{"id":32,"date":"2016-08-24T14:35:25","date_gmt":"2016-08-24T14:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/ancientgreek\/chapter\/5-common-greek-verbs\/"},"modified":"2018-01-19T11:35:08","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T11:35:08","slug":"5-common-greek-verbs","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/ancientgreek\/chapter\/5-common-greek-verbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Common Greek Verbs; Enclitics"},"content":{"raw":"\n[caption id=\"attachment_371\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"544\"]\"2011.04.0028\"<\/a> Stele marking the boundary (\u1f45\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2) of the Athenian Agora; ca. 500 B.C.[\/caption]\n
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Being and Saying<\/h2>\n

Two Greek verbs, \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> and \u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af<\/span>, are inflected much like \u03b4\u03b5\u03af\u03ba\u03bd\u03c5\u03bc\u03b9<\/span>. Following the general Greek principle of spelling words as they sound, each show changes in spelling that reflect changes in pronunciation over time. These verbs are common, and important to master.<\/p>\n

I. \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The most common verb in Greek is \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span>, to be<\/em>. Like most Indo-European languages, the verb to be<\/em> tends to exhibit irregular forms. Consider the present indicative of to be<\/em> in English: I am<\/em>; You are<\/em>; (S)he\/it is\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

The Present Indicative Active of \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> likewise exhibits irregularities of form and accent that require memorization (S 768; GPH p. 178).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

\u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span>  I am<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span> we are<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u03b5\u1f36<\/span> you are<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad<\/span> you all are<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03af<\/span>(\u03bd<\/span>) (s)he, it is<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03af<\/span>(\u03bd<\/span>) they are<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Present infinitive active: \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

As you memorize the inflection of this verb, it may be helpful to understand the sound changes reflected in these forms. Recall that a Greek verb builds out from its VERB STEM, which designates the action that the verb describes. The verb stem for \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> is:<\/p>\n

\u1f10\u03c3<\/span> = \u201cbe\u201d<\/p>\n

Recall also the personal endings that indicate person and number of the present, indicative, active:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

-\u03bc\u03b9<\/span> = I (1st person singular)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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-\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd<\/span> = we (1st person plural)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-\u03c2<\/span> = you (2nd person singular)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-\u03c4\u03b5<\/span> = y\u2019all (2nd person plural)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-\u03c3\u03b9<\/span>(\u03bd<\/span>) = (s)he, it (3rd person sg)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9<\/span>(\u03bd<\/span>) = they (3rd person pl)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Present Active Infinitive: -\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9<\/span><\/p>\n

At first glance, then, this verb appears to be behaving badly; only \u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span> and \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad<\/span> appear to be regular. One of the problems, no surprise, is the sigma<\/em>. Since the verb \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> has a stem ending in a -\u03c3<\/span>, contractions and irregularities in pronunciation \u2013 and therefore spelling \u2013 occur once the personal endings are added.<\/p>\n

Consider, for example, the following changes:<\/p>\n

\u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03af<\/span> \u2192 \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span>  (1st person, singular)
\n\u1f14\u03c3\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9<\/span> \u2192 \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9<\/span> (present infinitive)<\/p>\n

Note the pattern: each of these forms begins with \u03b5\u1f30<\/span>-, and the -\u03c3<\/span>- <\/span>has been lost. This process \u2013 in which a short vowel is lengthened (here, \u03b5<\/span> + \u03b5<\/span> = \u03b5\u03b9<\/span>) in order to make up for the loss of a consonant during pronunciation \u2013 is called COMPENSATORY LENGTHENING (S 37). More often than not, the consonant loss that led to compensatory lengthening was -\u03c3<\/span>- (S 105).<\/p>\n

The most unusual forms of \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> are \u03b5\u1f36<\/span>, \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03af<\/span> and \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03af<\/span>. The form \u03b5\u1f36<\/span> comes from \u1f10\u03c3<\/span>-\u03c3\u03b9<\/span>, which reflects an old form of the 2nd Person Singular, -\u03c3\u03b9<\/span>. Over time, the \u03c3<\/span>'s dropped out, producing the form \u03b5\u1f36 <\/span>(S 770). The form \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03af<\/span> is actually regular; it just uses the prehistoric 3rd Person Present Indicative Active ending, \u2013\u03c4\u03b9 <\/span>(S 463c). In fact, \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> is the only verb in Classical Greek to retain this prehistoric personal ending unchanged. Similarly, the personal ending \u2013\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9<\/span> is the original 3rd Person Plural Present Indicative Active ending; \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03af<\/span> is the result of gradual changes in the pronunciation of the putative verb form \u1f10\u03c3\u03bd\u03c4\u03af <\/span>(S 463). In other words, the irregularities found in \u03b5\u1f36<\/span>, \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03af<\/span> and \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03af<\/span> in fact reflect survivals from an earlier period of spoken Greek!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

II. Enclitic Accents<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note that \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> appears not to conform with the RECESSIVE ACCENT rules that we learned. In fact, for the Present Indicative Active, only the 2nd person singular follows the accent rules that apply to verbs:<\/p>\n

\u03ad\u1f10<\/span> \u2192 \u03b5\u1f36<\/span><\/p>\n

All the other Present Indicative forms of \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span> were pronounced as though they were suffixes to the words that preceded them, much like Latin -que<\/em>. Such words are called ENCLITIC, meaning they lean on<\/em> the preceding word for their accent. The rules for accenting ENCLITIC WORDS are as follows:<\/p>\n

Rule 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n

If an enclitic has ONE or TWO SYLLABLES, and the preceding word has an ACUTE accent on its ANTEPENULT, the preceding word adds an acute accent on its last syllable, and the enclitic word receives no accent.<\/p>\n

\u1f1d\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5\u03c2<\/span> \u2192 \u1f1d\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03ad\u03c2<\/span>  \u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd<\/span>. (= \u1f1d\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03ad\u03c3\u03b5\u03c3\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd<\/span>)
\nWe are Greeks.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note that the acute accent on the ultima does NOT change to grave. It is as if the whole combination of preceding word and enclitic were pronounced as one, and accented recessively.<\/p>\n

Rule 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Similarly, if an enclitic has ONE or TWO SYLLABLES, and the preceding word has a CIRCUMFLEX accent on its PENULT, the preceding word again adds an acute accent on its last syllable, and the enclitic receives no accent.<\/p>\n

\u03c0\u03b1\u1fd6\u03b4\u03b5\u03c2<\/span> \u2192 \u03c0\u03b1\u1fd6\u03b4\u03ad\u03c2<\/span>  \u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd<\/span>. (= \u03c0\u03ac\u1f76\u03b4\u03ad\u03c3\u03b5\u03c3\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd<\/span> )
\nWe are children.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rule 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n

If an enclitic has TWO SYLLABLES, and the preceding word has an ACUTE accent on its PENULT, the enclitic retains its own accent on its ULTIMA. If the enclitic has only ONE SYLLABLE, it does not receive an accent.<\/p>\n

\u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9<\/span>  \u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span>.
\nWe are friends.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u03bb\u03ad\u03b3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2<\/span>  \u03c4\u03b5  \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76  \u03b3\u03c1\u03ac\u03c6\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2<\/span>.
\nYou speak and you write.<\/em>
\n(note: \u03c4\u03b5<\/span> is another enclitic word, meaning and<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Rule 4:<\/strong><\/p>\n

If an enclitic has ONE or TWO SYLLABLES, and the preceding word has ANY ACCENT on the ULTIMA, then the enclitic usually receives no accent.<\/p>\n

\u1f01\u03bb\u03c9\u03c4\u03bf\u03af \u1f10\u03c3\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd<\/span>.
\nWe are captured.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u03b5\u1f30 \u03bf\u1f31 \u03bb\u1fc3\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03af \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f00\u03b3\u03b1\u03b8\u03bf\u03af<\/span>\u2026
\nIf the pirates are good\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9<\/span> is found with a recessive accent: \u1f14\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9<\/span>. This is usually done either because the verb is at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize that something exists, or to serve as the equivalent of there is<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

\u1f14\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd \u1f21 \u1f00\u03bb\u03ae\u03b8\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1<\/span>: \u201cThe Truth exists.\u201d
\n\u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f14\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd<\/span>: \u201cNo there isn\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a download of all the accent rules for verbs, click here: Greek Accents Verbs<\/a>.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

III. \u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Like \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span>, \u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af<\/span>, to say<\/em>, assert<\/em>, is another common verb that exhibits a few irregularities.<\/p>\n

\u03c6\u03b7<\/span>- is the stem for singular forms.
\n\u03c6\u03b1<\/span>- is the stem for plural forms (and the infinitive).<\/p>\n

Note here that the long vowel of the stem in the singular forms has been shortened for the plural. This is also a characteristic of the verbs that we cover in the next lesson.<\/p>\n

The Present Indicative Active of \u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af <\/span>(S 783; GPH p. 169):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af<\/span>  I say<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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\u03c6\u03b1\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd<\/span> we say<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u03c6\u1fc4\u03c2<\/span> (iota subscript!) you say<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u03c6\u03b1\u03c4\u03ad<\/span> you all say<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u03c6\u03b7\u03c3\u03af<\/span> (s)he, it says<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u03c6\u03b1\u03c3\u03af<\/span> ( = \u03c6\u03b1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9<\/span>) they say<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Present infinitive active: \u03c6\u03ac\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9<\/span><\/p>\n

Note that the accent pattern of \u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af<\/span> is the same as \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af<\/span>, which indicates that \u03c6\u03b7\u03bc\u03af <\/span>is \u2013 with the exception of the 2nd person singular \u2013 also an ENCLITIC. The Present Indicative forms of these two verbs are the ONLY ENCLITIC VERBS in Greek.<\/p>\n

\u1f61\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f31 \u1f1d\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03ad\u03c2 \u03c6\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd<\/span>, \u2026 (= \u1f1d\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03ad\u03c3\u03c6\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd<\/span>)
\nAs the Greeks say<\/em>\u2026
\n\u1f65\u03c3\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1 \u03c6\u03b1\u03c3\u03af\u03bd<\/span> \u2026
\nAs they say\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

- \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c4\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 -<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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Key Terms and Concepts<\/h3>\n