6
Giving, Making, Standing, Throwing
The four verbs in this lesson are among the most commonly used words in Greek:
- δίδωμι give
- τίθημι put, make
- ἵστημι stand
- ἵημι throw
Each follows a similar pattern in formation and spelling (i.e. pronunciation) changes for the Present Indicative:
- To mark the present tense, these verbs double the initial consonant sound of their stem, a process called REDUPLICATION. This process is not found in verbs like δείκνυμι and μίγνυμι that mark the present tense with –νυ-.
- Their stems all end in a long vowel, which shortens in the plural forms and the infinitive. This is the same pattern we encounter with φημί!
I. δίδωμι
The verb give has the stem δω-. The present tense REDUPLICATES the initial consonant sound of the stem, and adds an –ι– for ease of pronunciation.
- δω– → διδω–
The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms.
- διδω– for the present tense singular forms
- διδο– for the present tense plural forms and the infinitive
The Present Indicative Active of δίδωμι (S 416; GPH p. 123):
|
δίδωμι I give |
δίδομεν we give |
|
δίδως you give |
δίδοτε y’all give |
|
δίδωσι (s)he, it gives |
διδόασι they give |
Present Infinitive Active: διδόναι
II. τίθημι
The verb put, make, has the stem θη-. The present tense REDUPLICATES the initial consonant sound of the stem, and adds an –ι– for ease of pronunciation.
- θη– → τιθη–
Note here that θ, when reduplicated, has been changed to τ. This is because Greek does not allow ASPIRATED CONSONANTS to begin consecutive syllables. To avoid this situation, the aspirated consonants φ, θ, and χ are reduplicated by their corresponding un-aspirated, unvoiced forms: π, τ, and κ (S 441). As a result, the reduplicated present tense stem θιθη– becomes τιθη-.
The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms.
- τιθη– for the present tense singular forms
- τιθε– for the present tense plural forms and the infinitive
The Present Indicative Active of τίθημι (S 416; GPH p. 145):
|
τίθημι I make |
τίθεμεν we make |
|
τίθης you make |
τίθετε you all make |
|
τίθησι (s)he, it makes |
τιθέασι they make |
Present Infinitive Active: τιθέναι
III. ἵστημι
The verb stand has the stem στη-. The present tense REDUPLICATES the initial consonant sound of the stem, and adds an –ι– for ease of pronunciation.
- στη– → ἱστη–
Note here that reduplicated stem στη– should result in σιστη-, but the initial σ has been dropped. Greeks regularly drop the initial σ– of words if it comes right before a vowel (S 119). When this happens, the vowel marks this loss by receiving a rough breathing mark. As we learn later, for example, the Latin words for the numbers six and seven, sex and septem, are ἕξ and ἑπτά in Greek! In the case of ἵστημι, the initial REDUPLICATED SIGMA was dropped, and the now initial ι aspirated (σιστη– → ἱστη-).
The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms.
- ἱστη– for the present tense singular forms
- ἱστα– for the present tense plural forms and the infinitive
The Present Indicative Active