VOWEL CHANGE
[*] 27.
Quantitative Vowel Gradation.—In the formation and inflection of words a short vowel often interchanges with its corresponding long vowel. Thus
[*] 28. Difference in quantity between Attic and Epic words is due chiefly either to (1) metrical lengthening, or to (2) different phonetic treatment, as
καλϝός, τινϝω become Epic
κα_λός fair,
τί_νω I pay (37 D. 1), Attic
κα^λός, τι?́νω.
[*] 28 D. Metrical lengthening.—Many words, which would otherwise not fit into the verse, show in the Epic
ει for
ε, ου (rarely
οι) for
ο, and
α_, ι_, υ_ for
α, ι, υ. Thus,
εἰνάλιος in the sea for
ἐνάλιος, εἰαρινός vernal for
ἐαρινός, ὑπείροχος eminent for
ὑπέροχος, εἰλήλουθα have come for
ἐλήλουθα, οὐλόμενος destructive,
accursed for
ὀλόμενος, οὔρεα mountains from
ὄρος, Οὐλύμποιο of Olympus from
Ὄλυμπος. ο before a vowel appears as
οι in
πνοιή breath. Similarly,
ἠγάθεος very holy for
ἀγάθεος; but
ἠνεμόεις windy (from
ἄνεμος) has the
η of
ὑπήνεμος under the wind (
29), and
τιθήμενος placing (for
τιθέμενος) borrows
η from
τίθημι.
A short syllable under the rhythmic accent (‘ictus’) is lengthened metrically: (1) in words having three or more short syllables: the first of three shorts (
οὐλόμενος), the second of four shorts (
ὑπείροχος), the third of five shorts (
ἀπερείσια boundless); (2) in words in which the short ictus syllable is followed by two longs and a short (
Οὐλύμποιο). A short syllable not under the rhythmic accent is lengthened when it is preceded and followed by a long; thus, any vowel preceded by
ϝ (
πνείω breathe =
πνεϝω),
ι or
υ before a vowel (
προθυ_μί_ῃσι zeal).
[*] 29. The initial short vowel of a word forming the second part of a compound is often lengthened:
στρατηγός general (
στρατός army +
ἄγειν to lead 887 d).
[*] 30.
Attic η,
α_.—Attic has
η for original
α_ of the earlier period, as
φήμη report (Lat.
fāma). Ionic also has
η for original
α_. Doric and Aeolic retain original
α_ (
φά_μα_).
a. This is true also of the
α_ which is the result of early compensative lengthening, by which
-ανσ-, -ασλ-, -ασμ-, and
-ασν- changed to
-α_σ-, -α_λ-, -α_μ-, and
-α_ν-. (See 37 b.) But in a few cases like
τά_ς for
τάνς, and in
πᾶσα for
πάνσα (
113) where the combination
ανς arose at a later period,
α_ was not changed to
η. ὑφᾶναι for
ὑφῆναι to weave follows
τετρᾶναι to pierce.
b. Original
α_ became
η after
υ, as
φυή growth. In some words, however, we find
α_.
[*] 30 D. 1. Doric and Aeolic retain original
α_, as in
μᾶλον apple (cp. Lat.
mālum, Att.
μῆλον),
κᾶρυξ herald (Att.
κῆρυξ). But Doric and Aeolic have original
η when
η interchanges with
ε, as in
τίθημι I place,
τίθεμεν we place,
μά_τηρ μα_τέρα mother,
ποιμήν ποιμένι shepherd.
2. Ionic has
η after
ε, ι, and
ρ. Thus,
γενεή, σκιή, ἡμέρη.
[*] 31. In Attic alone this
η was changed back to
α_:
1. When preceded by a
ρ; as
ἡμέρα_ day,
χώρα_ country. This appears to have taken place even though an
ο intervened: as
ἀκρόα_μα a musical piece,
ἀθρόα_ collected.
EXCEPTIONS: (a) But
ρϝη was changed to
ρη: as
κόρη for
κορϝη maiden. (b) Likewise
ρη, when the result of contraction of
ρεα, remained: as
ὄρη from
ὄρεα mountains. (c) And
ρση was changed to
ρρη: as
κόρρη for
κόρση (
79)
one of the temples.
2. When preceded by
ε or
ι: as
γενεά_ generation,
σκιά_ shadow.
This change takes place even when the
η is the result of the contraction of
εα: as
ὑγιᾶ healthy,
ἐνδεᾶ lacking, for
ὑγιῆ from
ὑγιε(
ς)
α, ἐνδεῆ from
ἐνδεε(
ς)
α; also, if originally a
ϝ intervened, as
νέα_ for
νεϝα_ young (Lat.
nova).
EXCEPTIONS: Some exceptions are due to analogy:
ὑγιῆ healthy,
εὐφυῆ shapely (292 d) follow
σαφῆ clear.
[*] 32. In the choruses of tragedy Doric
α_ is often used for
η. Thus,
μά_τηρ mother,
ψυ_χά_ soul,
γᾶ earth,
δύστα_νος wretched,
ἔβα_ν went.
[*] 33. The dialects frequently show vowel sounds that do not occur in the corresponding Attic words.
[*] 33 D.
α for
ε:
ἱαρός sacred,
Ἄρταμις (for
Ἄρτεμις),
τράπω turn Dor.;
ε for
α:
θέρσος courage Aeol.,
ἔρσην male,
ὁρέω see,
τέσσερες four ( =
τέτταρες) Ion.;
α for
ο:
δια_κατίοι (for
δια_κόσιοι) 200 Dor.,
ὐπά under Aeol.;
ο for
α:
στρότος (
στρατός)
army,
ὄν (
ἀνά)
up Aeol.,
τέτορες (
τέτταρες)
four Dor.;
ε for
η:
ἕσσων inferior (
ἥττων) Ion.;
ε for
ο:
Ἀπέλλων Dor. (also
Ἀπόλλων);
ε for
ει:
μέζων greater Ion.;
ε for
ι:
κέρνα_ν mix ( =
κιρνάναι for
κεραννύναι) Aeol.;
ι for
ε:
ἱστίη hearth Ion.,
ἱστία_ Dor. (for
ἑστία_),
χρύ_σιος (
χρύ_σεος)
golden Aeol.,
θιός god Boeot.,
κοσμίω arrange Dor.;
υ for
α:
πίσυρες four (
τέτταρες) Hom.;
υ for
ο:
ὄνυμα name Dor., Aeol.,
ἀπύ from Aeol.;
ω for
ου:
ὦν accordingly Ion., Dor.
[*] 34.
Transfer of Quantity.—
ηο, ηα often exchange quantities, be coming
εω, εα_. Thus,
ληός (Epic
λα_ός folk) becomes
λεώς, as
πόληος becomes
πόλεως of a city; τεθνηότος τεθνεῶτος dead; βασιλῆα βασιλέα_ king.
[*] 34 D. Often in Ionic:
Ἀτρεΐδεω from earlier
Ἀτρεΐδα_ο son of Atreus,
ἱκέτεω from
ἱκέτα_ο suppliant. This
εω generally makes a single syllable in poetry (
60). The
ηο intermediate between
α_ο and
εω is rarely found.
[*] 35.
Qualitative Vowel Gradation.—In the same root or suffix we find an interchange among different vowels (and diphthongs) similar to the interchange in
sing,
sang,
sung.
a. This variation appears in
strong grades and in a
weak grade (including actual expulsion of a vowel—in diphthongs, of the first vowel). Thus,
φέρ-ω I carry,
φόρ-ο-ς tribute,
φώρ thief,
φαρ-έ-τρα_ quiver,
δί-φ ρ-ο-ς chariot (
twocarrier),
λείπ-ω I leave,
λέ-λοιπ-α I have left,
λιπ-εῖν to leave. The interchange is quantitative in
φόρ-ο-ς φώρ (cp.
27).
b. When, by the expulsion of a vowel in the weak grade, an unpronounceable combination of consonants resulted, a vowel sound was developed to render pronunciation possible. Thus,
ρα or
αρ was developed from
ρ between consonants, as in
πα-τρά-σι from
ṛατρ-σι (
262); and
α from
ν, as in
αὐτό-μα-το-ν for
αὐτο-μṇ-τον automaton (
acting of its own will), cp.
μέν-ο-ς rage,
μέ-μον-α I yearn. So in
ὀνομαίνω name for
ὀνομṇ-[ιγλιδε]ω; cp.
ὄνομα.
c. A vowel may also take the place of an original liquid or nasal after a consonant; as
ἔλυ_σα for
ἐλυ_ςṃ. This
ρ, λ, μ, ν in
b and
c is called sonant liquid or sonant nasal.
[*] 36. TABLE OF THE CHIEF VOWEL GRADES
N. 1.—Relatively few words show examples of all the above series of grades. Some have five grades, as
πα-τήρ, πα-τέρ-α, εὐ-πά-τωρ, εὐ-πά-τορ-α, πα-τ ρ-ός.
N. 2.—
ε and
ι vary in
πετάννυ_μι πίτνημι spread out.