[B-Greek] TREFW to EQREYAMEN

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Tue Dec 13 20:14:51 EST 2005


On Dec 13, 2005, at 7:54 PM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> How is the Aorist Active of TREFW EQREYAMEN. I found
> this at Matthew 25:31. The T to Q seems arbitrary.

I know it LOOKS arbitrary but it's as rational as can be. The root of  
this verb is QREF, but Greek word-formation follows a rule of  
"dissimilation of aspirates" -- meaning that if a syllable is bounded  
by two aspirates, one of them (normally the first) will lose its  
aspiration; BUT if the aspiration is lost at the other end by  
combination with a Sigma or another consonant occasioning  
deaspiration, then the initial aspirate will reappear. That cold  
probably be explained more clearly but here are some examples:

	QRIX (QRIK-S) "hair" (root QRIC): genitive TRICOS, but dative plural  
QRIXI (QRIK-SI)
	ECW "have/hold" (root hEC with rough breathing from original S in  
SEC), future hEXW (hEK-SW), aorist E-SC-ON
	TIQHMI "put/place" (root QH, present stem QIQH/E), future QHSW,  
aorist E-QH-KA
	QAPTW "bury" (root QAF), future QAYW (QAP-SW), but aorist ETAFON  
(from E-QAF-ON)

It really is useful for any serious student of ancient Greek to know  
some of the basic principles of Greek phonology: it makes it possible  
to grasp the rationale underlying of several seeming anomalies in  
Greek morphology. I little compendium that I originally drew up for  
my beginning Greek students is available at my web-site: http:// 
www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/current.html -- or more directly at
http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/Docs/CompPhon.pdf

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/




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