Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges, Part II: Inflection, VERB-STEM AND PRESENT STEM, FIRST CONJUGATION OR VERBS IN Ω

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FIRST CONJUGATION OR VERBS IN Ω

[*] 602. Verbs in -ω have the thematic vowel -όε (-ώη-) between the tense-stem and the personal endings in the present system. The name “ω-conjugation,” or “thematic conjugation,” is applied to all verbs which form the present and imperfect with the thematic vowel.

[*] 603. Inflected according to the ω-conjugation are all thematic presents and imperfects; those second aorists active and middle in which the tense-stem ends with the thematic vowel; all futures, all first aorists active and middle; and most perfects and pluperfects active.

[*] 604. Certain tenses of verbs ending in -ω in the first person present indicative active, or of deponent verbs in which the personal endings are preceded by the thematic vowel, are inflected without the thematic vowel, herein agreeing with μι-verbs. These tenses are: all aorists passive; all perfects and pluperfects middle and passive; a few second perfects and pluperfects active; and those second aorists active and middle in which the tense-stem does not end with the thematic vowel. But all subjunctives are thematic.

[*] 605. Verbs in -ω fall into two main classes, distinguished by the last letter of the verb-stem:

1. Vowel verbs: a. Uncontracted verbs. b. Contracted verbs.

2. Consonant verbs: a. Liquid verbs. b. Stop (or mute) verbs.

N. Under 2 fall also (c) those verbs whose stems ended in ς or ϝ (624).

[*] 606. Vowel Verbs.—Vowel verbs usually do not form second aorists, second perfects, and second futures in the passive. A vowel short in the present is commonly lengthened in the other tenses. Vowel verbs belong to the first class of present stems (498-504; but see 612).

[*] 607. Vowel Verbs not contracted.—Vowel verbs not contracted have verb-stems ending in ι_^, υ_^, or in a diphthong (αι, ει, αυ, ευ, ου).

（ι) ἐσθίω eat, πρί_ω saw, χρί_ω anoint, poet. δίω fear, τί_ω honour (500. 2); (υ) ἀνύω accomplish, μεθύω am intoxicated, λύ_ω loose, θύ_ω sacrifice, φύ_ω produce, κωλύ_ω hinder (and many others, 500. 1 a); (αι) κναίω scratch, παίω strike, πταίω stumble, παλαίω wrestle, ἀγαίομαι am indignant, δαίω kindle, δαίομαι divide, λιλαίομαι desire eagerly, poet. μαίομαι desire, ναίω dwell, ῥαίω strike; (ει) κλήω (later κλείω) shut, σείω shake, Epic κείω split and rest; (αυ) αὕω kindle, θραύω break, ἀπολαύω enjoy, παύω make cease (παύομαι cease), poet. ἰαύω rest; (ευ) βασιλεύω am king, βουλεύω consult (βουλεύομαι deliberate), θηρεύω hunt, κελεύω order, λεύω stone, παιδεύω educate, χορεύω dance, φονεύω slay. Most verbs in -ευω are either denominatives, as βασιλεύω from βασιλεύς; or are due to the analogy of such denominatives, as παιδεύω. γεύομαι taste is a primitive. θέω run, νέω swim, πλέω sail, πνέω breathe, ῥέω flow, χέω pour have forms in ευ, υ; cp. poet. σεύω urge, ἀλεύω avert, ἀχεύω am grieved; (ου) ἀκούω hear, κολούω dock, κρούω beat, λούω wash.

[*] 608. Some primitive vowel verbs in -ιω, -υω (522) formed their present stem by the aid of the suffix [ιγλιδε] (y), which has been lost. Denominatives in -ιω, -υω, -ευω regularly added the suffix, as poet. μηνί-ω am wroth from μηνι-[ιγλιδε]ω (μῆνι-ς wrath), poet. δακρύ_ω weep (δάκρυ tear), poet. φι_τύ_-ω beget from φι_τυ-[ιγλιδε]ω, μεθύω am drunk, βασιλεύω am king. Poet. δηρί_ομαι, μαστίω, μητίομαι, κηκίω, ἀχλύω, γηρύω, ἰθύω.

[*] 609. The stem of some of the uncontracted vowel verbs originally ended in ς or ϝ (624).

[*] 610. Some verbs with verb-stems in vowels form presents in -νω (523), as πί_νω drink, φθί_νω perish; and in -σκω (526).

[*] 611. Vowel Verbs contracted.—Vowel verbs that contract have verb-stems ending in α, ε, ο, with some in α_, η, ω.

[*] 612. All contracted verbs form their present stem by the help of the suffix [ιγλιδε] (y), and properly belong to the Third Class (522).

[*] 613. Some contracted verbs have verb-stems which originally ended in ς or ϝ (624).

[*] 614. Liquid Verbs.—Liquid verbs have verb-stems in λ, μ, ν, ρ.

The present is rarely formed from the simple verb-stem, as in μέν-ω remain; ordinarily the suffix [ιγλιδε] (y) is added, as in στέλλω (στελ-[ιγλιδε]ω) send, κρί_νω (κρι^ν-[ιγλιδε]ω) judge, κτείνω (κτεν-[ιγλιδε]ω) slay, φαίνω (φαν-[ιγλιδε]ω) show.

[*] 614 D. πεφύρσεσθαι in Pindar is made from φύρσω (φύ_ρω knead).

[*] 615. A short vowel of the verb-stem remains short in the future but is lengthened in the first aorist (544). Thus:

a. α in the future, η in the aorist: φαίνω (φαν-) show, φανῶ, ἔφηνα. In this class fall all verbs in -αινω, -αιρω, -αλλω.

b. ε in the future, ει in the aorist: μέν-ω remain, μενῶ, ἔμεινα; στέλλω (στελ-) send, στελῶ, ἔστειλα. Here belong verbs in -ελλω, -εμω, -εμνω, -ερω, -ειρω, -ενω, -εινω.

c. ι^ in the future, ι_ in the aorist: κλί_νω (κλιν-) incline, κλι^νῶ, ἔκλι_να. Here belong verbs in -ιλλω, -ι_νω, -ι_ρω.

d. υ^ in the future, υ_ in the aorist: σύ_ρω (συρ-) drag, συ^ρῶ, ἔσυ_ρα. Here belong verbs in -υ_ρω, -υ_νω.

For the formation of the future stem see 535, of the aorist stem see 544.

[*] 616. For the perfect stem see 559. Few liquid verbs make second perfects. On the change of ε, α of the verb-stem to ο, η in the second perfect, see 478, 484.

Liquid verbs with futures in -ῶ do not form future perfects.

[*] 617. Monosyllabic verb-stems containing ε have α in the first perfect active, perfect middle, first aorist and future passive and in all second aorists, but ο in the second perfect. Thus, φθείρω (φθερ-) corrupt, ἔφθαρκα, ἔφθαρμαι, ἐφθάρην, but δι-έφθορα have destroyed (819).

[*] 618. A few monosyllabic stems do not change ε to α in the 2 aor., as τέμνω cut ἔτεμον (but ἔταμον in Hom., Hdt. etc.), γίγνομαι (γεν-) become ἐγενόμην. See also θείνω, θέρομαι, κέλομαι, root φεν-. Few liquid verbs form second aorists.

[*] 619. Stems of more than one syllable do not change the vowel of the verb-stem.

[*] 620. List of Liquid Verbs.—The arrangement is according to the classes of the present stem. Words poetic or mainly poetic or poetic and Ionic are starred.

I. βούλομαι (βουλ-ε-), ἐθέλω (ἐθελ-ε-), εἰλέω* (εἰλ-ε-), ἴλλω*, μέλλω, μέλω, πέλομαι*, φιλέω (Epic φιλ-).—βρέμω*, γέμω, δέμω*, θέρμω*, νέμω, τρέμω, and γαμέω (γαμ-ε-).—γίγνομαι (γεν-ε-), μένω, μίμνω* (μεν-), πένομαι, σθένω*, στένω, and γεγωνέω* (γεγων-ε-).—Verbs in -εμω and -ενω have only pres. and imperf., or form their tenses in part from other stems.— δέρω, ἔρομαι (ἐρ-ε-), ἔρρω (ἐρρ-ε-), θέρομαι*, στέρομαι, φέρω, ἐπαυρέω*, (ἐπαυρ-ε-), and κυρέω* (κυρ-ε-), τορέω* (τορ-ε).

III. ἀγάλλομαι, ἀγγέλλω, αἰόλλω*, ἄλλομαι, ἀτιτάλλω*, βάλλω, δαιδάλλω*, θάλλω, ἰάλλω*, ἰνδάλλομαι*, ὀκέλλω, ὀφείλω (ὀφελ-, ὀφειλε-), ὀφέλλω*, πάλλω, ποικίλλω, σκέλλω*, στέλλω, -τέλλω, τίλλω*, σφάλλω, ψάλλω.—-αινω verbs (the following list includes primitives, and most of the denominatives in classical Greek from extant ν-stems, or from stems which once contained ν; 518 a): αἵνω*, ἀσθμαίνω*, ἀφραίνω*, δειμαίνω*, δραίνω*, εὐφραίνω, θαυμαίνω, ἰαίνω*, καίνω*, κραίνω*, κυ_μαίνω*, κωμαίνω*, λυ_μαίνομαι, μελαίνομαι, ξαίνω, ὀνομαίνω*, πημαίνω*, πιαίνω*, ποιμαίνω, ῥαίνω, σαίνω, σημαίνω, σπερμαίνω*, τεκταίνομαι, φαίνω, φλεγμαίνω, χειμαίνω*, χραίνω. All other denominatives in -αινω are due to analogy; as ἀγριαίνω, αὑαίνω, γλυκαίνω, δυσχεραίνω, ἐχθραίνω, θερμαίνω, ἰσχναίνω, κερδαίνω, κοιλαίνω, κυ_δαίνω*, λεαίνω, λευκαίνω*, μαραίνω, μαργαίνω*, μιαίνω, μωραίνω, ξηραίνω, ὁρμαίνω*, ὀσφραίνομαι, πεπαίνω, περαίνω, πικραίνω, ῥυπαίνω, τετραίνω, ὑγιαίνω, ὑδραίνω*, ὑφαίνω, χαλεπαίνω.—ἀλεείνω*, γείνομαι*, ἐρεείνω*, θείνω*, κτείνω, πειρείνω*, στείνω*, τείνω, φαείνω*.—κλί_νω (κλι-ν-), κρί_νω (κρι-ν-), ὀρί_νω*, σί_νομαι (Xenoph.), ὠδί_νω.—αἰσχύ_νω, ἀλγύ_νω, ἀρτύ_νω*, βαθύ_νω, βαρύ_νω, βραδύ_νω*, ἡδύ_νω, θαρσύ_νω, ἰθύ_νω*, λεπτύ_νω, ὀξύ_νω, ὀρτύ_νω*, πλύ_νω.—αἴρω, ἀσπαίρω, γεραίρω*, ἐναίρω*, ἐχθαίρω*, καθαίρω, μαρμαίρω*, μεγαίρω*, σαίρω*, σκαίρω, τεκμαίρομαι, χαίρω (χαρ-ε-), ψαίρω.—ἀγείρω, ἀμείρω*, δείρω, ἐγείρω, εἴρομαι*, -εἴρω join, εἴρω* say, ἱμείρω*, κείρω, μείρομαι, πείρω*, σπείρω, τείρω*, φθείρω.— οἰκτί_ρω (miswritten οἰκτείρω).—κινύ_ρομαι*, μαρτύ_ρομαι, μινύ_ρομαι*, μορμύ_ρω*, μύ_ρω*, ὀδύ_ρομαι, ὀλοφύ_ρομαι, πορφύ_ρω*, σύ_ρω, φύ_ρω*.

IV. a. κάμνω, τέμνω; b. ὀφλισκάνω (ὀφλ-ε-); h. βαίνω, κερδαίνω, τετραίνω (also Class III); i. ὀσφραίνομαι (ὀσφρ-ε-), also Class III. V. See 527.

[*] 621. Stop Verbs.—Many verb stems end in a stop (or mute) consonant.

The present is formed either from the simple verb-stem, as in πλέκ-ω weave, or by the addition of τ or [ιγλιδε] (y) to the verb-stem, as in βλάπτω (βλαβ-) injure, φυλάττω (φυλακ-[ιγλιδε]ω) guard. All tenses except the present and imperfect are formed without the addition of τ or ῖ to the verb-stem; thus, βλάψω from βλαβ-σ-ω, φυλάξω from φυλακ-σ-ω.

[*] 622. Some monosyllabic stems show a variation in the quantity of the stem vowel ι or υ, as τρί_βω rub perf. τέτρι^φα, ψύ_χω cool 2 aor. pass. ἐψυ?́χην, τήκω melt (Doric τά_κω) 2 aor. pass. ἐτα?́κην. Cp. 475, 477 c, 500. Many monosyllabic stems show qualitative vowel gradation: ι ει οι; υ ευ ου; α η ω; α ε ο. For examples see 477-484.

[*] 623. List of Stop Verbs.—The arrangement of the examples is by classes of the present stem. Words poetic or mainly poetic or poetic and Ionic are starred. The determination of the final consonant of the verb-stem of verbs in -ζω, -ττω (poetic, Ionic, and later Attic -σσω) is often impossible (516).

π—I. βλέπω, δρέπω, ἔλπω*, ἐνέπω*, ἕπομαι, ἐρείπω*, ἕρπω, λάμπω, λείπω, λέπω, μέλπω*, πέμπω, πρέπει, ῥέπω, τέρπω, τρέπω.