Ancient Greek for Everyone:A New Digital Resource for Beginning Greek

as taught at

Louisiana State University

Spring 2013

Albert Watanabe

Unit 15: Middle Voice (secondary tenses)

Elementary Greek

This class (someday, Month ##, 2013)

AGE Unit 15: The Middle Voice (Secondary Tenses)

• Unit 9 introduced the middle voice. • Unit 11 introduced the imperfect tense (a secondary tense). • Unit 13 added another secondary tense, the aorist. • This unit presents the indicative and infinitive endings of the

middle voice for secondary tenses.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• The Master List of Endings – Posted in Moodle is a “Master List of Greek Verb Endings”

where you can see the overall scheme of verb endings. Here you can see the three sets each of primary endings and secondary endings.

– On the second sheet (= back side) are the other moods, of which you have already learned the infinitive.

Elementary Greek

• A Greek verb by itself usually communicates FIVE pieces of information: – Person: 1st, 2nd, 3rd – Number: singular, plural – Tense: present, future, imperfect, aorist – Mood: indicative, infinitive – Voice: active, middle

Elementary Greek

Conjugating a Greek verb• Recall that Greek has two conjugations: – -μι verbs– -ω verbs

• In the active voice, these conjugations use somewhat different endings to designate person and number (and the infinitive mood).

• In the middle voice, both conjugations use exactly the same endings to designate person and number (and the infinitive mood).

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• The endings of the Middle Voice are as follows:

• -μην = I (1st sg) -μεθα = we (1st pl)

• -σο = you (2nd sg) -σθε = y’all (2nd pl)

• -το = (s)he, it (3rd sg) -ντο = they (3rd pl)

–σθαι signals that a verb is in the infinitive.Notice that the infinitive ending is the same

for both primary and secondary tenses.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• Remember that -ω verbs have a thematic vowel, so the endings

of the Middle Voice appear as follows:

• -ομην = I (1st sg) -ομεθα = we (1st pl) • *-εσο -ου (2nd sg) -εσθε = y’all (2nd pl) • -ετο = (s)he, it (3rd sg) -οντο = they (3rd pl)

–εσθαι signals that a verb is in the infinitive. Notice that the infinitive ending is the same

for both primary and secondary tenses.

*The second person singular regularly appears in contracted form.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• Remember that -ω verbs have a thematic vowel, so the

endings of the Middle Voice appear as follows:

• -ομην = I (1st sg) -ομεθα = we (1st pl)

• *-εσο -ου (2nd sg) -εσθε = y’all (2nd pl)

• -ετο = (s)he, it (3rd sg) -οντο = they (3rd pl)

–εσθαι signals that a verb is in the infinitive.

*The second person singular regularly appears in contracted form.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• Remember that, to begin building a Greek verb,

start with the “stem.” • The stem tells what action the verb describes:

δεικ = “show”

λυ = “loosen, destroy”

λαβ = “take”

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• Recall that some verbs add a marker (often a ν) to the stem

that says the verb is in the present tense. • A verb always uses the same marker in the middle voice

that is uses in the active: – δεικνυ = “show” (in the present) – λυ = “loosen” (no marker used in the present) – λαμβαν = “take” (in the present)

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• In secondary tenses, however, a Greek verb adds an

augment to the beginning of the stem. • This augment used to be a separate word (ἐ), which meant

that the verb was in the past, and gradually it became a prefix to the verb stem: – ἐδεικνυ = “show” (in the imperfect) – ἐλυ = “loosen” (in the imperfect) – ἐλαμβαν = “take” (in the imperfect)

Elementary Greek

• ἐδεικνύμην • ἐδείκνυσο • ἐδείκνυτο

• ἐδεικνύμεθα • ἐδείκνυσθε • ἐδείκνυντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of δείκνυμι (GPH p. 157)

Elementary Greek

• ἔλυόμην • (ἐ-λύεσο ) ἐλύου• ἐλύετο

• ἐλυόμεθα• ἐλύεσθε • ἐλύοντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of λύω (GPH p. 70)

Elementary Greek

• ἐλαμβανόμην • (ἐ-λαμβάνεσο )

ἐλαμβάνου

• ἐλαμβάνετο

• ἐλαμβανόμεθα• ἐλαμβάνεσθε • ἐλαμβάνοντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of λαμβάνω

Elementary Greek

From Unit 2: -μι Verbs• δίδωμι give • τίθημι put, make • ἵστημι stand • ἵημι throw

Elementary Greek

• ἐδιδόμην • ἐδίδοσο • ἐδίδοτο

• ἐδιδόμεθα • ἐδίδοσθε • ἐδίδοντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of δίδωμι (GPH p. 124)

Elementary Greek

• ἐτιθέμην • ἐτίθεσο • ἐτίθετο

• ἐτιθέμεθα • ἐτίθεσθε • ἐτίθεντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of τίθημι (GPH p. 146)

Elementary Greek

• ἱστάμην • ἵστασο • ἵστατο

This verb has a long vowel augment, but it does not affect the way it the vowel is written (since long and short ι are written the same).

• ἱστάμεθα • ἵστασθε • ἵσταντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of ἵστημι (GPH p. 135)

Elementary Greek

• ἱέμην • ἵεσο • ἵετο

This verb has a long vowel augment, but it does not affect the way it the vowel is written (since long and short ι are written the same).

• ἱέμεθα • ἵεσθε • ἵεντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of ἵημι

Elementary Greek

From Unit 7: Contract Verbs• The rules of vowel contraction operate in verbs

when the stem ends in one of the vowels α, ε or ο. • In these cases, this final vowel of the stem contracts

with the thematic vowel of “-ω verbs.” • The following slides give examples of contract

verbs in the imperfect indicative middle. These follow the regular rules of vowel contraction.

Elementary Greek

• (ἐ-αἱρέομην ) ᾑρούμην • (ἐ-αἱρέεσο ) ᾑροῦ • (ἐ-αἱρέετο ) ᾑρεῖτο

This verb has a long vowel augment.

• (ἐ-αἱρεόμεθα )

ᾑρούμεθα • (ἐ-αἱρέεσθε ) ᾑρεῖσθε • (ἐ-αἱρέοντο )

ᾕροῦντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of αἱρέω

Elementary Greek

• (ἐ-ερωταόμην ) ἠρωτώμην

• (ἐ-ερωτάεσο ) ἠρωτῶ

• (ἐ-ερωτάτο ) ἠρωτᾶτο

This verb has a long vowel augment.

• (ἐ-ερωταόμεθα ) ἠρωτώμεθα

• (ἐ-ερωτάεσθε ) ἠρωτᾶσθε • (ἐ-ερωτάοντο ) ἠρωτῶντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of ἐρωτάω

Elementary Greek

• (ἐδηλοόμην ) ἐδηλούμην

• (ἐδηλόεσο ) ἐδηλοῦ • (ἐδηλόετο ) ἐδηλοῦτο

• (ἐδηλοόμεθα ) ἐδηλούμεθα

• (ἐδηλόεσθε ) ἐδηλοῦσθε • (ἐδηλόοντο ) ἐδηλοῦντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Imperfect Indicative Middle of δηλόω GPH p. 119)

Elementary Greek

• The aorist tense of Greek verbs: – In form, both the aorist and imperfect are secondary tenses,

so • an augment (ἐ-) precedes the stem in the indicative mood, and • they use secondary endings.

– The stem, however, is almost always different for the two tenses. Therefore, it is essential to identify the stem correctly in order to know the tense of the verb and what action the verb conveys.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb – The verb stems of the aorist and imperfect tenses are

almost always different. – Verbs in the imperfect tense always have exactly the same

stem as they do in the present tense. – The stem of a verb in the aorist tense will be different in

one of two ways: • The verb adds the aorist marker -σα- to the stem (known as the

“1st aorist” or “weak aorist”)

or • The verb uses just the stem of the verb itself with no specific

marker (known as the “2nd aorist” or “strong aorist”).

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• The “1st aorist” or “weak aorist” adds the aorist marker

-σα- to the stem of the verb: • Recall the secondary endings in the middle voice:

-μην = I (1st sg) -μεθα = we (1st pl)

-σο = you (2nd sg) -σθε = y’all (2nd pl)

-το = (s)he, it (3rd sg) -ντο = they (3rd pl)

• The aorist marker -σα- precedes the above endings.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• Remember that, to begin building a Greek verb,

start with the “stem.” • The stem tells what action the verb describes:

δεικ = “show”

λυ = “loosen, destroy”

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• In secondary tenses, a Greek verb adds an augment to the

beginning of the stem. • This augment used to be a separate word (ἐ), which meant

that the verb was in the past, and gradually it became a prefix to the verb stem: – ἐλυ = “loosen” (secondary indicative)– ἐδεικ = “show” (secondary indicative)

Elementary Greek

• ἔλυσάμην • (ἐλύσασο ) ἐλύσω • ἔλυσατο

• ἐλυσάμεθα• ἐλύσασθε • ἐλύσαντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Aorist Indicative Middle of λύω (GPH p. 78)

Elementary Greek

• ἔδειξάμην • (ἐδείκ-σασο )

ἔδείξω • ἐδείξατο

• ἐδειξάμεθα • ἐδείξασθε • ἐδείξαντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Aorist Indicative Middle of δείκνυμι (κ + σ = ξ)

Elementary Greek

Conjugating a Greek verb• In Unit 7, you learned that Greek has two conjugations: – -μι verbs– -ω verbs

• Both types of verbs form the 1st (weak) aorist in the same way (augment + stem + -σα-, etc.). Notice that -ω verbs drop their thematic vowel in this process.

• When verbs form the 2nd (strong) aorist,

-ω verbs retain their thematic vowel

-μι verbs add endings directly to their stem.

Elementary Greek

Building a Greek verb• The “2nd aorist” or “strong aorist” uses just the stem

of the verb itself with no specific marker. • Remember that, to begin building a Greek verb,

start with the “stem.” • The stem tells what action the verb describes:

λαβ = “take”• In secondary tenses, however, a Greek verb adds an

augment to the beginning of the stem.

ἐλαβ = “take” (secondary indicative)

Elementary Greek

• ἐλαβόμην • (ἐλάβεσο ) ἐλάβου • ἐλάβετο

• ἐλαβόμεθα • ἐλάβεσθε • ἐλάβοντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Aorist Indicative Middle of λαμβάνω

Elementary Greek

Unit 2 -μι verbs: • δω- δίδωμι, δώσω, ἔδωκα give • ἥ- ἵημι, ἥσω, ἧκα throw • θη- τίθημι, θήσω, ἔθηκα put, make

Elementary Greek

• ἐδόμην • (ἔδοσο ) ἔδου • ἔδοτο

• ἔδόμεθα • ἔδοσθε • ἔδοντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Aorist Indicative Middle of δίδωμι (GPH p. 129)

Elementary Greek

• ἐθέμην • (ἔθεσο ) ἔθου • ἔθετο

• ἐθέμεθα • ἔθεσθε • ἔθεντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Aorist Indicative Middle of τίθημι (GPH p. 151)

Elementary Greek

• εἵμην • εἷσο • εἷτο

• εἵμεθα • εἷσθε • εἷντο

Building a Greek VerbThe Aorist Indicative Middle of ἵημι

Elementary Greek

The aorist tense of Greek verbs: • Recall that, like the present tense, the aorist occurs in the

infinitive mood. • The augment to secondary tenses always means that the

action actually took place in the past. Consequently, only the indicative mood uses the augment, since it is the only mood that specifies actual historical action.

• Therefore the aorist infinitive never has the augment. • –σθαι signals that a verb is in the infinitive.

– The infinitive ending is the same for both primary and secondary tenses.

Elementary Greek

• A Greek verb by itself usually communicates FIVE pieces of information: – Person: 1st, 2nd, 3rd – Number: singular, plural – Tense: present, future, imperfect, aorist – Mood: indicative, infinitive – Voice: active, middle

Elementary Greek

The aorist tense of Greek verbs: – λύσασθαι– δείξασθαι (κ + σ = ξ) – λαβέσθαι

• The accent is fixed and unchanging on this form.

– δόσθαι– θέσθαι– ἕσθαι Recall that, like the infinitive mood does not exist in the imperfect tense.

Elementary Greek

Classical Vocabulary (deponent) • αἰσθάνομαι, αἰσθήσομαι, ᾐσθόμην perceive • ἀφικνέομαι, ἀφίξομαι, ἀφικόμην come to, arrive at• γίγνομαι, γενήσομαι, ἐγενόμην happen, become, be

born • δέχομαι, δέξομαι, ἐδεξάμην welcome• ἐργάζομαι, ἐργάσομαι, ἠργασάμην work • ἐρωτάω, ἐρήσομαι, ἠρόμην ask

Elementary Greek

Classical Vocabulary (deponent) • ἡγέομαι, ἡγήσομαι, ἡγησάμην lead, consider• κτάομαι, κτήσομαι, ἐκτησάμην get, acquire• μάχομαι, μαχοῦμαι, ἡμαχεσάμην fight • πυνθάνομαι, πεύσομαι, ἐπυθόμην learn, hear, inquire• σκέπτομαι/σκοπέω, σκέψομαι ἐσκεψάμην look at,

examine • χράομαι, χρήσομαι, ἐχρησάμην use

Elementary Greek

New Testament Vocabulary (deponent) • ἀποκρίνομαι, -κρινοῦμαι, -εκρινάμην answer, reply• ἀρνέομαι, ἀρνήσομαι, ἀρνησάμην deny • γίνομαι γενήσομαι ἐγενόμην happen, become, be born

– παραγίνομαι come to, appear

• δέχομαι, δέξομαι, ἐδεξάμην welcome• καυχάομαι, καυχήσομαι, ἐκαυχησάμην boast• προσεύχομαι, προσεύξομαι, προσηυξάμην pray

Elementary Greek

• Next class (someday, Month ##, 2013)– Classical reading – Biblical reading