All Greek verbs
belong to one of two conjugations:
- ω Conjugation
- μι Conjugation
Almost all of the
verbs we have discussed up to this point belong
to the ω conjugation. These verbs
have a connecting vowel inserted between the stem
and the personal endings in the present and
future systems. This connecting vowel has also
been called a variable vowel, and often, a thematic
vowel. Hence, these verbs are called thematic
verbs.
About two dozen
verbs (not counting the various compounded forms
of these verbs) are athematic.
These do not have a connecting vowel. Instead,
the personal endings are attached directly to the
stem in all principle parts. (However some of
these acquired thematic variations.) The personal
endings that are attached to the stems vary
somewhat from those in the
ω conjugation. In the
present active indicative the first person
singular ending is μι rather than
ω, and therefore the
conjugation scheme for these is often called the
μι conjugation. Most of the
endings are the same ones you already know. In
fact, even most of the endings that are different
are familiar to you because you have seen them in
the verb εἰμί. Furthermore, the
differences in the endings of the
ω conjugation and
μι conjugation only exist in the 1st
and 3rd principle parts.
εἰμί is a
μι verb, but has some
variation from the typical
μι verb. Compare the present
act. indicative endings of
εἰμί with those typically found
in μι verbs:
| pres. act.
ind. of
εἰμί |
| |
sing. |
|
plur. |
| 1st
p. |
εἰμί |
|
ἐσμέν |
| 2nd
p. |
εἶ |
|
ἐστέ |
| 3rd
p. |
ἐστί(ν) |
|
εἰσί(ν) |
| pres. act.
ind. personal endings for
μι
verbs |
| 1st
p. |
-μι |
|
-μεν |
| 2nd
p. |
-ς |
|
-τε |
| 3rd
p. |
-σι /
-τι |
|
-ασι |
In
addtion to some endings peculiar to the
μι conjugation, there are
some other peculiarities which we can illustrate
by considering the verb
δίδωμι, give. The root
of this word is
δο-, but the
ο is lengthened to
ω in the lexical form
δίδωμι, as well as in some other
forms.
Learn the
following characteristics of several
μι verbs.
- REDUPLICATION
in the PRESENT SYSTEM Several
μι verbs have
reduplication throughout the present
system (present and imperfect tenses, all
voices and moods). Be careful to
distinguish this from the reduplication
of the perfect tense. Perfect tense verbs
beginning with consonants reduplicate the
consonant and add
ε, but
μι verbs reduplicate
the consonant and add
ι. In the case of
ἵστημι, the reduplicated
σ has been replaced
by a rough breathing. In the case of
τίθημι, the
θ is reduplicated in
unaspirated form as
τ.
REDUPLICATION IN THE PRESENT
SYSTEM
(Indicative Mood only shown here)
δίδωμι
|
present
(primary)
|
imperfect
(secondary)
|
active
|
mid/pass
|
active
|
mid/pass |
|
δίδωμι
δίδως
δίδωσι |
δίδομαι
δίδοσαι
δίδοται |
ἐδίδουν
ἐδίδους
ἐδίδου |
ἐδιδόμην
ἐδίδοσο
ἐδίδοτο |
|
δίδομεν
δίδοτε
διδόασι |
διδόμεθα
δίδοσθε
δίδονται |
ἐδίδομεν
ἐδίδοτε
ἐδίδοσαν1 |
ἐδιδόμεθα
ἐδίδοσθε
ἐδίδοντο |
Again note
that this only occurs in the present system.
Perfect tense
μι verbs have exactly the
same characteristics as perfect tense
ω verbs, reduplicating
initial consonants and adding
ε.
- LENGTHENED
FINAL STEM VOWEL in PRESENT ACTIVE
In the present active the final stem
vowel is lengthened, but only in the
singular.
LENGTHENED STEM
VOWEL IN THE PRESENT
ACTIVE SINGULAR
δίδωμι
|
present
(primary)
|
imperfect
(secondary)
|
active
|
mid/pass
|
active
|
mid/pass |
|
δίδωμι δίδως
δίδωσι
|
δίδομαι δίδοσαι
δίδοται
|
ἐδίδουν ἐδίδους
ἐδίδου
|
ἐδιδόμην ἐδίδοσο
ἐδίδοτο
|
|
δίδομεν δίδοτε
διδόασι
|
διδόμεθα δίδοσθε
δίδονται
|
ἐδίδομεν ἐδίδοτε
ἐδίδοσαν1
|
ἐδιδόμεθα ἐδίδοσθε
ἐδίδοντο
|
- LENGTHENED
FINAL STEM VOWEL in IMPERFECT SINGULAR
In the imperfect active indicative, the
final stem vowel is lengthened, but only
in the singular, and not always as you
might expect. In the case of
δο-, the
ο lengthens to
ου.
LENGTHENED FINAL STEM
VOWELS IN THE IMPERFECT
ACTIVE SINGULAR
δίδωμι
|
present
(primary)
|
imperfect
(secondary)
|
active
|
mid/pass
|
active
|
mid/pass |
|
δίδωμι δίδως
δίδωσι |
δίδομαι δίδοσαι
δίδοται |
ἐδίδουν
ἐδίδους
ἐδίδου |
ἐδιδόμην ἐδίδοσο
ἐδίδοτο |
|
δίδομεν δίδοτε
διδόασι |
διδόμεθα δίδοσθε
δίδονται |
ἐδίδομεν ἐδίδοτε
ἐδίδοσαν1 |
ἐδιδόμεθα ἐδίδοσθε
ἐδίδοντο |
1 Notice that the
imperfect active indicative 3rd
person plural has σαν instead
ν . But see Mark 3:6
where
ἐδίδουν occurs.
- LENGTHENED
FINAL STEM VOWEL IN FUTURE ACTIVE AND
MIDDLE AND IN AORIST ACTIVE This
will not look so strange because you have
already learned to expect the final stem
vowel of contract verbs to lengthen
before the
σ of the future and
aorist.
- UNCONTRACTED
2nd PERSON SINGULAR in MIDDLE VOICE
When the primary middle
σαι and secondary
middle
σο are attached to stems of the
present tense and imperfect tense
respectively, the
σ does not drop out
and therefore there is no contraction
such as we often see in the
ω conjugation.
UNCONTRACTED
MIDDLE 2nd PERSON SINGULAR IN THE PRESENT
SYSTEM
δίδωμι
|
present
(primary)
|
imperfect
(secondary)
|
active
|
mid/pass
|
active
|
mid/pass |
|
δίδωμι δίδως
δίδωσι |
δίδομαι δίδοσαι
δίδοται |
ἐδίδουν ἐδίδους
ἐδίδου |
ἐδιδόμην ἐδίδοσο
ἐδίδοτο |
|
δίδομεν δίδοτε
διδόασι |
διδόμεθα δίδοσθε
δίδονται |
ἐδίδομεν ἐδίδοτε
ἐδίδοσαν1 |
ἐδιδόμεθα ἐδίδοσθε
ἐδίδοντο |
- 1st
AORIST ACTIVE
δίδωμι and
τίθημι have
κ instead of
σ Also notice the
lengthening of the final stem vowel in
the active voice of the aorist tense.
κ INSTEAD OF
σ in 1st AORIST
ἔδωκα |
aorist
(secondary)
|
active
|
|
ἔδωκα
ἔδωκας
ἔδωκε |
|
ἐδώκαμεν
ἐδώκατε
ἔδωκαν |
All of that may
seem confusing, but when all is said and done,
the new μι verbs you will most often
encounter will either have the unusual
reduplication with ι in which case you will say
"μι verb!", or the
grammatical form will be easily recognized based
on the rules you already know for the
ω conjugation.