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 of ἵστημι (S 416; GPH p. 134):
|
ἵστημι I stand |
ἵσταμεν we stand |
|
ἵστης you stand |
ἵστατε you all stand |
|
ἵστησι (s)he, it stands |
(ἱστάασι →) ἱστᾶσι they stand |
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):
|
ἵημι I throw |
ἵεμεν we throw |
|
ἵης you throw |
ἵετε you all throw |
|
ἵησι (s)he, it throws |
(ἱέασι →) ἱᾶσι they throw |
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 –
Key Terms and Concepts
- REDUPLICATION
- REDUPLICATED ASPIRATED CONSONANTS
- REDUPLICATED SIGMA
Vocabulary
- ἀνίστημι raise, appoint
- ἀποδίδωμι give back
- ἀφίημι send forth; let go, allow
- δίδωμι give
- ἐπιτίθημι put on
- ἵημι throw
- ἵστημι stand
- καθίστημι set down, establish
- μή no, not (infinitive and imperative mood)
- οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ no, not (indicative mood)
- παραδίδωμι hand over, deliver
- πάρειμι be present
- παρίστημι present, offer, supply
- προστίθημι add to
- τίθημι put, place, make
- αὐτό “it”
- αὐτόν “him”
- αὐτήν “her”
Exercises
Ι. Conjugate from memory δίδωμι, τίθημι, ἵστημι, ἵημι in the present, indicative, active, and provide the present active infinitive and 2nd person singular present active imperative for each.
ΙΙ. For each form, give the person and number, and translate.
- ἐπιτίθης
- ἵσταμεν
- δίδοτε
- ἵστη
- ἀφιᾶσιν
- ἵεμεν
- τίθημι
- ἀφίει
- παραδίδωσι
- ἀποδιδόασι
- ἵης
- ἀνίστησι
ΙΙΙ. Provide the appropriate Greek verb form for each of the following.
- to stand
- they make
- (you sg.) throw!
- he gives
- they throw
- to place
- (you sg.) give!
- you all are giving back
- it is present
- we allow
- to appoint
- you (singular) are establishing
IV. Translate the following sentences. For each verb (except for ἐθέλομεν), give the person and number. Note the punctuation and movable nu’s!
- ἔστι καὶ ἐθέλομεν αὐτὸ παριστάναι.
- αὐτὴν οὐκ ἀνίστησι;
- αὐτὸ δείκνυτε· ἐθέλομεν αὐτὸ μὴ παραδιδόναι.
- αὐτὸν ἀπολλύασι; αὐτὸ οὐ δεικνύασιν.
- οὐκ ἐθέλομεν αὐτὸν ἀπολλύναι.
- καὶ ἱστᾶσι καὶ οὐκ ἀφιᾶσιν αὐτὸν ἱστάναι.