinTonic
    Commented Apr 9 at 13:59
  • 1
    ' ... 'antetype' ... is almost the antithesis of 'antitype' ... an antitype follows after and an antetype precedes something with which it is closely related'. [W Y Stern; Academic OUP] // I didn't confuse the issue further by adding that a conflicting sense of 'antitype' is 'something that represents the opposite of a given thing'.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 9 at 14:25
2

Parallels

John The Baptist of the New Testament's character parallels that of Elijah the Prophet of the Old Testament.

Dictionary.com says:

2. having the same direction, course, nature, or tendency; corresponding; similar; analogous:
Canada and the United States have many parallel economic interests.

Congruent

John The Baptist of the New Testament's character is congruent to Elijah the Prophet's of the Old Testament.

Also Dictionary.com:

1. agreeing; accordant; congruous:
His testimony was perfectly congruent with the content retrieved from the suspect’s phone.

With some grammar around the clumsy "Elijah the Prophet's" possessive.

Improve this answer
0

I think 'not dissimilar' would fit nicely here.

Improve this answer
0

Just spitballing here:

  • JTB of the NT’s character is to some extent comparable to ETP of the OT.

  • JTB of the NT’s character resembles, although not quite ETP of the OT.

  • JTB of the NT’s character shares many, yet not all traits of ETP of the OT.

  • ETP of the OT’s character is reinvented in in JTB of the NT.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .