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:

1. 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-.
2. 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):

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):

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 of ἵστημι (S 416; GPH p. 134):

Present infinitive active: ἱστάναι

IV. ἵημι

The verb throw has the stem ἡ-. The rough breathing suggests that the stem was originally ση-, which, when REDUPLICATED, would produce the form σιση– (S 778). When these σ‘s drop out, and the initial ι aspirated, the result is as follows:

• ἡ– → ἱη–

The long stem vowel shortens in the plural forms in the same manner as τίθημι.

• ἱη– for the present tense singular forms
• ἱε– for the present tense plural forms and infinitive

The Present Indicative Active of ἵημι (S 777):

Present infinitive active: ἱέναι

V. 2nd PERSON PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE

These four verbs use a slightly different ending for the 2nd PERSON SINGULAR PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE: –ε. This ending then contracts with the short vowel of the tense stem (S 746b):

• τίθει (τίθεε < τίθημι) Put!
• δίδου (δίδοε < δίδωμι) Give!
• ἵει (ἵεε < ἵημι) Throw!
• ἵστη (ἵσταε < ἵστημι) Stand up!

The 2nd Person Plural Present Active Imperative has the same ending as the 2nd Person Plural Present Active Indicative.

Vocabulary

I. Prefixes

Prefixes formed from prepositions are often added to the six verbs of the previous and current lesson. We discuss examples of such prefixes in more detail later, but for now, note the following verbs, which themselves are quite common.

• δίδωμι give
  • ἀποδίδωμι give back (ἀπό away, from)
  • παραδίδωμι hand over, deliver (παρά beside, to)
• εἰμί be
  • πάρειμι be present (παρ’ beside, to)
  • Note that once a prefix is added to εἰμί, the resulting verb form follows the RECESSIVE ACCENT rules; it is no longer an ENCLITIC.
• ἵημι throw
  • ἀφίημι send forth; let go, allow (ἀφ’ from)
• ἵστημι stand
  • ἀνίστημι raise, appoint (ἀν’ up)
  • καθίστημι set down, establish (καθ’ down)
  • παρίστημι present, offer, supply (παρ’ beside, to)
• τίθημι put, make
  • ἐπιτίθημι put on (ἐπί on)
  • προστίθημι add to (πρός toward)

II. “No,” “Not”

When οὔ has an acute accent, it usually means, No! When οὐ bears NO ACCENT, however, it is used to negate an INDICATIVE verb.

• αὐτὸ οὐ δείκνυμι.
  • I am not showing it.

Before a word starting with a vowel with smooth breathing, –κ is added to end of οὐ to make pronunciation easier.

• αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀφίημι.
  • I am not sending him forth.

Before a word starting with a rough breathing, the –κ becomes –χ:

• αὐτὸ οὐχ ἵημι. 
  • I am not throwing it.

Verbs in the INFINITIVE and IMPERATIVE MOOD use a different word to express “not”: μή. Note the following examples:

• δίδωμι ὑμᾶς παρεῖναι.
  • I give (= allow) you all to be present.
• οὐ δίδωμι ὑμᾶς παρεῖναι.
  • I do not allow you all to be present.
• δίδωμι ὑμᾶς μὴ παρεῖναι.
  • I allow you all not to be present.
• μὴ δίδου αὐτοὺς παρεῖναι.
  • Don’t allow them to be present.

– τὸ τέλος –