Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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SECOND CONJUGATION OR VERBS IN MI

[*] 717. Verbs in -μι usually have no thematic vowel between the tense-stem and the personal endings in the present system (except in the subjunctive). The name “μι-conjugation,” or “non-thematic” conjugation,” is applied to all verbs which form the present and imperfect without the thematic vowel.

[*] 718. Of verbs ending in -μι the following tenses are inflected according to the μι-conjugation (except in the subjunctive): all non-thematic presents and imperfects; all aorists passive; all perfects and pluperfects middle; those second aorists active and middle in which the tense-stem does not end with the thematic vowel; one verb (ἵστημι) in the second perfect and pluperfect active.

[*] 719. Certain tenses of verbs ending in -μι in the first person present indicative active, or in -μαι in the present middle (and passive) when not preceded by the thematic vowel, are inflected according to the ω-conjugation. These tenses are: all futures, all first aorists active and middle, most perfects and pluperfects active, and all subjunctives. Verbs in -νυ_μι regularly inflect the subjunctive and the optative according to the ω-conjugation. Furthermore, the 2 sing. in the present and 2 and 3 sing. in the imperfect active of certain verbs, and some other forms, follow the ω-conjugation (746).

[*] 720. Verbs in -μι add the endings directly either to the verb-stem (here a root) or after the suffixes νυ or νη. Hence three classes are to be distinguished.

A. Root class; as φη-μί say, verb-stem (and root) φα-, φη-. This class often shows reduplication in the present and imperfect, as δίδω-μι give.

N.—Two verbs have verb-stems ending in a consonant: εἰμί am (ἐσ-μι) and ἧμαι sit (ἡσ-μαι).

B. -νυ- class; as δείκ-νυ_-μι show, verb-stem δεικ-, present stem δεικνυ_^-.

C. A few verbs, mainly poetical, add να-, νη-; as σκίδ-νη-μι σκίδ-ναμεν scatter, δάμ-νη-μι δάμ-να-μεν, subdue.

[*] 721. Deponent verbs without the thematic vowel are inflected according to the μι-conjugation.