Varieties of the Aorist

B. Ward Powers bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
Thu Nov 1 19:02:41 EST 2001


At 01:37 PM 011101 -0500, Carl W. Conrad wrote, in the course of a 
discussion with Dale M. Wheeler:

[SNIP]


>  One might want to toss in the -KA
>aorists (EQHKA, EDWKA, etc.) but THOSE are forms one must learn anyway.


There are just four verbs in koine Greek in which the aorist (punctiliar) 
morph is -KA- instead of the regular -SA-. These are the EQHKA (TIQHMI) and 
EDWKA (DIDWMI) mentoned by Carl, plus -hIHMI. There are also variant forms 
of the FERW suppletive aorist active form HNEGKON, which sometimes turns up 
as HNEGKA and HNEGKAN, as if First Aorist with -KA- as the punctiliar morph 
like in DIDWMI etc. (though the kappa is actually originally part of the root).

I believe there are no other -KA- aorists in koine Greek. (Am I missing 
any?) Allowing for the -KA- instead of -SA-, these follow the flexion of 
ELUSA exactly.

I have wondered what the history is of these three -KA- aorists. (I guess 
that of HNEGKA is easier to discern - it is part of the tendency in koine 
to "regularize" Second and Third Aorists to the First Aorist ELUSA pattern 
in alpha, as is also found in HLQAN, etc.)

Is it known what lies behind these -KA- forms?

Regards,

Ward

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Rev Dr B. Ward Powers        Phone (International): 61-2-8714-7255
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