Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

(FIRST AORIST ACTIVE AND MIDDLE)

a. In verbs showing strong and weak grades (476), the tense-suffix is added to the strong stem: πείθω ἔπεισα, τήκω ἔτηξα, πνέω ἔπνευσα, ἵστημι (στα-, στη-) ἔστησα, ἐστησάμην.

N.—τίθημι (θε-, θη-) place, δίδωμι (δο-, δω-) give, ἵ_ημι (ἑ-, ἡ-) send have aorists in -κα (ἔθηκα, ἔδωκα, ἧκα in the singular: with κ rarely in the plural). See 755.

[*] 542 D. Mixed Aorists.—Hom. has some forms of the first aorist with the thematic vowel (όε) of the second aorist; as ἄξετε, ἄξεσθε (ἄγω lead), ἐβήσετο, imper. βήσεο (βαίνω go), ἐδύ_σετο (δύω set), ἷξον (ἵ_κω come), οἶσε, οἴσετε, οἰσέμεν, οἰσέμεναι (φέρω bring), imper. ὄρσεο rise (ὄρνυ_μι rouse).

[*] 543. Vowel Verbs.—Verb-stems ending in a vowel lengthen a short final vowel before the tense-suffix (α to η except after ε, ι, ρ). Thus, τι_μάω ἐτί_μησα, ἐάω εἴα_σα (431), φιλέω ἐφίλησα.

a. χέω (χυ-, χευ-, χεϝ-) pour has the aorists ἔχεα, ἐχεάμην (Epic ἔχευα, ἐχευάμην) from ἐχευσα, ἐχευσαμην.

[*] 543 a. D. Homeric ἠλευάμην and ἠλεάμην avoided, ἔκηα burned (Att. ἔκαυσα), ἔσσευα drove, also have lost ς.

b. For verbs retaining a short final vowel see 488.

[*] 543 b. D. Hom. often has original σς, as γελάω ἐγέλασσα, τελέω ἐτέλεσσα; in others by analogy, as ὄλλυ_μι ὄλεσσα, ὄμνυ_μι ὄμοσσα, καλέω κάλεσσα.

[*] 544. Liquid Verbs.—Verb-stems ending in λ, μ, ν, ρ lose ς and lengthen their vowel in compensation (37): α to η (after ι or ρ to α_), ε to ει, ι^ to ι_, υ^ to υ_.

φαίνω (φαν-) show, ἔφηνα for ἐφανσα; περαίνω (περαν-) finish, ἐπέρα_να for ἐπερανσα; στέλλω (στελ-) send, ἔστειλα for ἐστελσα; κρί_νω (κριν-) judge, ἔκρι_να for ἐκρινσα; ἅλλομαι (ἁλ-) leap, ἡλάμην for ἡλσαμην.

a. Some verbs in -αινω (-αν-) have -α_να instead of -ηνα; as γλυκαίνω sweeten ἐγλύκα_να. So ἰσχναίνω make thin, κερδαίνω gain, κοιλαίνω hollow out, λιπαίνω fatten, ὀργαίνω be angry, πεπαίνω make ripe. Cp. 30 a.

b. The poetic verbs retaining ς in the future (536) retain it also in the aorist.

c. αἴρω (ἀρ-) raise is treated as if its verb-stem were ἀ_ρ- (contracted from ἀερ- in ἀείρω): aor. ἦρα, ἄ_ρω, ἄ_ραιμι, ἆρον, ἆραι, ἄ_ρας, and ἠράμην, ἄ_ρωμαι, ἀ_ραίμην, ἄ_ρασθαι, ἀ_ράμενος.

d. ἤνεγκα is used as the first aorist of φέρω bear. εἶπα is rare for εἶπον (549).

[*] 544 D. Hom. has Ionic -ηνα for -α_να after ι or ρ. Aeolic assimilates ς to a liquid; as ἔκριννα, ἀπέστελλα, ἐνέμματο, συνέρραισα (= συνείρα_σα). Cp. Hom. ὤφελλε (ὀφέλλω increase).

[*] 545. Stop Verbs.—Labial (π, β, φ) and palatal (κ, γ, χ) stops at the end of the verb-stem unite with ς to form ψ or ξ. Dentals (τ, δ, θ) are lost before ς (cp. 98).

πέμπ-ω send ἔπεμψα, ἐπεμψάμην; βλάπτω (βλαβ-) injure ἔβλαψα; γράφ-ω write ἔγραψα, ἐγραψάμην; πλέκ-ω weave ἔπλεξα, ἐπλεξάμην; λέγ-ω say ἔλεξα; ταράττω (ταραχ-) disturb ἐτάραξα, ἐταραξάμην; poetic ἐρέσσω (ἐρετ-) row ἤρεσα; φράζω (φραδ-) tell ἔφρασα, ἐφρασάμην; πείθ-ω (πιθ-, πειθ-, ποιθ-) persuade ἔπεισα.

a. On forms in ς from stems in γ see 516.

[*] 545 D. Hom. often has σς from dental stems, as ἐκόμισσα ἐκομισσάμην (κομίζω). Doric has -ξα from most verbs in -ζω; Hom. also has ξ (ἥρπαξε). See 516 D.