[B-Greek] Reduplication

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Dec 8 17:11:14 EST 2006


On Dec 8, 2006, at 4:35 PM, Elliot Poe wrote:

> Good question.  If I recall correctly, DIDASKW does not have true
> reduplication.  The DI- is found in all the tenses of this verb.  Most
> present reduplication is in -MI verbs, but others are much more
> qualified than I am to comment on this issue (and I hope they will).

In the case of DIDASKW it is true that the DI- is reduplication but  
true also that it has become part of the verb's stem (the root does  
seem to be DOK/DAK and related to DEIK/DOIK and Latin "doceo").

Reduplication is primarily a feature of perfect stems where the vowel  
-E- appears (DEDWKA, LELUKA, (S)ESTHKA, GEGONA KTL And there are  
alternative forms of perfect reduplication, e.g. "Attic"  
reduplication with syllabic replication: AKHKOA (AKOUW), OPWPA KTL.  
and those instance where augment serves as reduplication.

BUT reduplication also appears in present-tense stems where the vowel  
-I- appears (TIQHMI, DIDWMI, (S)ISTHMI

AND it appears in some aorist stems, e.g. HGAGON (AGW), HNEGKA (FERW,  
root EGK/OGK)

No theory I've ever read of adequately explains a function for  
reduplication; it seems to be simply one of many ways of forming verb  
stems.

>
> Yours,
> Elliot Poe
>
>
> Marion Fox wrote:
>
>> I have a question about reduplication in Greek verbs. There are  
>> two verbs
>> that I wish to consider.
>>
>> First, the verb DIDASKW has reduplication.
>>
>> Second, the verb DIDWMI has reduplication.
>>
>> My question is: "What is the significance of the reduplication in  
>> these two
>> words and in general in other verbs?"
>>
>> Additonal question: "What is the significance of reduplication in  
>> other
>> parts of speech?"


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





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