CONTRACTED CONJUGATION.

It happens frequently that thematic verbal endings are attached to a stem that ends in –α-,

-ε- or –o--. Two vowels next to each other in a word tend to run together, to “contract”.
These contractions are subject, of course, to phonetic laws. For the three kinds of stem:
those ending in –α, in –ε or in-ο, these are the contraction rules:

αε  > α

αει > ᾳ

αειν > -αν

αη > α

αῃ > ᾳ

αο  > ω

αοι > ῳ

αου > ω

αω  > ω

εε > ει

εει > ει

 

εη > η

εῃ > ῃ

εο > ου/ευ

εοι> οι

εου> ου/ευ

εω > ω

οε  > ου

οει > οι

οειν> ουν

οη  > ω

οῃ  > οι

οο  > ου

οοι> οι

οου> ου

οω > ω

One might say (with some degree of inaccuracy) that –α-, -ᾳ-, -ω- & -ῳ- are signs of the conjugation
in -άω, -ει- & -ου- of that in -έω, -ου- & -οι- of that in -όω. -ευ-  is Epic-Ionic. Anyhow there are no
very great special lexical difficulties for these kinds; they are the same as for other types.


For good measure the resulting endings consisting of final stem vowel contracted with thematic endings
will be set out for all three contracted conjugations:

A) conjugation in -άω> -ῶ (duratives lexically under -άω):

 

 

 

 

 

A

C

T

I

V

E

 

pr-ind

-ῶ

-ᾷς

-ᾷ

-ῶμεν

-ᾶτε

-ῶσιν

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ptc

 

 

 

 

 

 

>M        >Ne

-ῶν       -ῶν

     -ῶντος

     -ῶντι

-ῶντα   -ῶν    

-ῶντες  -ῶντα

     -ώντων

     -ῶσιν

-ῶντας -ῶντα

>F

-ῶσα

-ώσης

-ώσῃ

-ῶσαν

-ῶσαι

-ωσῶν

-ώσαις

-ώσας

subj

opt

imp

 

-ῶ

-ᾷς

-ᾷ

-ῶμεν

-ᾶτε

-ῶσιν

-ῴην

-ῴης

-ῴη

-ῷμεν

-ῷτε

-ῷεν

 

-α

-άτω

 

-ᾶτε

-ώντων

 

 

inf

a

u

g

m

e

n

t

-ων

-ας

-α

-ῶμεν

-ᾶτε

-ων

pa-ind

-ᾶν

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pr-ind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M

E

D

I

O

P

A

S

S

I

V

E

 

-ῶμαι

-ᾷ

-ᾶται

-ώμεθα

-ᾶσθε

-ῶνται

 

 

 

 

ptc

 

 

 

 

 

 

>M           >Ne         >F

 

 

 

-ώμενος as

      ἀγαθός

subj

opt

imp

 

-ῶμαι

-ᾷ

-ᾶται

-ώμεθα

-ᾶσθε

-ῶνται

-ῴμην

-ῷο

-ῷτο

-ῴμεθα

-ῷσθε

-ῷντο

 

-ῶ

-άσθω

 

-ᾶσθε

-άσθων

 

 

inf

a

u

g

m

e

n

t

-ώμην

-ῶ

-ᾶτο

-ώμεθα

-ᾶσθε

-ῶντο pa-ind

-ᾶσθαι

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Active optative 1st, 2nd and 3rd sg have an unexpected optative marker, viz. the normal athematic one.

This conjugation is found in a fair number of duratives, listed in the lexicon under -άω, and in a few

futures, for which see thematic futures, 6.

The other phases of the verbs in -άω usually have stems ending in –-η-, e.g. du τιμάω , fu τιμήσω,

A&Md ao ἐτίμησα(μην), Pao ἐτιμήθην , Apf τετίμηκα, MdPpf τετίμημαι. Only with a vowel or a  –ρ-

preceding the -άω does the –α- remain unchanged: du ἐάω, fu ἐάσω etc.; du ὁράω, Apf ἑώρακα.

[Other possibilities for verb forms with an -a- preceding the ending are: aorists II and III, duratives I and II

of certain verbs in -ημι/-αμαι; perfects]


B) conjugation in -έω > -ῶ (duratives lexically under -έω):

If a verb has only one syllable before the ending (such as δέω, νέομαι, θέω) the contraction is made only

when the result is –ει-, -εί- or-εῖ-. Note again the A opt sg.

A
C
T
I
V
E		  

pr-ind
 -ῶ
-εῖς
-εῖ
-οῦμεν
-εῖτε
-οῦσιν

         ptc  
        >M            >Ne       >F
       

-ῶν       -οῦν
     -οῦντος
     -οῦντι
 -οῦντα  -οῦν
 -οῦντες -οῦντα
      -ούντων
      -οῦσιν
 -οῦντα -οῦντα

-οῦσα
 -ούσης
 -ούσῃ
 -οῦσαν
 -οῦσαι
 -ουσῶν
-ούσαις
-ούσας

subj
 -ῶ
-ῇς
-ῇ
 -ῶμεν
-ῆτε
-ῶσιν

opt
 -οίην
-οίης
-οίη
-οῖμεν
-οῖτε
-οῖεν

imp

 
-ει
 -είτω

 
-εῖτε
-ούντων

  
 

inf

a
u
g
m
e
n
t

-ουν
-εις
-ει
-οῦμεν
-εῖτε
-ουν
 pa-ind

 -εῖν
 
 
       
           
           
M
E
D
I
O
P
A
S
S
I
V
E		  

pr-ind
 -οῦμαι
-εῖ
-εῖται
-ούμεθα
-εῖσθε
-οῦνται

            
           
       


-ουμενος
 as ἀγαθός

 

subj
 -ῶμαι
-ῇ
 -ῆται
-ώμεθα
-ῆσθε
-ῶνται

opt
 -οίμην
-οῖο
-οῖτο
-οίμεθα
-οῖσθε
-οῖντο

imp

 -οῦ
-είσθω

 

-εῖσθε
-είσθων

  
 

inf

a
u
g
m
e
n
t

-ούμην
 -οῦ
 -εῖτο
 -ούμεθα
 -εῖσθε
 -οῦντο
 pa-ind

 -εῖσθαι
 
 
       
           
           

 

 this conjugation is found a) in a good number of duratives (listed in the lexicon under -έω);   
the other phases of verbs in -έω mostly have stems in –η-: du φιλέω, fu φιλήσω, ao ἐφίλησα,
P ao ἐφιλήθην, A pf πεφίληκα, MdP pf πεφίλημαι, but some retain –ε-: du ἐπαινέω, ao ἐπῄνεσα,
du αἱρέω, P ao ᾑρέθην

b) in the (not uncanonical) futures of verbs with a stem ending in liquida (λ, μ, ν, ρ).
These futures can be connected to their duratives by using the following table:

fu ending in:

du ends in:

-λέω

-λλω

-μέω

-μνω/-μω

-ανέω

-ενέω

-ινέω

-υνέω

-α(ι)νω

-ε(ι)νω

-ινω

-υνω

-α/ε/ι/υρέω

as with –ν-

[N.B. Not all verb forms that have a liquida before a contracted ending are futures: there are many duratives of the type φιλέω, χωρέω, ἐπαινέω.]

c) futures of verbs in -έννυμι (see thematic futures, 6)

d) futures in –ιέω of verbs in -ίζω that have a stem of more than one syllable, such as κομίζω.

e) (ἀπο)θανοῦμαι < (ἀπο)θνῃσκω, (ἀπ)ολῶ < (ἀπ)όλλυμι, βέομαι < βιόω, δραμοῦμαι < τρέχω,
ἐρῶ < λέγω (Ν.Β. duratives ἐράω & ἐρέω), θοροῦμαι < θρῳσκω, καθεδοῦμαι < καθίζω, καλῶ < καλέω (fu=du!!),
μαχοῦμαι < μάχομαι, ὀμοῦμαι < ὄμνυμι, ὀροῦμαι < ὄρνυμι, πεσοῦμαι < πίπτω, τελῶ < τελέω (fu=du!!),
φευξοῦμαι < φεύγω. All these have their place in the list of verb stems, so learning by heart is not necessary.

 

 C) conjugation in -όω > -ῶ (lexically under -όω):

 

           

   

 

 

A

C

T

I

V

E

 

pr-ind

-ῶ

-οῖς

-οῖ

-οῦμεν

-οῦτε

-οῦσιν

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ptc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>M

>Ne

>F

 

subj

-ῶ

-οῖς

-οῖ

-ῶμεν

-ῶτε

-ῶσιν

opt

-οίην

-οίης

-οίη

-οῖμεν

-οῖτε

-οῖεν

imp

 

-ου

-ούτω

 

-οῦτε

-ούντων

 

-ῶν      -οῦν

    -οῦντος

    -οῦντι

-οῦντα –οῦν

-οῦντες -οῦντα

    -ούντων

    -οῦσιν

-οῦντας-οῦντα

-οῦσα

-ούσης

-ούσῃ

-οῦσαν

-οῦσαι

-ουσῶν

-ούσαις

-ούσας

 

 

 

 

 

inf

-οῦν

a

u

g

m

e

n

t

-ουν

-ους

-ου

-οῦμεν

-οῦτε

-ουν

pa-ind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M

E

D

I

O

P

A

S

S

I

V

E

 

pr-ind

-οῦμαι

-οῖ

-οῦται

-οῦμεθα

-οῦσθε

-οῦνται

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ptc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>M

>Ne

>F

 

subj

-ῶμαι

-οῖ

-ῶται

-ῶμεθα

-ῶσθε

-ῶνται

opt

-οίμην

-οῖο

-οῖτο

-οίμεθα

-οῖσθε

-οῖντο

imp

 

-οῦ

-ούσθω

 

-οῦσθε

-ούσθων

 

 

 

 

-ούμενος

as ἀγαθός

 

 

 

 

 

inf

-οῦσθαι

a

u

g

m

e

n

t

-ούμην

-οῦ

-οῦτο

-ούμεθα

-οῦσθε

-οῦντο

pa-ind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As in the types on -άω & -έω, the endings for A opt sg are not as would be expected.

There are only duratives in this type of conjugation.

In the other phases the stem always ends in –ω-: δουλόω, δουλώσω, ἐδούλωσα, δεδούλωκα etc.

 

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