SHORTENING, ADDITION, AND OTHER VOWEL CHANGES
[*] 39.
Shortening.—A long vowel may be shortened before another long vowel:
βασιλέων from
βασιλήων of kings,
νεῶν from
νηῶν of ships,
τεθνεώς from
τεθνηώς dead.
[*] 39 D. In the Ionic genitive of  stems (214 D. 8)
-εων is from
-ηων out of
-α_ων. So in Ionic
βασιλέα from
βασιλῆα king. So even before a short vowel in Hom.
ἥρω^ος, ἥρω^ι hero (cp. 148 D. 3).
[*] 40. A long vowel before
ι, υ, a nasal, or a liquid + a following consonant was regularly shortened:
να^ῦς from original
να_υς ship,
ἐμίγεν from
ἐ-μιγη-ντ were mixed. The long vowel was often introduced again, as Ion.
νηῦς ship.
[*] 41.
Addition.—
α, ε, ο are sometimes prefixed before
λ, μ, ρ, ϝ (
prothetic vowels). Thus,
ἀ-λείφω anoint with oil,
λίπος fat; ἐ-ρυθρός red (cp. Lat.
ruber),
ἐ-είκοσι from
ἐ-(
ϝ)
είκοσι; ὀ-μόργνυ_μι wipe; ἐ-χθές and
χθές yesterday,
ἴ-κτις weasel (
κτιδέη weasel-skin helmet) are doubtful cases.
[*] 42.
Development.—A medial vowel is sometimes developed from
λ or
ν between two consonants; thus
αλ, λα; αρ, ρα; αν (35 b). Also (rarely) in forms like Ion.
βάραγχος = Att.
βράγχος hoarseness.
[*] 43.
Disappearance.—The
ι and
υ of diphthongs often disappear before a following vowel. Thus,
ὑός from
υἱός son,
βο-ός genitive of
βοῦ-ς ox,
cow.
ι and
υ here became semivowels (
[ιγλιδε], [υγλιδε]), which are not written. Cp. 148 D. 3.
[*] 43 D. So in Hdt.
κέεται for
κείεται lies,
βαθέα for
βαθεῖα deep.
[*] 44.
a. The disappearance of
ε before a vowel is often called hyphaeresis (
ὑφαίρεσις omission). Thus Ionic
νοσσός chick for
νεοσσός, ὁρτή for
ἑορτή festival; ἀδεῶς fearlessly for
ἀδεέως. Here
ε was sounded nearly like
y and was not written.
[*] 44 a. D. Cp. Hom.
θεοί A 18 (one syllable).
ι becomes
[ιγλιδε] in Hom.
πόλιος (two syllables)
Φ 567.
ι rarely disappears:
δῆμον for
δήμιον belonging to the people M 213.
b. The disappearance of a short vowel between consonants is called syncope (
συγκοπή cutting up). Thus
πί_πτω fall for
πι-πετ-ω, πατρός father for
πατέρος. Syncopated forms show the weak grade of vowel gradation (
35,
36).
[*] 45.
Assimilation.—A vowel may be assimilated to the vowel standing in the following syllable:
βιβλίον book from
βυβλίον (
βύβλος papyrus).
a. On assimilation in distracted verbs (
ὁρόω see, etc.), see
643 ff., 652.