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The Greek Verb System
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SUMMARY
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TENSE!
One-time!
Past!
Ongoing!
Present!
Complete
Future
State fact!
Imperative: State expectation!
Active: Doing!
Middle: Doing-to-self!
Passive: Being-done-to
Subjunctive: State should!
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State wish!
Infinitive: Moodless!
[Participle: Verbal adj.]
RECIPIENT!
LATER
LESS REAL!
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Optative:
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PERFECTIVE
Indicative: Agency
AGENT
Reality
MORE REAL
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ASPECT!
EARLIER
PUNCTUAL
Time
PROGRESSIVE
Singular: 1!
Dual: 2 (rare)!
Plural: several
FEW
1st: I !
2nd: You!
3rd: He/she/it
MANY!
MORE INTIMATE
Quantity
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Intimacy
LESS INTIMATE!
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A B O U T
The verb is the dynamic core of the ancient Hellenic language. By changes in their ending
(inflection), Greek verbs can fluctuate along five spectrums, whose names come down to us by
way of Latin grammarians as “person,” “number,” “tense,” “mood,” and “voice.” !
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PERSON
NUMBER
TENSE
MOOD
VOICE
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T H E
When we parse an instance of the verb (for example, the form λύει from λύω), we locate it along
these spectrums. Thus λύει is the 3rd person, singular number, present tense, indicative mood,
active voice form of λύω. Because these spectrums are very diverse, the verb is very powerful
and expressive. The Greek verb can also be used to form adjectives (by the participle: λύων,
“loosening”) and nouns (by the articular infinitive—adding a neuter singular article before the
infinitive thus: τὸ λύειν, “the [business of] loosening”).!
V E R B
The Greek verb expresses its “fluctuations” through changes in the parts that surround the root
or stem (-λυ- in the case of λύω). !
• The most common change is in the ending after the stem. Thus λύ-ω (comprised of the stem λυ- and the 1st person singular present indicative active ending –ω) changes to λύ-ει to mark
a shift in person, from 1st to 3rd. !
• You’ll have noticed that the beginning of the verb can change around the root too, thanks to
the augment which signals past time in the indicative moods: ἐ-λύ-… is past tense (e.g., in the
imperfect or aorist). When we encounter the perfective forms, you’ll meet one more change to
the beginning of verbs: reduplication which signals completion, thus: λε-λυ-…!
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HISTORY
The Latin grammatical terms we use for these “spectrums” of the verbs seem weird, don’t they?
They were coined by ancient Roman grammarians working in Latin—but those grammarians
were actually translating Greek thinkers who had originated the practice of gramar. (Why do
we use the Latin terms instead of the Greek ones? Primarily because the Renaissance scholars
who brought Greek texts back to Europe spoke fluent Latin, then the language of learning). !
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Turn over page
Greek 200, Term 2
Handout 1: The Greek Verb
Page 1
The Greek Verb System
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History, continued. Here are the Latin grammatical terms with their Greek precedents, & a
translation of the Greek:!
English term & date (OED)
Latin term
Greek term
Meaning
person (1398)
persona
πρόσωπον
“mask,” “persona”
number (1398)
numerus
ἀριθμός
“number,” “count”
tense (1388)
tempus
χρόνος
“time”
mood (1450)
modus
ἐγκλισις
“incline,” “slope”
voice (1382)
modus
διάθεσις
“arrangement,” “force”
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A full list of grammatical terms in English, Latin and Greek (and the dates of the former) has
been compiled by Brian Lanter. It is accessible online at http://www.unm.edu/~blanter/
Grammar_Term_Origins.pdf. Enjoy!!
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THE GREEK VERB: A BIRD’S EYE VIEW
For a bird’s eye view of the Greek verb, TURN TO THE CONSPECTUS OF λύω (HANDOUT 2: BIRD’S
EYE VERB). !
Conceptually, the entire verb system is laid out in the conspectus of this verb, including a form for
every person, number, tense, mood, and voice. !
Of course there are a few verbs with different forms than λύω: for example, you've met contract
verbs like φιλέω (which differ very superficially from λύω, only in adding an ε to the stem that
contracts with the endings); -.ι verbs like δίδω.ι; and irregular verbs like εἴ.ι. !
But if you know the full conspectus of λύω, you know all the conceptual “slots” for every Greek
verb—and you know the most common forms that fill those slots, since most verbs have the
forms that λύω has. !
I have only filled in the active voice, leaving an exercise to you to fill in the remainder as we
continue the course this term.
Greek 200, Term 2
Handout 1: The Greek Verb
Page 2