APPENDIX C

 

CONJUGATION

 

C6. CONSPECTUS OF THB THREE CONJUGATIONS

 

C6.O CONSPECTUS COVERAGE

 

C6.01 This Conspectus shows in parallel columns the various conjugations (and paradigms within a Conjugation, to the extent that they exhibit differences) for each tense.

 

C6.02 At the top of each of the two main sections of the Conspectus is given the Paradigm Number for each paradigm that is set out there, and the Paradigm Number is followed by the root for the model verb of that paradigm.

 

C6.03 Numbers of forms are given in this Conspectus which do not occur in the New Testament. These forms are included here for three main reasons: Firstly, the most effective way of mastering these paradigms is, for many students, not by rote learning but by gaining an overall appreciation of the pattern of word formation, and this is more easily seen when all the forms are set out. Secondly, when a student is analysing a form in the New Testament text and trying to track it down, frequently the easiest way he can rule out some of the possibilities that he is considering is for him to be able to look up what those forms would be and thus confirm that (and how) they differ from the one on which he is working. Thirdly, many of the forms which do not occur in the New Testament are found in the Septuagint and/or other koinē Greek writings outside the New Testament, and those students who progress in due course to reading these other writings will find it useful to have the forms set out here.

 

C6.1 PRESENT TENSE PARADIGMS

 

C6.11 Those set out in the Conspectus are:

 

First Conjugation	Second Conjugation	Third Conjugation
C1.1 λύω	(C2 follows λύω	C3.1a ἵστημι
C1.2 τιμάω	exactly and therefore	C3.1b τίθημι
C1.3 λαλέω	does not need to be	C3.1c δίδωμι
C1.4 πληρόω	set out.)	C3.2 δείκνυμι
(C1.5 to C1.9 follow		C3.3 εἰμί
λύω exactly and		(C3.4 to C3.6 follow λύω
therefore do not need		exactly and therefore do
to be set out.)		not need to be set out.)

 

C6.12 After the Present Indicative for both Active and Middle Voice in the Conspectus is set out the Imperfect, which differs from it in meaning only in having past time reference.

 

C6.13 The First Conjugation form consists, in each instance, of the Present stem (in the verbs given in C1.1 to C1.4, this corresponds with the verb root), to which is added the neutral morph –ο/ε- and the pronoun suffix. Where the stem ends in a short vowel (-α, -ε, -ο) this short vowel contracts with the neutral morph according to the rules of contraction (#E2.2).

 

C6.14 Note the similarities and differences in the forms of the Infinitive. All these forms can be explained on the basis of these rules: (a) When the verb takes the neutral morph (i.e. in the First and Second Conjugations), this is added to the stem first, and contracts with it if it ends in a short vowel. (b) For Middle forms, add the Middle Voice morph, -σθ-. (c) Now add the Infinitive morph: if being added directly to the neutral morph (whether this has contracted or not), this Infinitive morph is -σεν which then loses the -σ- by syncopation (#E2.5), after which the -ε- of -εν contracts with the vowel which precedes it; in all other instances add -ναι to a preceding vowel (as in the Third Conjugation active infinitives) or -αι to a preceding consonant (as in all Middle infinitives).

 

C6.15 The following generalisations concerning the Third Conjugation only apply in part to εἰμί, which exists solely in the Present, Imperfect, and Future Tenses, and which has numerous irregular forms.

 

C6.16 The Third Conjugation lexical form consists, in each instance, of the verb’s lexal to which has then been directly added the pronoun suffix. The lexal comprises the root (also called the verb stem) plus the durative morph, which is an infix in the lexal slot. As we have seen (#C3), the durative morph takes different forms for different classes of Third Conjugation verb. For δείκνυμι, this durative morph consists of -νυ, which is added to the root δεικ- in the lexal slot. For ἵστημι, τίθημι and δίδωμι the durative morph consists of reduplication in -ι-. (For ἵστημι, this is not σίστημι, but the initial σ- has been lost and replaced by a rough breathing.)

 

C6.17 In the Third Conjugation Indicative Active singular of both Present and Imperfect, the short vowel of the root has been lengthened to either the equivalent long vowel or to a diphthong. In the Indicative active plurals and in all Middle forms this short vowel remains, and the pionounlndings have not affected it.

 

C6.18 The flexions of the Third Conjugation Subjunctive Mode (both Active and Middle) follow the pattern of λύω: the subjunctive morph consists of the addition to the lexal of a lengthened neutral morph, to which are then added in turn the usual pronoun endings used in the subjunctive (which are identical with the pronoun endings for the present of λύω). As for λύω, a -ι- in the pronoun ending will be subscript under the lengthened neutral morph. Where the stem ends in a long vowel, this remains uncontracted (as for the present Active and Middle of δείκνυμι); where the stem ends in a short vowel (as for ἵστημι, τίθημι and δίδωμι), this contracts with the long vowel of the Subjunctive endings. Notice that the contraction of -ο- with -η- will produce -ω-, as in the subjunctive flexions of δίδωμι. Allowing for the effect of this contraction in the case of δίδωμι, Third Conjugation Present Subjunctives have the same endings as λύω.

 

C6.19 Note that the Present Active Optative of εἰμί is εἴην. This follows the conjugation of ἔστην (the Third Aorist Indicative Active of ἵστημι), though on occasions, in the usage of some writers, the -η- in the plural is absorbed by the -ει diphthong through contraction. However, in the New Testament the only optative form of εἰμί which occurs is the third person singular εἴη (twelve times).

 

C6.2 AORIST TENSE PARADIGMS

 

C6.21 Those set out in the Conspectus are:

 

First Conjugation	Second Conjugation	Third Conjugation
C1.1 λύω	C2 βάλλω	C3.1a ἵστημι
(C1.2 to C1.7 follow the	(All second aorists	C3.1b τίθημι
conjugation of λύω	follow the conjugation	C3.1c δίδωμι
exactly and therefore do	of βάλλω)	C3.2 δείκνυμι
not need to be set out.		C3.4 βαίνω
C1.8 and C1.9 follow λύω		C3.5 γινώσκω
but with -α not -σα as the		C3.6 δύνω
punctiliar morph - see		(There is no aorist for
Liquid Verbs, #Cl.82.)		C3.3, εἰμί.)

 

C6.22 Note that the Second Conjugation adds the neutral morph to its lexal before taking its distinctive endings. In the Second Conjugation Indicative, the same endings are taken by the Imperfect and the Aorist, so that the only difference between the two flexions for a Second Conjugution verb is the durative morph which these verbs add in forming their Present stem. For βἀλλω this           is the second -λ which is added to the verb root βαλ- as an infix into the lexal slot. Thus the Imperfect and Aorist Active and Middle flexions for βάλλω are:

           

ACTIVE		MIDDLE
Imperfect	Aorist	Imperfect	Aorist
ἔβαλλον	ἔβαλον	ἐβαλλόμην	ἐβαλόμην
ἔβαλλες	ἔβαλες	ἐβάλλου	ἐβάλου
ἔβαλλε(ν)	ἔβαλε(ν)	ἐβάλλετο	ἐβάλετο
ἐβάλλομεν	ἐβάλομεν	ἐβαλλόμεθα	ἐβαλόμεθα
ἐβάλλετε	ἐβάλετε	ἐβάλλεσθε	ἐβάλεσθε
ἔβαλλον	ἔβαλον	ἐβάλλοντο	ἐβάλοντο

Similarly, the second -λ is the only difference between the Present and Aorist flexions for the other modes of the verbs.

 

C6.23 Only the plural forms of the third aorist flexions of τίθημι and δίδωμι were in use, and these were rare in New Testament times. Instead, the usual aorist forms of these verbs were first aorist flexions, ἔθηκα and ἔδωκα (#C3.85, #C3.87). Moreover, δείκνυμι has only a first aorist flexion, ἔδειξα. Bit ἵστημι has both the third aorist flexion ἔστην and the first aorist flexion ἔστησα with different meanings. (For a fuller discussion, see #C3.82 and #C3.87.) There are also two forms of the Perfect Participle of ἵστημι: ἑστώς (given in the Conspectus), and ἑστηκώς (follows λελυκώς, from λύω), and there are thus two forms of the Perfect Subjunctive Active, using these two participles respectively. Both participles have the same meaning, "standing" (intrlnsitive). (For the full flexion of ἑστώς, see #D5.33.)

 

C6.24 The rules for the formation of the Present Intinitives (#C6.14) also explain the Aorist Infinitives. Note that in the Active, the second aorist takes the neutral morph and then the infinitive ending, and thus in accordance with Rule (c) in #C6.14 this is first -σεν, becoming -εν after the σ drops out. This in turn gives –εῖν (after contraction with the neutral morph). Thus, for βάλλω: βαλ-ε-σεν → βαλ-ε-εν → βαλεῖν. In no other aorist infinitive is the infinitive morph added to the neutral morph, so for the first and third aorist active infinitives and for all aorist middle and passive infinitives the infinitive morph is always -ναι (if added to a vowel) or -αι (if added to a consonant, including the -σ- of the aorist morph -σα- when the -α- is lost by elision before the -αι).

 

C6.25 Two forms of the 2nd Singular Aorist Active Imperative are found for both ἵστημι and βαίνω. Both alternatives are given in the Conspectus.

 

C6.26 The flexions of the aorist Subjunctive Mode follow the same differing pattern between the Conjugations as for the Indicative.

 

(a) A First Conjugation verb has (by definition) a lexal which is inherently durative (#3.68), and forms its aorist tense by adding a "switching" morph, the punctiliar morph -σα-, in the aspect slot, Slot 7 (#C0.11). This switches the verb’s aspect from durative to punctiliar. The Active and Middle flexions of the aorist subjunctive are formed by adding this -σα- in front of the lengthened neutral morph in each of the forms of the present subjunctive, and the -α- then elides.

(b) A Second Conjugation verb has (by definition) a lexal which is inherently punctiliar (#3.68), and forms its aorist tense by adding the neutral morph (#C0.11), which leaves its aspect unaltered. In the Active and Middle flexions of the aorist subjunctive, this neutral morph is lengthened, and the same pronoun endings are added as in the First Conjugation aorist subjunctive.

(c) A Third Conjugation verb has (by definition) a lexal which is inherently punctiliar (#3.68), and it forms its aorist tense by adding the endings directly to its lexal, which, for the subjunctive, is the verb's root. Thus in the subjunctive, the lengthened neutral morph of the subjunctive plus the standard subjunctive pronoun endings are added to the verb's root. When this root ends in a long vowel, no contraction occurs (see #C3.6, δύω); where the root ends in a short vowel this vowel contracts with the lengthened neutral morph and the contraction is marked with a circumflex. Notice that the contraction of -ο- with -η- will produce -ω-, as in the aorist subjunctive flexions of δίδωμι and γινώσκω. Allowing for the effect of this contraction in the case of δίδωμι and γινώσκω, Third Conjugation Present Subjunctives have the same endings as λύω. (Both δίδωμι and γινώσκω also have alternative irregular third person singular forms in –οῖ.)

 

C6.27 Greek tends to avoid having two aspirates commencing successive syllables: hence in the Aorist Passive τίθημι does not become (as would be expected) ἐθέθην but the first -θ- is deaspirated, giving the form ἐτέθην. Similarly also, θάπτω (#C4.4). For a fuller treatment of deaspiration, see #E2.8.

 

C6.28 Second and Third Conjugation aorists differ from the First Conjugation only in the Active and Middle. The verbs of all thrJe Conjugations are Third Conjugation in the Aorist Passive - that is, they take the passive morph and then add the third aorist endings directly (without an aspect morph). (Re "second aorist passives", see #C4.12.)

 

C6.29 It will be noted that numbers of Third Conjugation forms do not follow the Short Vowel Lengthening Rule (#82.31), but the stem vowel remains short instead.

 

C1.1 √λυ-	C1.2 √τιμα-	C1.3 √λαλε-	C1.4 √πληρο	C3.1a √στα-	C3.1b √θε-	C3.1c √δο-	C3.2 √δεικ-	C3.3 √ἐσ-
PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
λύω	τιμῶ	λαλῶ	πληρῶ	ἵστημι	τίθημι	δίδωμι	δείκνυμι	εἰμί
λύεις
λύει
λύομεν
λύετε
λύουσι(ν)
Imperfect
ἔλυον
ἔλυες
ἔλυε(ν)
ἐλύομεν
ἐλύετε
ἔλυον
PRESENT ACTIVE: SUBJUNCTIVE
λύω				ἱστῶ
λύῃς				ἱστῇς
λύῃ				ἱστῇ
λύωμεν				ἱστῶμεν
λύητε				ἱστῆτε
λύωσι(ν)	τιμῶσι(ν)	λαλῶσι(ν)	πληρῶσι(ν)	ἱστῶσι(ν)
PRESENT ACTIVE: OPTATIVE
Only λύω and εἰμί have any forms of the Present Active Optative in the New Testament:
λύοιμι
PRESENT ACTIVE: IMPERATIVE
λῦε
λυέτω
λύετε
λυέτωσαν
PRESENT ACTIVE: INFINITIVE
λύειν	τιμᾶν
PRESENT ACTIVE: PARTICIPLE
λύων	τιμῶν	λαλῶν	πληρῶν	ἱστάς	τιθείς
λύουσα	τιμῶσα	λαλοῦσα	πληροῦσα	ἱστᾶσα	τιθεῖσα
λῦον
λύοντος (D5.11)

 

C1.1 √λυ-	C1.2 √τιμα-	C1.3 √λαλε-	C1.4 √πληρο	C3.1a √στα-	C3.1b √θε-	C3.1c √δο-	C3.2 √δεικ-
PRESENT MIDDLE: INDICATIVE
λύομαι						δίδομαι	δείκνυμαι
λύῃ						δίδοσαι	δείκνυσαι
λύεται						δίδοται	δείκνυται
λυόμεθα						διδόμεθα	δεικύμεθα
λύεσθε						δίδοσθε	δείκνυσθε
λύονται	τιμῶνται	λαλοῦνται	πληροῦνται	ἵστανται	τίθενται	δίδονται	δείκνυνται