Formation of the optative
As you would expect, the present tense of the optative is formed from the first principal part; the aorist is formed from the third and sixth principal parts. Remember that the augment is only used for the indicative mood, so to find the aorist stem for the optative, don’t forget to remove the augment from the principal part (just as you do in forming participles and infinitives).
One characteristic pattern of the optative forms is the appearance of a diphthong joining the stem and the ending: -οι- in the present tense, and -αι- in the aorist active and middle forms, -ει- in the aorist passive. Here are the endings for the active forms of the optative.
Optative active endings:
| Present | Aorist | |
|---|---|---|
| first singular | -οιμι | -αιμι |
| second singular | -οις | -αις / -ειας |
| third singular | -οι | -αι / -ειε(ν) |
| first plural | -οιμεν | -αιμεν |
| second plural | -οιτε | -αιτε |
| third plural | -οιεν | -αιεν / -ειαν |
One important point to note for correct accentuation: the third singular endings -οι and -αι count as long in determining accent.
Notice how closely the optative endings resemble indicative endings you already know. Compare the optative forms of κελεύω with the present indicative
| Present indicative | Present optative | Aorist optative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| first singular | κελεύω | κελεύοιμι | κελεύσαιμι |
| second singular | κελεύεις | κελεύοις | κελεύσαις, κελεύσειας |
| third singular | κελεύει | κελεύοι | κελεύσαι, κελεύσειε |
| first plural | κελεύομεν | κελεύοιμεν | κελεύσαιμεν |
| second plural | κελεύετε | κελεύοιτε | κελεύσαιτε |
| third plural | κελεύουσι | κελεύoιεν | κελεύσαιεν, κελεύσειαν |
When you are identifying verb forms, make a habit of first finding the principal part: this will limit the possibilities for tense and voice. When you have find the stem, look at the connecting vowel: the optative’s diphthongs will point you to the correct mood. Finally look at the ending to find the person and number.
The middle voice forms show a similar pattern with present endings marked by connecting -οι- diphthong and aorist endings marked by -αι.
Middle endings:
| Present | Aorist | |
|---|---|---|
| first singular | -οίμην | -αίμην |
| second singular | -οιο | -αιο |
| third singular | -οιτο | -αιτο |
| first plural | -οίμεθα | -αίμεθα |
| second plural | -οισθε | -αισθε |
| third plural | -οιντο | -αιντο |
Again, the endings are similar to indicative endings you have learned. Compare the imperfect indicative of κελεύω with the present and aorist optative in the middle voice.
| Imperfect indicative | Present optative | Aorist optative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| first singular | ἐκελευόμην | κελευοίμην | κελευσαίμην |
| second singular | ἐκελεύου | κελεύοιο | κελεύσαιο |
| third singular | ἐκελεύετο | κελεύοιτο | κελεύσαιτο |
| first plural | ἐκελευόμεθα | κελευοίμεθα | κελευσαίμεθα |
| second plural | ἐκελεύεσθε | κελεύοισθε | κελεύσαισθε |
| third plural | ἐκελεύοντο | κελεύοιντο | κελεύσαιντο |
As in the rest of the verbal system, the present tense uses identical endings for the middle and passive voices of the present system. For the aorist passive, built on the sixth principal part, the optative endings are the following.
Passive endings:
| Aorist | |
|---|---|
| first singular | -είην |
| second singular | -είης |
| third singular | -είη |
| first plural | -εῖμεν / -είημεν |
| second plural | -εῖτε / -είητε |
| third plural | -εῖεν / -είησαν |
Compare the indicative and optative forms of the aorist passive.
| Indicative | Optative | |
|---|---|---|
| first singular | ἐκελεύσθην | κελευσθείην |
| second singular | ἐκελεύσθης | κελευσθείης |
| third singular | ἐκελεύσθη | κελευσθείη |
| first plural | ἐκελεύσθημεν | κελευσθεῖμεν / κελευσθείημεν |
| second plural | ἐκελεύσθητε | κελευσθεῖτε / κελευσθείητε |
| third plural | ἐκελεύσθησαν | κελευσθεῖεν / κελεσθείησαν |
Second aorist optative
In the active and middle voices of the optative, the second aorist, like all aorist forms, uses the third principal part, but applies the same endings as the present optative. Compare the aorist indicative and aorist optative forms of βάλλω (third principal part ἔβαλον).
Active:
| Indicative | Optative | |
|---|---|---|
| first singular | ἔβαλον | βάλοιμι |
| second singular | ἔβαλες | βάλοις |
| third singular | ἔβαλε, ἔβαλεν | βάλοι |
| first plural | ἐβάλομεν | βάλοιμεν |
| second plural | ἐβάλετε | βάλοιτε |
| third plural | ἔβαλον | βάλοιεν |
Middle:
| Indicative | Optative | |
|---|---|---|
| first singular | ἐβαλόμην | βαλοίμην |
| second singular | ἐβάλου | βάλοιο |
| third singular | ἐβάλετο | βάλοιτο |
| first plural | ἐβαλόμεθα | βαλοίμεθα |
| second plural | ἐβάλεσθε | βάλοισθε |
| third plural | ἐβάλοντο | βάλοιντο |
All aorist passives use the sixth principal part, and are formed in the same way.
An irregular verb: the present optative of φημί
Like φημί’s forms in the present and imperfect indicative, the present optative endings show slight irregularities, but can easily be recognized when compared to regular forms.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| first person | φαίην | φαῖμεν or φαίημεν |
| second person | φαίης | φαῖτε or φαίητε |
| third person | φαίη | φαῖεν or φαίησαν |