17

Contract Verbs

The rules of vowel contraction operate in verbs when the VERB STEM ends in one of three short vowels: –α, –ε or –ο. In these cases, the final vowel of the stem contracts with the THEMATIC VOWEL of –ω verbs. Verbs that exhibit these contractions are called CONTRACT VERBS. Since –μι verbs do not conjugate with a thematic vowel, they do not contract.

There are three types of contract verbs: έω, άω, and όω. To inform readers that a verb is a CONTRACT VERB, its FIRST PRINCIPAL PART is always listed in its uncontracted form in a lexicon. For example:

• αἱρέω grab
• ἐρωτάω ask
• δηλόω show

As we will see, contract verbs follow predictable rules for contractions and accents, and conjugate in a stable fashion.

έω Contract Verbs

Present Indicative Active

The most common type of contract verbs are those whose verb stems end in –ε. For these verbs, when –ε contracts with a long vowel or diphthong, the long sound simply absorbs the –ε. Otherwise, the contractions are just as we have already learned.

Perhaps the only trick to contract verbs is the accent. There are two steps. First, following the RECESSIVE ACCENT rules, place the accent on the UNCONTRACTED verb form. Second, follow the accent rules that apply to vowel contractions, learned earlier (e.g. ε + ό = ού; έ + ὸ = οῦ). These two steps together determine the final form and placement of the accent for a given verb.

So, putting it all together, we conjugate an έω verb in the Present, Indicative, Active as follows.

The Present Indicative Active of αἱρέω (cf. S 385; GPH p. 110).

Present infinitive active: (αἱρέειν →) αἱρεῖν

Disyllabic –έω Verbs

Verbs in –έω with a disyllabic first person singular offer a slight variation from all other –έω verbs. They DO NOT contract the –ε with either ο or ω. They DO contract –ε with ε and ει. There are only two common disyllabic –έω verbs in Greek: δέω “need, want, lack” and πλέω “sail.” Note the following (S 397; GPH p. 115):

Present infinitive active: (πλέειν →) πλεῖν

Future Indicative Active

The FUTURE TENSE of most έω verbs is formed regularly, with one slight change. When the tense marker σ is added to a verb stem ending in ε, the ε lengthens to η. Most (not all!) έω verbs form their future active by adding –σω to the lengthened vowel, resulting in the ending –ήσω. The future tense then conjugates regularly, using –ω personal and infinitive endings.

Note the PRINCIPAL PARTS of the following έω verbs.

• ἀδικέω -ήσω commit injustice
• αἱρέω -ήσω grab
• ἀναιρέω -ήσω raise up
• ἀφαιρέω -ήσω take from, take away
• αἰτέω -ήσω beg, ask
• βοηθέω -ήσω help
• δέω, δεήσω lack, miss, be in need of (+ gen.)
  • Note that the –ε of δέω remains when forming its future tense!
• δοκέω, δόξω think, suppose; seem
  • Note the future tense for this verb!
• ζητέω -ήσω seek
• κατηγορέω -ήσω accuse
• κατοικέω -ήσω inhabit, settle
• κινέω -ήσω move
• κρατέω -ήσω rule over
• λαλέω -ήσω talk, babble
• μισέω -ήσω hate
• οἰκέω -ήσω dwell
• οἰκοδομέω -ήσω build
• ὁμολογέω -ήσω agree
• πλέω sail
  • The future tense of πλέω is introduced in a later lesson.
• ποιέω -ήσω do, make
• πολεμέω -ήσω make war
• φοβέω -ήσω frighten
• φρονέω -ήσω think

The following verbs are not έω verbs, but their future tense also ends in –ήσω.

• ἐθέλω, ἐθελήσω (or θέλω, θελήσω) want
• μέλλω, μελλήσω intend, be about to, be going to
• εὑρίσκω, εὑρήσω find
• μιμνήσκω, μνήσω remind
• χαίρω, χαιρήσω be happy, say hello

άω Contract Verbs

Present Active Indicative

The next most common type of contraction in verbs involves –α. These verbs contract with thematic vowels in a similar fashion to έω verbs, though with some differences:

The Present Indicative Active of ἐρωτάω (cf. S 385; GPH p. 101).

Present infinitive active: (ἐρωτάειν →) ἐρωτᾶν

Note that for the present infinitive, the anticipated form, ἐρωτᾷν, has dropped the iota subscript in its actual form. It is as though Greek speakers dropped the ι of the –ειν infinitive ending before the contraction. Whether this also happened in –έω present infinitives is difficult to tell; both ε + ειν and ε + εν = εῖν. But note the infinitive of –όω verbs, below.

Future Active Indicative

The FUTURE TENSE of most άω verbs is formed regularly, with one slight change. When the tense marker σ is added to a verb stem ending in –α, the α lengthens to η. Like έω verbs, most (not all!) άω verbs form their future active by adding –σω to the lengthened vowel, resulting in the ending –ήσω. Classical Greek, however, lengthens α to long α (not η) if the lengthened α is directly preceded by an ε, ι, or ρ. The future tense then conjugates regularly, using –ω personal and infinitive endings.

Note, for example, the PRINCIPAL PARTS of the following άω verbs.

• ἀγαπάω -ήσω love
• δράω, δράσω do
• ἐάω, ἐάσω allow
• ἐρωτάω -ήσω ask
• ζάω, ζήσω live
• νικάω -ήσω conquer, defeat
• ὁρμάω -ήσω hurry
• πειράω, πειράσω try, attempt
• τελευτάω, τελευτήσω finish, die
• τιμάω -ήσω honor
• τολμάω -ήσω dare

Conjugating  ζάω

All άω verbs encountered in this lesson conjugate regularly, with the exception of ζάω “live.” This verb is one of a handful – most rarely encountered – that show η where we would expect long α after contraction (S 394). This is because the α of the verb stem for ζάω is already long before contraction, not short like the vast majority of άω verbs. Note the following (S 395; GPH p. 106):

Present infinitive active: (ζάειν →) ζῆν

όω Contract Verbs

Present Active Indicative

The least common type of contraction in verbs involves –ο, where the contractions are:

The Present Indicative Active of δηλόω (cf. S 385; GPH p. 118).

Present infinitive active: (δηλόειν →) δηλοῦν

Note that for the present infinitive, the anticipated form, δηλοῖν, is not the actual form. As with the άω verbs, Greek speakers appear to have dropped the ι of the –ειν ending before the contraction, resulting in δηλοῦν.

Future Active Indicative

The FUTURE TENSE of most όω verbs is formed regularly, with one slight change. When the tense marker σ is added to a verb stem ending in o, the o lengthens to ω. As a result, most όω verbs form their future active by adding –σω to the lengthened vowel, resulting in the ending –ώσω. The future tense then conjugates regularly, using –ω personal and infinitive endings.

Note the PRINCIPAL PARTS of the following όω verbs.

• ἀξιόω -ώσω consider worthy, valuable
• δηλόω -ώσω show
• φανερόω -ώσω reveal

– τὸ τέλος –