AGE Unit 2 - Introduction to Greek Verbs

Question 0

Mood of a verb

Answer 0

Refers to the “mode” of the verb (most often indicating whether an action is real or hypothetical in some way).

–Indicative means the action is real.
–Infinitive means the action without any time or subject.

English uses additional words to indicate the mood:
–to run, could run, might run, should run, would run…
–to stop, could stop, might stop, should stop, would stop…
–to be, could be, might be, should be, would be…

Question 1

The five pieces of information usually conveyed by a greek verb

Answer 1

–Person
–Number
–Tense
–Mood
–Voice

Question 2

Voice of a verb

Answer 2

Indicates the role the subject plays in the action.

Greek can distinguish three roles (voices):

• Active
• Middle
• Passive

Question 3

Active voice

Answer 3

The subject causes the action:
•We run the program.
•We stop the program.
•I buy a drink.

Question 4

Middle voice

Answer 4

The subject is part or all of the action:
•We run.
•We stop.
•I buy (myself) a drink.

Question 5

Passive voice

Answer 5

The subject receives the consequence of the action:
•We are run by a computer.
•We are stopped by a police officer.
•The drinks are bought by me.

–Note: In Classical Greek, the passive voice is rare,
but it becomes more common in Koine Greek.

Question 6

Parsing a verb

Answer 6

To “parse” a Greek verb means to identify the five qualities about a specific verb form.
•For example, a specific verb form could be
–Third person
–Singular
–Present
–Indicative
–Active
•Once you know these five items and the verb’s meaning, you have identified the verb completely and understand what it means.

Question 7

Greek verbs are listed in a lexicon in what form?

Answer 7

Although a Greek verb can morph into many different forms, it is listed in a dictionary (Greek “lexicon”) under just one form:  
–First person
–Singular
–Present
–Indicative
–Active

•For example: δείκνυμι show

Question 8

Marker typically added to a verb stem to indicate present tense

Answer 8

•Adding a -ν- to the stem typically marks a verb as in the present tense. It will be easier to pronounce this verb by adding –νυ–.

–δεικνυ = “show” (in the present)

Question 9

Verb stem

Answer 9

The stem tells you what action the verb describes:

δεικ = “show”

Question 10

I show, am showing, do show

Answer 10

δείκνυμι

Question 11

Verb endings for person and number (for verbs in indicative mood, active voice and present tense)

Answer 11

• -μι = I -μεν = we
• -ς = you -τε = y’all
• -σι = (s)he, it -ασι = they

Question 12

You show, you are showing, you do show

Answer 12

δείκνυς

Question 13

(S)he/it shows, is showing, does show.

Answer 13

δείκνυσι

Question 14

We show, we are showing, we do show

Answer 14

δείκνυμεν

Question 15

Y’all show, y’all are showing, y’all do show

Answer 15

δείκνυτε

Question 16

They show, they are showing, they do show.

Answer 16

δεικνύασι

Question 17

Infinitive mood of a verb and its ending

Answer 17

Refers to the action without person, number or tense, so it needs only a single ending.

The ending –ναι signals the verb is in the infinitive.

•δεικνύναι

–“show” in the infinitive mood (mode)

This form is the present, infinitive, active.

Question 18

Paradigm for the verb εσ = “be” in present, indicative, active

Answer 18

•εἰμί                          •ἐσμέν
–I am                         - We are
•εἶ                             •ἐστέ
–You are                    - Y'all are
•ἐστί                          •εἰσί
–(S)he/it is                  - They are

Present infinitive active: εἶναι

•Since the verb εἰμί has a stem ending in a -σ, contractions and irregularities in pronunciation (and spelling) result.

–All forms other than the present infinitive active εἶναι were pronounced as suffixes to the words that preceded them, ie as enclitics.

Question 19

Paradigm for δίδωμι

Answer 19

δίδωμι 			δίδομεν
- I give			- We give
Δίδως			δίδοτε
- You give		- Y’all give
Δίδωσι			διδόασι
- (S)he/it gives		- They give

Question 20

Paradigm for φημί

Answer 20

•φημί                  •φαμέν 
- I say                 - We say
•φῄς                   •φατέ
-You say             - Y'all say
•φησί                  •(φαασι ->) φασί
–(S)he/it says.     –We say

Present infinitive active: φάναι

The present indicative active forms of φημί, except the 2nd person singular φημί, are enclitic.

Root: φη-. The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms to φα-

Question 21

Paradigm for τίθημι

Answer 21

τίθημι τίθεμεν
- I put, make - We put, make
Τίθης τίθετε
- You put, make - Y’all put, make
Τίθησι τιθέασι
- (S)he/it puts, makes - They put, make

Present infinitive active: τιθέναι

Stem: θη-.
–The present tense doubles the initial sound of the stem.
•Greek does not allow aspirated consonants in consecutive syllables.
–So in the present, the stem becomes (θιθη- ->) τιθη-
–The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms.
–So in the plural, the stem becomes τιθε-

Question 22

Paradigm for ἵστημι

Answer 22

ἵστημι 			         ἵσταμεν
- I stand			         - We stand
ἵστης			             ἵστατε
- You stand		      - Y’all stand
ἵστησι			             (ἱστάασι ->) ἱστᾶσι
- (S)he/it stands		- They stand

Present infinitive active: ἱστάναι

• Stem στη-:
–The present tense doubles the initial sound of the stem.
•The Trouble with Sigma: The sigma here does not double.
–So in the present, the stem becomes (σιστη- ->) ἱστη-
–The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms to ἱστα-

Question 23

Paradigm for ἵημι

Answer 23

ἵημι 			ἵεμεν
- I throw		- We throw
ἵης			ἵετε
- You throw		-Y’all throw
ἵησι			(ἱέασι ->) ἱᾶσι
- (S)he/it throws	- They throw

Present infinitive active: ἱέναι

• Stem ἡ-:
–The present tense doubles the initial sound of the stem.
•Doubling the stem is a problem.
–So in the present, the stem becomes ἱη-
–The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms to ἱε-

Question 24

μή

Answer 24

Verbs in the infinitive mood use a different word to express “not”: μή

Question 25

οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ

Answer 25

no, not

Note: Verbs in the infinitive mood use a different word to express “not”: μή

Question 26

ἀποδίδωμι

Answer 26

give back

Question 27

ἀπόλλυμι

Answer 27

kill, destroy

Question 28

ἀφίημι

Answer 28

let go, allow

Question 29

δίδωμι

Answer 29

give

Question 30

παραδίδωμι

Answer 30

hand over, deliver

Question 31

καθίστημι

Answer 31

set down, establish

Question 32

μίγνυμι

Answer 32

mix

Question 33

πάρειμι

Answer 33

be present

Question 34

προστίθημι

Answer 34

add to

Question 35

ἀνίστημι

Answer 35

raise, appoint

Question 36

ἀφίημι

Answer 36

forgive, allow

Question 37

ἐπιτίθημι

Answer 37

put on

Question 38

παρίστημι

Answer 38

present

Question 39

Compensatory lengthening

Answer 39

“Compensatory lengthening” is a common way to eliminate sigma in words.
•For example, because the verb εἰμί has a stem ending in a -σ, contractions and irregularities in pronunciation (and spelling) result.
•In this case,
–ἐσμι -> εἰμι
–ἐσς -> εἰ
–ἐσντι -> εἰσι (see next slide for details)
–ἐσναι -> εἰναι
•Effectively, an -ε- replaces the σ (remember that ε + ε = ει). Greek does this in order to eliminate the sigma without shortening the word.

Question 40

“There is…”

Answer 40

–Sometimes a Greek will accent ἐστι recessively: ἔστι.
–This can be to emphasize that something exists or serve as the equivalent of “there is…”
–ἔστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια. “The Truth exists.”
–οὐκ ἔστιν. “No there isn’t!”