2013 edition Wilfred E. Major wmajor@lsu.edu

Ancient Greek for Everyone:A New Digital Resource for Beginning GreekUnit 2 part 2: Six Common Greek Verbs 2013 edition Wilfred E. Major wmajor@lsu.edu

Ancient Greek for Everyone This class AGE Unit 2: Six Common Greek Verbs • You have learned the basics of building and parsing a Greek verb and seen the model (“paradigm” in Greek) of δείκνυμι. • This section presents six very common Greek verbs, all of which are built like δείκνυμι. Following the general Greek principle of spelling words like they sound, these words do show some changes according to the way they were pronounced.

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • The six verbs in this lesson are: • εἰμίbe • φημίsay • δίδωμιgive • τίθημιput, make • ἵστημιstand • ἵημιthrow

Ancient Greek for Everyone Building a Greek verb • The most common verb in Greek is the verb “be.” • In most languages, the verb “be” is very common but also tends to be irregular from constant use. • Consider the present tense indicative of “be” in English:

Ancient Greek for Everyone • I am • You are • (S)he/it is • We are • Y’all are • They are Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of “be” in English

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • As always, a Greek verb builds out from its stem, which designates what action the verb describes: εσ = “be” • Recall the endings in the presentindicativeactive that indicate person and number: • -μι = I (1st person singular) -μεν= we (1st person plural) • -ς = you (2nd person singular) -τε= y’all (2nd person plural) • -σι = (s)he, it (3rd person sing) -ασι= they (3rd person plural)

Ancient Greek for Everyone • εἰμί • I am • εἶ • You are • ἐστί • (S)he/it is • ἐσμέν • We are • ἐστέ • Y’all are • εἰσί • They are Present infinitive active:εἶναι Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of εἰμί

Ancient Greek for Everyone The Trouble with Sigma • Since 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 • Notice that, effectively, an -ε- replaces the σ(remember that ε +ε =ει). Greek does this in order to eliminate the sigma without shortening the word. This process, called “compensatory lengthening,” is a common way to eliminate sigma in words.

Ancient Greek for Everyone Building a Greek verb • The most unusual form of εἰμί is the 3rd person singular present indicative active, ἐστι. • The ending –τι is actually the original 3rd person singular present indicative active ending, but εἰμί was the only verb in Classical Greek which retained the old form. • Like any word ending in –σι, however, it can add a –νmovable: ἐστίν. • Similarly, the 3rd person plural present indicative active ending was originally –ντι, soεἰσιis the end result of simplifying *ἐσντι.

Ancient Greek for Everyone Placing the accent: • Recall that, for most Greek words, the “recessive” rule determines the placement of the accent. • For the verb εἰμί, however, only the 2nd person singular present indicative active follows the rule: έἐ εἶ. • In the present infinitive active, as often, the Greeks pronounced the ending –αιquickly enough that they considered it a short sound: έἰναι εἶναι. • All the other forms were pronounced as suffixes to the words that preceded them. Such words are called “enclitic,” meaning they “lean on” the preceding word for their accent.

Ancient Greek for Everyone Placing the accent: • “Enclitic” means a word “leans on” the preceding word for its accent. • If the preceding word has an acute two syllables back or a circumflex one syllable back, it adds an acute accent on its last syllable (as if the whole combination were again being accented recessively; all the enclitic forms of εἰμί have two syllables, the last one being short). • Ἕλληνές ἐσμεν. (= Ἕλληνέσεσμεν) • “We are Greeks.” • παῖδές ἐσμεν. (= πάὶδέσεσμεν) • “We are children.”

Ancient Greek for Everyone Placing the accent: • “Enclitic” means a word “leans on” the preceding word for its accent. • Otherwise, the enclitic form carries its own accent (an acute on the final syllable). • φίλοι ἐσμέν. • “We are friends.” • ἀδελφοί ἐσμέν. • “We are brothers.” • βασιλεῖς ἐσμέν. • “We are kings.”

Ancient Greek for Everyone Placing the accent: • Sometimes a Greek will accent ἐστιrecessively: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!”

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • φημίsay • Greeks have always liked to talk a lot, so it is no surprise that this is a very common verb. Normally, it indicates a direct quotation (effectively serving as a quotation mark). • The verb has the stem φη-. • The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms. • So in the plural, the stem becomesφα-

Ancient Greek for Everyone • φημί • I say • φῄς • You say • φησί • (S)he/it says • φαμέν • We say • φατέ • Y’allsay • (φαασι) φασί • They say Present infinitive active:φάναι Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of φημί

Ancient Greek for Everyone Placing the accent: • As with the verb εἰμί, the present indicative active forms of φημί, except the 2nd person singular, are enclitic. • ὡς οἱ Ἕλληνές φασιν, … (= Ἕλληνέσφασιν) • As the Greeks say, “... • καί φησίν, … • And he says, “…

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • δίδωμιgive • τίθημιput, make • ἵστημιstand • ἵημιthrow • The other four verbs in this lesson all have two features in common: • To mark the present tense, they double the initial sound of their stem. • Their stems all end in a long vowel, which shortens in the plural forms (as with φημί).

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • The verb “give” has the stem δω-: • The present tense doubles the initial sound of the stem. • So in the present, the stem becomesδιδω- • The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms. • So in the plural, the stem becomesδιδο-

Ancient Greek for Everyone • δίδωμι • I give • δίδως • You give • δίδωσι • (S)he/it gives • δίδομεν • We give • δίδοτε • Y’allgive • διδόασι • They give Present infinitive active:διδόναι Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of δίδωμι

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • The verb “put, make” has the 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 becomesτιθε-

Ancient Greek for Everyone • τίθημι • I put, make • τίθης • You put, make • τίθησι • (S)he/it puts, makes • τίθεμεν • We put, make • τίθετε • Y’allput, make • τιθέασι • They put, make Present infinitive active:τιθέναι Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of τίθημι

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • The verb “stand” has the 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. • So in the plural, the stem becomesἱστα-

Ancient Greek for Everyone • ἵστημι • I stand • ἵστης • You stand • ἵστησι • (S)he/it stands • ἵσταμεν • We stand • ἵστατε • Y’allstand • (ἱστάασι) ἱστᾶσι • They stand Present infinitive active:ἱστάναι Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of ἵστημι

Ancient Greek for Everyone Six Common Greek Verbs • The verb “throw” has the stem ἡ-: • The present tense doubles the initial sound of the stem. • Doubling the stem is a problem. • So in the present, the stem becomesἱη- • The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms. • So in the plural, the stem becomesἱε-

Ancient Greek for Everyone • ἵημι • I throw • ἵης • You throw • ἵησι • (S)he/it throws • ἵεμεν • We throw • ἵετε • Y’allthrow • (ἱέασι) ἱᾶσι • They throw Present infinitive active:ἱέναι Building a Greek Verb The Present Indicative Active of ἵημι

Ancient Greek for Everyone Examples of Vocabulary entries: • δίδωμιgive • ἀποδίδωμι give back • παραδίδωμι hand over, deliver • εἰμίbe • πάρειμι be present • ἵημιthrow • ἀφίημι let go, allow, forgive

Ancient Greek for Everyone Examples of Vocabulary entries: • ἵστημιstand • ἀνίστημι raise, appoint • καθίστημι set down, establish • παρίστημι present • τίθημιput, make • ἐπιτίθημι put on • προστίθημι addto • φημίsay

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: DCC Classical • ἀποδίδωμι give back • ἀπόλλυμιkill, destroy • ἀφίημι let go, allow • δείκνυμι show • δίδωμιgive • εἰμίbe • ἵημιthrow • ἵστημιstand

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: DCC Classical • καθίστημι set down, establish • μίγνυμι mix • παραδίδωμι hand over, deliver • πάρειμι be present • προστίθημι addto • τίθημιput, make • φημίsay

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: NT (New Testament) • ἀνίστημι raise, appoint • ἀποδίδωμι give back • ἀπόλλυμιkill, destroy • ἀφίημι forgive, allow • δίδωμιgive • εἰμίbe • ἐπιτίθημι put on

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: NT (New Testament) • ἵστημιstand • παραδίδωμι hand over, deliver • παρίστημι present • τίθημιput, make • φημίsay

Ancient Greek for Everyone Building a Greek verb • Some of the verbs in the vocabulary have prefixes: • ἀνίστημι (ἀνα+ἵστημι) raise, appoint • ἀποδίδωμι (ἀπο+δίδωμι) give back • ἀφίημι (ἀπο+ἵημι) let go, allow, forgive • ἐπιτίθημι (ἐπι+τίθημι) put on • καθίστημι (κατα +ἵστημι) set down, establish • παραδίδωμι (παρα +δίδωμι) hand over, deliver • πάρειμι (παρα +εἰμί) be present • παρίστημι (παρα +ἵστημι) present • προστίθημι (προς +τίθημι) add το

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: No! • οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ no, not • οὔ by itself is accented and says, “No!” • Normally οὐ bears no accent and negates an indicative verb. • οὐ δείκνυμι. I do not show. • Before a word starting with a vowel, it adds a -κ to make pronunciation easier. • οὐκ ἀφίημι. I do not forgive. • Before a word starting with a vowel and aspiration, the -κ becomes -χ: • οὐχ ἵημι. I do not throw.

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: No! • οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ no, not • Verbs in the infinitive mood use a different word to express “not”: μή • δίδωμι ὑμεῖς παρεῖναι. I give (= allow) y’all to be present. • οὐ δίδωμι ὑμεῖς παρεῖναι. I do not allow y’all to be present. • δίδωμι ὑμεῖς μὴ παρεῖναι. I allow y’all not to be present.

Ancient Greek for Everyone Unit 2 Vocabulary: Core • ἀποδίδωμι give back • ἀπόλλυμιkill, destroy • ἀφίημι let go, allow • δίδωμιgive • εἰμίbe • ἵστημιstand • παραδίδωμι hand over, deliver • τίθημιput, make • φημίsay οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ, μήno, not

Ancient Greek for Everyone • Next • practice with verbs • The practice sheet provides forms of verbs. We will draw forms at random from a hat, and you need to (1) say the word out loud (2) parse the form (3) translate it into English and (4) choose the correct form of the “not” for the verb form that you have drawn. • start AGE Unit 3: Introduction to Greek nouns.

2013 edition Wilfred E. Major wmajor@lsu.edu