V. THE VERB: CONJUGATION
1. In the study of the verb four points are to be considered: stem; tense-signs; theme vowels (short in indicative, imperative, infinitive, and participial modes; long in the subjunctive and merged in a diphthong in the optative); and personal endings.
2. The stem is the basic part of the inflected word. To this are appending the various signs, as above, which in verb analysis must again be cut off. E. g., τι-μά-ω, I honor, stem τῑμᾰ. Bt. 157-61; Gl. 248; Gn. 404-7, 153; H.A. 153.
3. The tenses of the verb are called primary or secondary as they have to do with present (or future) or past time. Taking the verb λύω as a model we have:
| Primary | Secondary |
| Present, stem λυ- | Imperfect, stem ἐ-λυ |
| Future, stem λυσ- | Aorist, stem ἐ-λυς |
| Perfect, stem λε-λυκ- | Pluperfect, stem ἐ-λε-λυκ |
| Future perfect, stem λε-λυσ | |
| Bt. 162; Gl. 311; Gn. 717; H.A. 372. | |
4. The future tenses (future, future perfect) are indicated by a σ(+ ο/ε) appended to the stem, as λύ-ω, λύ-σω, λε-λύ-σ-ο-μαι, λύ-θή-σ-ο-μαι. Bt. 212; Gn. 662; Gl. 277; H.A. 372.
5. The perfect tenses (perfect, future perfect, pluperfect) are indicated by (1) the doubling of the stem (i. e., repeating the initial consonant with ε—), and (2) in the active voice by an affixed —κ— (cf. Latin —v—). E. g., λύ-ω perf. λέ-λυ-κα (for λύ-λυ-κα).
Note 1.—If the verb begins with a middle or rough mute, the reduplication occurs with the corresponding smooth mute (cf. I,3). E. g., πέ-φυ-κα (for φέ-φυ-κα). Bt. 162; Gl. 287; Gn. 455; H.A. 300-3.
6. Secondary tenses are indicated generally be the prefix ἐ—, e.g., ἔ-λυ-ο-ν, ἐ-λε-λύ-κ-ε-μεν. In case the verb itself begins with a vowel, the initial vowel is lengthened. E.g., ἀ-κού-ω, ἤ-κου-ο-ν. Bt. 171-2; Gl. 264, 293; Gn. 465, 3; H.A. 354-7.
7. The theme vowel immediately follows the stem. In the indicative it is —ο— before μ and ν, otherwise —ε—; in the subjunctive, —ω—or —η—; in the optative (mode vowel), —οι— or —αι— (aorist passive indicative, —ει—). E. g., ἔ-λυ-ο-ν, ἕ-λυ-ε-ς, λύ-ω-μαι, λύ-η-ται, λυ-οί-μην, λυ-σαί-μην. Bt. 159-60; Gl. 294-5; Gn. 568, 719, 730; H.A. 372.
(1) In aorist tenses except second aorist and aorist passive, the theme vowel is —α—.
(2) In the perfect active the them vowel is —α—, in the pluperfect active it is —ε—.
(3) In the pluperfect middle and passive the theme vowel is omitted. E. g., λε-λύ-σ-α-μεν, λε-λύ-κ-α-τε, ἐ-λε-λύ-κ-ε-μεν, λέ-λυ-μαι, ἐ-λε-λύ-μην. Bt. 201, 222-4; Gl. 279, 288-9, 298; Gn. 669, 682-3, 698; H.A. 428, 446, 459, 461-3.
8. The sign of the passive voice is often —θε—, sometimes lengthened to —θη— in conjugation, e. g., λυ-θή-σ-ο-μαι. Bt. 231-2; Gl. 302; Gn. 707; H.A. 468.
9. The person of the verb is indicated by a letter or syllable (in origin a personal pronoun) added to end of verb. E. g., λύ-ο-μαι, ἔ-λυ-ο-ν.
10. The middle and passive voices are alike except in two tenses, the future and the aorist. Bt. 167; Gl. 263; Gn. 552; H.A. 376-80.
11. There are two sets (or double sets) of personal ending; one set for the active (primary and secondary) tenses, and one for the tenses of the middle and passive (except second aorist and aorist passive). Bt. 166; Gl. 263, 271; Gn. 551-3; H.A. 375.
12. The personal ending may be shown thus:
| Primary Tenses | |||
| Sing. |  | ||
| —ω | —μαι | ||
| —εις | —σαι | ||
| —ει | —ται | ||
| Dual | | ||
| —τον | —σθον | ||
| —τον | —σθην | ||
| Plur. | | ||
| —μεν | —μεθα | ||
| —τε | —σθε | ||
| —ουσι(ν) | —νται | ||
| Secondary Tenses | |||
| Sing. | | ||
| —ν | —μην | ||
| —ς | —σο | ||
| — — | —το | ||
| Dual | | ||
| —τον | —σθον | ||
| —την | —σθην | ||
| Plur. | | ||
| —μεν | —μεθα | ||
| —τε | —σθε | ||
| —ν | —ντο | ||
(1) The longer, softer endings generally indicate middle or passive voice.
(2) In verbs as in noun the dual is less frequent in later Greek.
13. The endings of the active participle to indicate gender are respectively —ων, —ουσα, —ον. The form —ουσα is of the first declension; the others (—οντ, Gn. 25; Gl. 119) are of the third.
14. Middle participles are of the first and second declensions and may be recognized by the syllable —μεν—. E. g., λυ-ό-μεν-ος.
15. The active infinitive regularly ends in —ειν —εν + theme vowel —ε—, contracted, —ειν). E. g., λύ-ειν (for λυ-ε-εν). The passive and middle (i.e., when used as passive) infinitives regularly end in —σθαι. E. g., λύ-ε-σθαι, λύ-σ-α-σθαι. The aorist passive infinitive ends in —ναι. E. g., λυ-θῆ-ναι. Bt. 167; Gl. 162, 273, 275; Gn. 301, 334.
16. Variations from the regular forms occur in the endings of the imperative:
| Active | Middle and Passive | |||||
| Sing. | | |||||
| 2. | —, aorist —ν (—θι, —ς) | —σο aorist —αι | ||||
| (contracts with con. vowels ιο —ον) | ||||||
| 3. | —τω | —σθω | ||||
| Dual | | |||||
| 2. | —τον | —σθον | ||||
| 3. | —των | —σθων | ||||
| Plur. | | |||||
| 2. | —τε | —σθε | ||||
| 3. | —ντων (or τωσαν) | —σθων (or —σθωσαν) | ||||
| Bt. 167; Gl. 270-2; Gn. 746; H.A. 376. | ||||||
17. The principal parts of the verb (which should be memorized) are the first person singular of the active indicative present, future, first aorist, and perfect; the middle perfect; and the passive aorist. Bt 162-3; Gl. 311; Gn. 462-5; H.A. 304c.
18. A small class of verbs (about equal to the number of irregular verbs in English) retain the more primitive personal endings (e.g., act. ind. pres. sing., —μι, —σι, —τι, remains of old pronominal forms). Of such are τί-θη-μι, δί-δω-μι, ἴ-στη-μι. Bt. 251-8; Gl. 372-4; Gn. 500-509; H.A. 476-92.
19. Certain verbs with vowel stems, as τιμά-ω, φιλέ-ω, δηλό-ω, by contraction with initial vowels in the personal endings assume forms not found in the regular verb paradigms. E. g., τιμά-εις, τίμᾶς; ἐ-τίμα-ε, ἐτίμα; ἐ-τίμα-ο-ν, ἐ-τίμων. Bt. 248-50; Gl. 313-15; Gn. 492-94; H.A. 337-41. For changes in accent see: Bt. 65; Gl. 29, Gn. 117; H.A. 37-39.
(1) These forms are best studied as they occur by reference to the grammars.