19α Genitive Absolute and The Verb ἵστημι Flashcards
Principal Parts: Labial Stems (-β-, -π-)
βλάπ-τω, [βλαβ-] βλάψω, ἔβλαψα, βέβλαφα, βέβλαμμαι, ἐβλάφθην or ἐβλάβην
I harm, hurt
Principal Parts: Labial Stems (-β-, -π-)
λείπω, λείψω, [λιπ-] ἔλιπον, [λοιπ-] λέλοιπα, [λειπ-] λέλειμμαι (I am left behind; I am inferior), ἐλείφθην
I leave
Principal Parts: Labial Stems (-β-, -π-)
πέμπω, πέμψω, ἔπεμψα, [πομπ-] πέπομφα, [πεμπ-] πέπεμμαι, ἐπέμφθην
I send
The Genitive Absolute
θάλποντος τοῦ ἡλίου, ὑπὸ ἐλάᾷ ἐκάθηντο.
Since the sun was hot, they were sitting under an olive tree.
The words in boldface consist of a participle and a noun in the genitive case. This use of a participle with a noun or pronoun in the genitive case is called a genitive absolute.
A genative absolute phrase has no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence (the participle does not modify any element such as the subject, the direct object, or the indirect object of the main clause).
The Genitive Absolute
Examine the sentence:
θάλποντος τοῦ ἡλίου, ὑπὸ ἐλάᾷ ἐκάθηντο.
Since the sun was hot, they were sitting under an olive tree.
Ιn this sentence, θάλποντος τοῦ ἡλίου, ὑπὸ ἐλάᾷ ἐκάθηντο, a present participle is used in the genitive absolute, but it is translated into English as a past progressive, Since the sun was hot, indicating ongoing action contemporaneous with the imperfect tense of the main verb, ἐκάθηντο, they were sitting.
Genitive absolutes are grammatically separate from the rest of the sentence in which they occur.
The Genitive Absolute
οὐδενὸς ὄντος ἡμῖν ἀργυρίου, οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἠμῖν κατὰ θάλατταν οἴκαδε νοστεῖν.
There being no money for us or Since we have no money, it is not possible for us to return home by sea.
Genitive absolutes can often best be translated into English with clauses beginning with “since,” “as,” “when,” or “although”
The Genitive Absolute
ἡμέρᾱς γενομένης, ὁ πατὴρ τὸν παῖδα καλέσᾱς ἔπεμψε ὡς ζητήσοντα τὰ πρόβατα.
When day came or When day had come or At daybreak, the father, calling his son, sent him to seek the sheep.
In this sentence, the phrase ἡμέρᾱς γενομένης is absolute
With regard to aspect, the aorist participle in a genitive absolute expresses simple action
Thus, the genitive absolute with its participle in the aorist in this sentence may be translated simply When day came or even more simply, At daybreak.
Time before the action
Aorist participles in genitive absolutes may often be translated into English so as to indicate time before the action of the main verb:
When day “had come”, the father, calling his son, sent him to seek the sheep.
Genitive absolutes can often best be translated into English with clauses begin- ning with “since,” “as,” “when,” or “although.”
The choice of which introductory word to use will usually be clear from the meaning of the sentence as a whole, but sometimes a word such as καίπερ, although, will provide a helpful clue.
The Verb ἵστημι
Formation and Meaning
This verb has both long-vowel [στη-] and short-vowel [στα-] stems.
ἵστημι, στήσω, sigmatic 1st aorist, ἔστησα, athematic 2nd aorist, ἔστην, ἕστηκα, ἐστάθην, I make to stand; I stop; I set (up); athematic 2nd aorist, intransitive, I stood; I stood still; I stopped; perfect, intransitive, I stand
The Verb ἵστημι
Meaning of the Active:
The Verb ἵστημι
Formation of the Middle:
The Verb ἵστημι
Meaning of the Middle:
