Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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[*] 476. Vowel Gradation (35, 36).—Verbs of the first class show a variation between a strong grade (or two strong grades) and a weak grade. The weak grades, ι^, υ^, α^, appear especially in the second aorist and second passive systems; the corresponding strong grades, ει (οι), ευ (ου), η (ω), appear usually in the other systems (οι, ου, ω, in the second perfect).

a. Expulsion of a short vowel between consonants (so-called syncope 493) produces a weak form of the stem of the same grade as ι, υ, α (36). Cp. γί-γν-ομαι become (aor. ἐ-γεν-ό-μην), ἐ-πτ-ό-μην (pres. πέτ-ο-μαι fly) with ἔ-λιπ-ο-ν, ἔ-φυγ-ο-ν, ἐ-τάκ-η-ν (477 c). So ἔ-σχ-ο-ν got from ἔχ-ω have.

b. α is the weak form of η (α_), as in τήκω ἐτάκην; and of ε, when ε has λ, μ, ν, ρ before or after it, as in τρέπω, ἐτράπην (479).