Module 9

The Verb and μι-Verbs εἰμί, δίδωμι, τίθημι

The Verb

In Greek and in English, verbs have the same definition and functions. Verbs are words that represent actions (throw) and states of being (be or exist). They differ in the same fundamental way that Greek nouns differ from their English counterparts: they use endings to create meaning in a way that English does not. The Greek verb (ῥῆμα) in its finite form has an ending that indicates what person and number the subject is. The Greek infinitive has an ending that indicates that it is unmarked for person and number.

In this module you will see how the Greek verb functions with three μι-verbs: εἰμί, δίδωμι, and τίθημι.

Finite Verbs

The finite verbs I run or we run have a person I or we and a number, singular I or plural we. Note that the combination of a verb with its subject forms a clause.

Infinitives

Infinitives are not marked for person or number. In English the infinitive is preceded by to. To run, to go, to walk, to carry, to mark, and to sing are all infinitives and are all unmarked for person and for number.

Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

Verbs are either intransitive or transitive. Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object. εἰμί I am is an intransitive verb. Transitive verbs take a direct object. ὁράω I see is a transitive verb. It takes a direct object. In the sentence, ὁράω αὐτόν I see him, αὐτόν is the direct object of the transitive verb ὁράω.

Some verbs can be intransitive or transitive depending upon their use in context. For example the English verb walk is intransitive in the sentence, I walk to the store. And it is transitive in the sentence I walk my dog to the store. Dog functions as the direct object of walk. Consider the verb smell. In the sentence, the flower smells good, the verb smell is intransitive and describes a quality of the flower’s aromatic existence. In the sentence I smell the sauteeing onions and garlic, the verb smell is transitive and represents an action that I perform. Onions and garlic function as the direct objects of smell. Module 30 has practice translating exercises with the μι-verb ἵστημι, which can be both intransitive and transitive.

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs connect two items in a sentence. The verb to be is the most common linking verb. In the sentence she is a doctor, the verb is connects the subject she and the predicate nominative doctor. In the sentence he is hungry, the verb is connects the subject he and the predicate adjective hungry. Some common linking verbs in English are these: appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn. Some common linking verbs in Greek are these: γίγνομαι be, be born; δοκέω seem; εἰμί be; κεῖμαι lie, remain; and φαίνω seem. The two items connected by the linking verb are in the same case, which in Greek is typically nominative. In the examples below, the linking verbs are bolded and the words in the same case are underlined.

Verb Tense

English and Greek have a variety of verb tenses which express time. Tense refers to the times of the past, present, and future. Each tense indicates when the action of the verb occurs. The present tense indicates action that is currently happening. The future tense refers to an event that will happen at some later point. The past tense refers to actions that have already occurred.

Tense-Aspect

Time (tense) refers to the past, present, and future. Aspect refers to whether an action is incomplete (imperfective), completed (perfective), or in a state (stative). The present tense stem, which is used to form the present and imperfect tenses, communicates an incomplete action. The beginnings and ends of the action are undefined. Thus the tense-aspect for the present is present ongoing or repeated, and the tense-aspect for the imperfect is past ongoing or repeated (imperfective). The aorist tense stem communicates a completed action as a single whole. The boundaries of the action’s beginning and end define the action as completed (perfective). The tense-aspect of the perfect and future perfect (not covered in this text due to its rarity) have a completed state that results from a previous completed action or have a completed state (stative) whose effects are still relevant. The future tense stems have a temporal value but no aspect, showing no distinction between the imperfective (incomplete) and perfective (completed) aspect (CGCG 33.4–6).

In sum the aspects are three: incomplete, completed, or stative. In English, aspect depends upon verb tense and context. In Greek, verb tense is a clearer determinant of aspect, though context still matters.

Verb Mood

English has these moods: the conditional, imperative, indicative, infinitive, and subjunctive.

The conditional mood uses the helping verbs could, might, should, would. For the conditional mood, the proposition (could, might, should, would) depends on a condition (if). In this sentence,

If I show you my weak side, would you take me home?,

upon the successful conclusion of the conditional if, the proposition may be fulfilled.

The imperative mood gives someone a command,

So kick back, dig, while we do it.

Here the mood of the verb kick gives a command that may or may not be fulfilled.

The indicative is the mood of fact. This mood makes declarations that are presented as true. In this sentence,

Generals are gathered in their masses,

we are to believe that the generals have crowded together.

The infinitive is unmarked for person and number. Ιt is classified as a verbal noun and is best understood by thinking of its function as completing or enhancing the meaning of adjectives, clauses, nouns, and verbs. This is why the infinitive is referred to as a complement. Sometimes classified as a mood, the infinitive is potential in meaning, ἐν δυνάμει, because its action may or may not be realized. In this phrase,

standing in line to see the show tonight,

there is no guarantee that the person standing in line will get to see the show.

The subjunctive mood communicates ideas that are contrafactual, hypothetical, or uncertain.

I wish you were here.

I ask that he be still a moment and this mystery explore.

Oi, where be the bar, John?

Be, explore, and were are all subjunctives. In the first sentence the were is contrafactual, indicating that the subject I is in fact not here. Contrast this contrafactual sentence with the factual one: we were two lost souls. The two weres are identical in form but not in function. Context enables us to understand the difference in meaning between them. Be and explore both refer to events in the future that may or may not be fulfilled. In the third sentence the be expresses uncertainty as to where the bar be.

Greek also has five moods: imperative (command); indicative (factual statements usually); infinitive (potential); optative (factual or hypothetical); and subjunctive (hypothetical). English often uses helping verbs such as may, might, should to express hypothetical or uncertain situations that Greek expresses through a verb’s mood.

Verb Voice

English has two voices: active, (she throws) and passive, (she is thrown). Greek has three voices: active, middle, and passive.

Active Voice. In the active voice the subjects perform the verb’s action. In the sentence

she throws,

she performs the act of throwing and so throws is active voice.

Passive Voice. In passive voice the action of the verb is performed upon the subject. In the sentence,

she is thrown,

the act of throwing is performed upon the subject she. The verb is thrown is passive voice.

Middle Voice. Middle voice expresses actions the subjects perform upon themselves or actions that the subjects are personally interested in. Greek uses the middle voice to translate the English sentence,

she washes herself,

λούεται.

Greek also uses the middle voice to translate the sentence,

she has her daughters educated,

παιδεύεται τὰς θυγάτερας.

In sum the voices are three. The Greek active and passive voices function just as they do in English. English does not have a middle voice. The Greek middle voice, covered in more detail in Module 19, often has a reflexive meaning: I see myself; I wash my hands. Typically you will translate it via the English active voice.

Principal Parts

English and Greek verbs have principal parts. In English the principal parts are these: go, went, gone, going. Speakers of English use these principal parts to compose the variety of tenses, moods, and voices the English verb enjoys.

Greek verbs have these six principal parts:

From these six principal parts are formed all the various tenses, moods, and voices the Greek verb enjoys.

Practice with Verbs in English. Read (or sing) this song by Little Richard and give as much information as you can about each verb. Check your answers with those in the Answer Key.

[Intro]

La, la, la da da da da da

[Verse 1]

I hope that I should live to see

When every man should know he’s free

Prayers and suffrage from the past

All make our heart to be this sad

[Chorus]

I got my duty rock and roll

Now everybody, everybody, everybody’s got to be free, y’all

[Refrain]

La, la, la da da da da da

[Verse 2]

Let’s get rid of that old man, hey hey hey hey

And bring our government up to date

It may seem very hard to do

Just open your mind, let love come through

[Chorus]

You hear me calling, hear my plea

Everybody, everybody, everybody’s gotta be free

Oh yes!

[Refrain]

La, la, la da da da da da

[Verse 3]

We did our thing and we paid our dues

And let’s get rid of these freedom blues

It may seem very hard to do

Just open your mind, let love come through

[Chorus]

I got my duty rock and roll

Now everybody, everybody, everybody’s got to be free, y’all

[Outro]

La, la, la da da da da

The purpose of this exercise is to have you think actively about how the English verb conveys meaning. In doing this exercise reflect on how much you intuitively know about your native language. Also look to transfer this knowledge to your understanding of the Greek verb.

The μι-Verb εἰμί

εἰμί frequently occurs. In all languages the verb to be is used so frequently that its forms resist change and they tend to be highly irregular. The finite forms of verbs indicate person and number. Because the forms of εἰμί are unique, it is difficult at first to discern the person and number of each form. When you learn δίδωμι, τίθημι, and the omega- or ω-verb, you will understand clearly how verb endings indicate person and number.

Memorize the below forms of εἰμί. Note that each form of the verb contains its own subject. The Greek language does have equivalents for the English pronouns I, you, he, she, it; we, you, they. You will learn them in detail in Module 18. Greek often does not state them separately from the verb. Contrast εἰμί I am with ἐγὼ εἰμί I am. εἰμί without the pronoun ἐγώ occurs more frequently. When the ancient Greek pronoun is present, it is often there for emphasis or for contrast or for sound or for some other aesthetic or practical reason.

Memorize εἰμί so that you are able to recite and write the forms, going from Greek to English and vice versa. Remember that present refers to time now; that the indicative is used to state facts; and that in active voice the subject performs the verb’s action or state of being.

Present Indicative Active of εἰμί

1. The letter nu in the third person singular and plural is a nu-movable. It may be added to the ending when the following word begins with a vowel or at the end of clauses or verses. Otherwise it is left off.

Present Infinitive Active of εἰμί

1. All forms but εἶ and εἶναι are enclitic. Enclitics are pronounced closely with the word that precedes them. Some common ones are the adverbs γε, ποθέν, ποι, ποτέ, που, πως, and τοι; the conjunction τε; the pronouns με, μοι, μου, σε, σοι σου, τι, and τις; and the verbs εἰμί, φημί. Enclitics sometimes have an accent and sometimes do not. They can also affect the accent of the word that precedes them. How they do is covered in Part II of the 21st-Century series.

Practice Translating εἰμί. Translate the sentences below, which have been adapted from Lucian’s The Ass, ὁ Ὄνος. Remember the meanings and functions of the cases presented in Module 7. Nominative case endings are bolded and genitive endings are italicized. Also in these sentences, the definite article, which will be learned systematically in Modules 11 and 12, is present in these forms: τῆς, τό, τῶν. Translate each one as the. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.

1. ἐκ Ὑπάτης πόλεως τῆς Θετταλίας εἰμί.
2. ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἶ.
3. πλησίον ἤδη τῆς πόλεώς ἐσμεν.
4. ἐγὼ μὲν ἔρομαι εἰ ἔνδον ἐστέ.
5. τὸ δὲ οἰκίδιον οὕτως μικρόν ἐστι.
6. ἐγὼ Ἄβροιά εἰμι· ποῖ δέ καὶ κατάγῃ;
7. σὺ δὲ καὶ νέη εἶ καὶ καλή;
8. τὸ χωρίον ἐστί τῆς ὁδοῦ τραχύ.
9. σὺ δὲ νέος εἶ καὶ εὔτονος παλαιστής;
10. οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἄπειροι τῆς τέχνης εἰσίν.

Adverbs and Verbs

Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns

1. The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.

The μι-Verbs δίδωμι and τίθημι

Though not as numerous as omega- or ω-verbs, μι-verbs occur frequently. μι-verbs conjugate differently from ω-verbs in some tenses, typically the present, imperfect, aorist, and sometimes the perfect. In conjugating these verb forms, learn which stem to combine with which ending. The stem is the base of the word to which the ending is joined. Once you have the correct stem and ending, combine them to create the correct form. You may memorize the stems and endings or you may learn how to combine stems and endings so that you can recognize the forms as you encounter them. In the readings that occur in the textbook, use your knowledge of δίδωμι give and τίθημι put, place to identify the present indicative active forms of other μι-verbs, including ἀπόλλυμι kill, lose; die; δείκνυμι show, display; ἵημι release, hurl, send; (mid.) hasten and ἵστημι place, stand, make stand.

Present Tense Stems

Use the long vowel grade stem for the singular (I, you, he, she, it) and the short vowel grade for the plural (we, you, they). Note that the stems differ even within the same tense, mood, and voice.

Present Tense Endings

Add to the correct tense stem.

Readers of Euripides of Athens, Εὐριπίδης ὁ Ἀθηναῖος, c. 480–406 BCE.
Readers of Euripides tend to view him in polarized ways. There are those who think that he criticized traditional religion and shocked contemporaries by representing mythical figures as everyday, unheroic people or even as abnormal or neurotic personalities. Others view him as conventionally religious. He is considered by some a misogynist because of his unsparing analysis of feminine passion. Others view him as highly sympathetic to the plight of women. Euripides’ enormous range spans these contradictory tendencies: he is both a rationalist and a romantic; he both criticizes the traditional gods and celebrates religion; some of his plays are more comic than tragic with happy endings, while others are bitter tragedies. He incorporates the new intellectual and scientific movements into his works but also conveys the irresistible power of the irrational. In modern times, Euripides has come to be increasingly appreciated for his intellectual subtlety, bold and original dramatic power, brilliant psychological insight, and ability to elicit unexpected symbolic meaning from ancient myth and cult.

Practice Translating δίδωμι. Translate the sentences below, which have been adapted from Euripides’ Medea (Μήδεια). Remember the meanings and functions of the cases presented in Module 7. Nominative case endings are bolded, dative endings are highlighted, and accusative endings are underlined. Also in the sentences the definite article, which will be learned systematically in Modules 11 and 12, is present in these forms: ἡ, τῇ, τό, τόν. Translate each one as the. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.

1. οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ἄλλος τὸν παῖδα ἐκδίδωσιν αὐτῇ.
2. ἡ γυνὴ τῇ παιδὶ τιτθόν δίδωσιν.
3. τὸ ὄχημα ῞Ηλιος δίδωσιν αὐτῇ.
4. τὸν κόσμον ῞Ηλιος δίδωσιν αὐτῇ.
5. Φοῖβος αὐτῇ φάρμακα δίδωσιν.
6. καὶ οὐκ αὐτὴ αὐτὸν προδίδωσιν.
7. αὐτῇ διδόναι χάριν προθύμη εἰμί.
8. τῇ νύμφῃ διδόᾱσιν δῶρα.
9. καὶ αὐτὴν προδίδοτε.
10. δίκην αὐτῇ καὶ αὐτῷ δίδως.

Verbs

*δίδωμι give; δίκην δίδωμι I pay the penalty; δίδωμι χάριν I give thanks

ἐκδίδωμι give up, surrender, give out (of one’s house), give (in marriage)

προδίδωμι betray, abandon, give up (to an enemy)

Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns

1. The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.

Practice Translating τίθημι. Translate the sentences below, which have been adapted from Euripides’ Alkestis, (Ἄλκηστις). Remember the meanings and functions of the cases presented in Module 7. Nominative case endings are bolded; genitive endings are italicized; dative endings are highlighted; and accusative endings are underlined. Also in the sentences the definite article, which will be learned systematically in Modules 11 and 12, is present in this form: τούς. Translate it as the. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.

1. Ἄδμητος: ποῖ πόδα τίθημι; ποῖ ἵστημι; τί λέγω;
2. Χορός: ἦ βαρυδαίμονα σὲ μήτηρ τίκτει.
3. Ἄδμητος: Ἅιδου ἐπιθυμέω δώματα ναίειν.
4. Χορός: τὰ ἄνω κάτω τίθης καὶ ζηλόεις τοὺς φθιμένους;
5. Ἄδμητος: γυναῖκα Ἅιδῃ Θάνατος παραδίδωσιν.
6. Χορός: σύ γε πάσχεις αἰαγμάτων ἄξια.
7. Ἄδμητος: ψυχὴν Ἅιδῃ ἐν χερσὶ τίθημι· οὐ γὰρ αὐγὰς θέλω προσοράειν.
8. Χορός: δι’ ὀδύνας βαίνεις· σάφα τοῦτο οἶδα.
9. Ἄδμητος: τί γὰρ ἀνδρί ἐστι κακὸν μεῖζον ἔχειν;
10. Χορός: θρόνον τίθης ἐμοὶ ἀλλὰ πέρας δέ γ’ οὐκ ἀλγέων τίθης.

Adverbs and Verbs

Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns

1. The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.

Practice Parsing Greek Sentences. Parse each word of the sentences found below. For nouns and pronouns, give case and function. For verbs, give person, number, tense, mood, and voice. For adverbs and conjunctions, identify them. For prepositional phrases, give the preposition and the preposition’s object.

ἐγὼ μὲν ἔρομαι εἰ ἔνδον ἐστέ.

δίκην αὐτῇ καὶ αὐτῷ δίδως.

Check your answers with those in the Answer Key.

Module 9 Top 250 Vocabulary to be Memorized. Like learning the alphabet and endings, memorizing vocabulary is essential to acquiring language. The better you memorize the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary words, the greater mastery of the language you will have.

Verbs

δίδωμι give; allow ‘x’ in dat. or acc. + inf., ἐμὲ (έμοί) εὐτυχέειν δίδως you allow me to prosper

εἰμί be, be possible

ἵημι release, hurl, send; (mid.) hasten

πάρειμι be near, be present; (imper.) be possible

φημί say, affirm, assert