[b-Greek] Primary Endings with Connecting Vowels

Clwinbery at aol.com Clwinbery at aol.com
Mon Nov 4 12:03:48 EST 2002


In a message dated 11/4/02 8:59:28 AM, mitchlarramore at yahoo.com writes:

>I want to know if I understand this right. Could
>someone please verify my understanding of the Primary
>Endings and how I arrived at the final forms.
>
>Present Active Indicative:
>   LU- (use O/E for connecting vowel)
>
>1st singular: LU + O + # = LUW
>  (O is lengthened to W)
>2nd singular: LU + E + ES = LUEIS
>  (E + E = EI)
>3rd singular: LU + E + I = LUEI
>
>1st plural: LU + O + MEN = LUOMEN
>2nd plural: LU + E + TE = LUETE
>3rd plural: LU + O + NSI = LUOUSI
>  (the N drops and O is lengthened to OU)
>
>But what I don't understand is these questions:
>
>1. Why does O lengthen to W in 1st singular?
>2. How do you know when to add O or E? The O is added
>to the 1st singular, and 1st and 3rd plural. What
>determines if you add an O or E?
>3. Is the Primary Ending for 2nd singular ES or S?
>

176.111 Theoretical formation: present stem + thematic vowel o/e + active 
endings of primary tenses.
(The thematic vowels O/E are arranged in the singular O/E/E and in the plural 
O/E/O. Or before the M and N – O and before all else E.)

176.112  Resultant endings, i.e. those which result from the combination of 
the thematic vowel with the primitive endings:

O-MI becomes W   (No ending is used, and O is lengthened to W.
E-SI becomes EIS    A possible explanation is that the intervocalic S drops 
the E and I combine to form the diphthong EI; and S of  the second person 
singular of the secondary active endings is added to distinguish the second 
singular from the third singular.
E-TI becomes EI A T becomes S before a final I; the     intervocalic S drops 
(§57); and E and I combine to form the diphthong EI.
O-MEN remains OMEN
E-TE remains ETE
O-NTI becomes OUSI;  A T becomes S before a final I ; N 
drops before S; and O is lengthened to OU to compensate for the 
loss of N.  (O normally lengthens to W, but with the loss of a 
letter sometimes lengthens to OU.  i.e. "compensatory."

The ancient endings may be seen partially in the MI- verbs.

Carlton Winbery
Louisiana College



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