Contract verbs
The thematic verbs we have been learning and using all have stems of the first principal part ending in a consonant. When the first principal part of a thematic (-ω) verb ends in a vowel, you form the imperfect tense with the same endings you have already learned, but the vowel of the ending contracts with the vowel of the stem to form a long vowel or a diphthong.
Note: Some verbs that do not have verb stems ending in a vowel in the first principal part do have a vowel at the end of their stem in the second principal part, which is used for the future active and middle. We will review these contractions for those forms when we learn the future tense forms.
Stems ending in -ε-
The first principal part of an “epsilon contract verb” will be listed in a lexicon or glossary with the first prinicipal part ending in ε before the first person ending of -ω. The formation of the following five principal parts is so regular, that many textbooks or dictionaries will simply list the first principal part. Compare the principal parts of the following vocabulary to memorize.
- ἀδικέω, ἀδικήσω, ἠδίκησα, δεδίκηκα, δεδίκημαι, ἐδικήθην “to do wrong, to harm or injure (a person)”
- δοκέω, δοκήσω, ἐδόκησα, δεδόκηκα, δεδόκημαι, ἐδοκήθην “to think, suppose; to seem, seem likely”
- ποιέω, ποιήσω, ἐποίησα, πεποίηκα, πεποίημαι, ἐποιήθην “to make, create”
The verb τιμωρέω means “to avenge, take vengeance on.” What do think its six principal parts are?
Recall that our imperfect active and middle/passive indicative personal endings for thematic verbs start with vowels, either an ε or an ο:
| Person and Number | Active ending | Middle ending | Passive ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd singular | -ε | -ετο | -ετο |
| 3rd plural | -ον | -οντο | -οντο |
The rules of contraction that you will need to learn for these endings (as we learn more endings, we will add others) are as follows:
- ε + ε = ει
- ε + ο = ου
The rule of accentuation that you will need for contractions is that if one of the vowels within the sequence would have been accented before the contraction, the contracted syllable, a diphthong, will be accented, and will be accented with a circumflex, if possible under the rules of accentuation for circumflex accents: that is, it is a long syllable (which the diphthong is), the syllable is the penult or ultima, and if the penult that the ultima is short.
With that additional information, the process of forming the imperfect indicative follows the process already outlined:
- (1) start by removing the first person singular ending (-ω or -ομαι) and accent from the first principal part, and add the augment
ἀδικέω -> ἠδικε-
δοκέω -> ἐδοκε-
ποιέω -> ἐποιε-
-
(2) Add appropriate ending and contract the vowel at the end of the stem with the vowel at the beginning of the personal ending.
-
(3) Apply recessive accent, keeping in mind the contraction.
Example: Imperfect indicative of ἀδικέω
| Person and Number | Imperfect Active | Imperfect Middle | Imperfect Passive |
|---|---|---|---|
| third singular | ἠδίκει | ἠδικεῖτο | ἠδικεῖτο |
| third plural | ἡδίκουν | ἠδικοῦντο | ἠδικοῦντο |
Stems ending in -α-
Verbs whose stem from the first principal part ends in α operate the same way, but the contractions resulting from the combination of α with the endings are different. The contractions you will need to know for the forms we have learned so far are:
- α + ε = α (long alpha, ᾱ)
- α + ο = ω
One important alpha contract verb is ὁράω “to see”.
- (1) start by removing the first person singular ending (-ω or -ομαι) and accent from the first principal part, and add the augment. ὁράω -> ὡρα-
- (2) Add the appropriate ending and contract the vowel at the end of the stem with the vowel at the beginning of the personal ending.
- (3) Apply recessive accent, keeping in mind the contraction.
Example: Imperfect indicative of ὁράω
| Person and Number | Imperfect Active | Imperfect Middle and Passive |
|---|---|---|
| third singular | ὥρα | ὡρᾶτο |
| third plural | ὥρων | ὡρῶντο |