Dentals

Stops (or mutes). Stopped consonants are so called because in sounding them the breath passage is for a moment completely closed. The stops are divided into three classes (according to the part of the mouth chiefly active in sounding them) and into three orders (according to the degree of force in the expiratory effort).

a. The dentals are sometimes called linguals. The rough stops are also called aspirates (lit. breathed sounds) because they were sounded with a strong emission of breath (26). The smooth stops are thus distinguished from the rough stops by the absence of breathing. ( (h) is also an aspirate. The middle stops owe their name to their position in the above grouping, which is that of the Greek grammarians.

A dental stop before another dental stop becomes ς.

ἀνυστός practicable for ἀνυτ-τος from ἀνύτω complete, ἴστε you know for ἰδ-τε, οἶσθα thou knowest for οἰδ-θα, πέπεισται has been persuaded for πεπειθ-ται, ἐπείσθην I was persuaded for ἐπειθ-θην.

a. ττ, τθ remain unchanged in Ἀττικός, Ἀτθίς Attic, and in κατθανεῖν die (75 D., 81). So ττ for σς (78).

A dental stop (τ, δ, θ) before μ often appears to become ς. Thus, ἤνυσμαι for ἠνυτ-μαι (ἀνύτ-ω complete), πέφρασμαι for πεφραδ-μαι (φράζω declare), πέπεισμαι for πεπειθ-μαι (πείθ-ω persuade).

On the other hand, since these stops are actually retained in many words, such as ἐρετμόν oar, πότμος fate, ἀριθμός number, ς must be explained as due to analogy. Thus, ἤνυσμαι, πέφρασμαι, πέπεισμαι have taken on the ending -σμαι by analogy to -σται where ς is in place (πέφρασται for πεφραδ-ται). So ἴσμεν we know (Hom. ἴδμεν) follows ἴστε you know (for ἰδ-τε). ὀσμή odor stands for ὀδ-σμη.

A dental stop before ς is assimilated (σς) and one ς is dropped.

σώμασι bodies for σωμασσι out of σωματ-σι, ποσί feet for ποσσί out of ποδ-σι, ὄρνῑσι birds for ὀρνῑσσι out of ὀρνῑθ-σι. So πάσχω suffer for πασσχω out of παθ-σκω (cp. παθ-εῖν and 126).

a. δ and θ become τ before ς: ποδ-σι, ὀρνῑθ-σι become ποτ-σι, ὀρνῑτ-σι.

Masculine and feminine stems not ending in ν, ρ, ς and οντ, add ς.

a. A labial (π, β, φ) + ς becomes ψ (97).

b. A dental (τ, δ, θ) + ς becomes σς (98), which is reduced to ς (107).

c. A palatal (κ, γ, χ) or κτ + ς becomes ξ (97).

(The same changes occur in the dative plural.)

γῡ́ψ vulture γῡπ-ός, Ἄραψ Arab Ἄραβ-ος; κακότης baseness κακότητ-ος, ἐλπίς hope ἐλπίδ-ος, ὄρνῑς bird ὄρνῑθ-ος; φύλαξ guard φύλακ-ος, μάστῐξ scourge μάστῑγ-ος, σάλπιγξ trumpet σάλπιγγ-ος, ὄνυξ nail ὄνυχ-ος, νύξ night νυκτ-ός; ἅλ-ς salt ἁλ-ός, ἰχθῡ́ς fish ἰχθύ-ος; ἐλέφᾱς elephant ἐλέφαντ-ος.

Labials and dentals often correspond: ποινή and τίσις retribution; φόνος murder, θείνω strike. π and κ: αἰπόλος goat-herd, βουκόλος ox-herd. πτ for τ is found in πτόλεμος war, πτόλις city for πόλεμος, πόλις. Cp. Neoptolemus and Ptolemy. So χθ and χ in χθών ground, χαμαί on the ground.

SUFFIXES WITH DENTALS (τ, δ, θ)

a. Suffixes with τ.

1. τ: primary, at the end of stems, as ἀ-γνώς, ἀ-γνῶ-τ-ος unknown (γι-γνώ-σκω know).

2. το, τᾱ: primary, in verbal adjectives in -τό-ς (471) with the force of a perfect participle, as γνω-τό-ς known (γι-γνώ-σκω know), στα-τό-ς placed, standing (ἴ-στη-μι set, place), or with the idea of possibility, as λυ-τό-ς able to be loosed; in verbal abstracts, which sometimes become concrete: κοί-το-ς, κοί-τη bed (κεῖ-μαι lie), βρον-τή thunder (βρέμ-ω roar), φυ-τό-ν plant (φῡ́ω produce), πο-τό-ν drink (πῑ́νω drink, πο- 529), βιο-τός, βιο-τή life, means of living (βίο-ς life); in numerals, τρί-το-ς third, ἕκ-το-ς sex-tu-s.—In superlatives, ισ-το primary, as ἥδ-ιστο-ς sweetest (ἡδ-ύ-ς); τατο, secondary, as ἀληθέσ-τατο-ς most true (ἀληθής).—τᾱ (nom. -τη-ς): primary, to denote the agent (839 a. 1); secondary, to denote the person concerned (843 a. 2).—ατο, ατᾱ: primary, in θάν-ατο-ς death (θνῄ-σκω, θαν-εῖν die), κάμ-ατο-ς weariness (κάμ-νω, καμ-εῖν am weary). ετο, ετᾱ: primary, in παγ-ετό-ς frost (πήγ-νῡ-μι make hard); secondary, in εὐν-έτη-ς bed-fellow (εὐνή bed, 843 a. N.). ᾱτᾱ ᾱτιδ, ητᾱ ητιδ, ῑτᾱ ῑτιδ, ωτᾱ ωτιδ, in gentiles (844. 2).

3. τᾱτ (τητ): secondary, in substs. denoting quality (840 b. 4).—4. τεϝο: primary, in verbal adjectives (473).—5. τειρᾱ: primary, of the agent (839 b. 3).—6. τερο: secondary, in comparatives (313); substantivized in ἔν-τερο-ν bowel.—7. τηρ: primary, to denote the agent (839 a. 2), often regarded as the instrument: ῥαιστήρ hammer (838 a), ἀρυ-τήρ ladle.—8. τηρ-ιο: compound suffix, of place (851. 2), of means (842. 4), of wages (842. 5): θρεπ-τήρια reward for rearing (τρέφ-ω); in adjectives, 858. 14.—9. τι: primary, to denote action or an abstract idea (840 a. 1); rarely, of persons: μάν-τι-ς seer (μαίν-ομαι rage, am inspired, μαν-).—10. τιδ: primary, of the agent (839 b. 4).—11. τορ: primary, of the agent (839 a. 3).—12. τρᾱ: primary, of instrument or means (842. 3); of place (851. 6).—13. τριᾱ (nom. -τρια): primary, of the agent (839 b. 2).—14. τριδ (nom. -τρίς): primary, of the agent (839 b. 1). —15. τριο: secondary, in ἀλλό-τρ-ιο-ς belonging to another.—16. τρο (-τρο-ς, -τρο-ν): primary, to denote the agent (839 a. 4), instrument (842. 1), place, as θέᾱ-τρο-ν theatre (place for seeing), λέκ-τρο-ν bed.— 17. τυ: primary, of actions or abstract ideas (840 a. 4); in ἄσ-τυ city, φῖ-τυ sprout (φῡ́-ω produce); secondary, denoting connection with a numeral: τριτ-τύ-ς third of a tribe (τρί-το-ς third).

18. ᾱτ: primary, in κέρᾱς, κέρᾱτ-ος (and κέρως, 258) horn.—19. ητ: primary, in πένης, -ητ-ος serf (πέν-ομαι toil), πλάν-ητ-ες planets (πλανά-ω wander). —20. ιτ: primary, in μέλι, -ιτ-ος honey (Lat. mel), χάρ-ις grace (χαίρω rejoice, χαρ-). See 859. 4.—21. ῑτιδ (nom. -ῖτις, fem.): secondary in words denoting place (851. 4).—22. ωτ: primary, in γέλως, -ωτος laughter (γελά-ω laugh).—23. ντ: primary, in active participles (except the perfect), as λῡ́ο-ντ-ος; in some adjectives inflected like participles (ἑκών willing), and in participial substantives: δράκ-ων serpent (δέρκ-ομαι gleam, δρακ-εῖν), also in λέων lion, ἀδάμᾱς adamant. —24. ϝεντ (nom. -εις): secondary, in adjectives denoting fulness (858. 3), and in some proper names of places: Ὀποῦς Opus from Ὀποϝεντ-ς (844. 3).

b. Suffixes with δ.

1. δ: secondary, in patronymics (845. 1).—2. δ-ανο: secondary, in οὐτιδανό-ς a nobody (οὔτις nobody), properly from τιδ, neuter of τὶ, + ανό-ς. —ε-δανο: primary, in ῥῑγ-ε-δανό-ς chilling (ῥῑγ-έω shudder).—3. δ-απο: secondary, in ἀλλοδαπός foreign, properly = ἀλλοδ, neuter of ἄλλος (cp. aliud), + από-ς.—4. δ-ᾱ: secondary, in patronymics (845. 1).—5. δ-ιο: στά-δ-ιο-ς standing (ἴ-στη-μι), with δ prob. from a word containing the suffix δ, as ἀμ-φάδιο-ς public from ἀμ-φαδό-ν publicly.—6. δων: primary, in μελ-ε-δών care (μέλει is a care), ἀλγ-η-δών pain (ἀλγέ-ω suffer); secondary, in κοτυληδών a cup-shaped hollow (κοτύλη cup); cp. ἀχθ-η-δών distress (ἄχθ-ος burden).—7. δωνᾱ: primary, in μελ-ε-δώνη care (see δων).

8. αδ: primary, in νιφ-άς, -άδ-ος snow-flake (νῑ́φ-ω, better νείφ-ω, snow), φυγ-άς exile (φεύγ-ω flee, φυγ-), λαμπ-άς torch (λάμπ-ω shine); secondary, in abstract feminines denoting number (840 b. 5).—9. ιαδ, 10. ιαδᾱ: secondary, in patronymics (845. 3).—11. αδιο: secondary, in κατ-ωμ-άδιο-ς from the shoulder (ὦμο-ς), derived from διχθ-άδ-ιο-ς divided (διχθάς, -άδος divided).—12. ιδ: primary, in ἀσπ-ίς, -ίδ-ος shield, ἐλπ-ίς hope (ἔλπομαι hope); secondary, in adj. as συμμαχίς allied (πόλις) from σύμμαχο-ς allied with; in words denoting the person concerned (843 b. 2); in gentiles (844. 1), as Περσίς Persian woman; in feminine patronymics (845. 4).—13. ιδᾱ: secondary, in patronymics (845. 4).—14. ιδεο: secondary, in names of relationship (850).— 15. ιδευ: secondary, in diminutives (853).—16. ιδιο: secondary, in diminutives (852. 2), and transferred in μοιρ-ίδιο-ς doomed (μοῖρα doom). —17. ῑδ: secondary, in κνημῑ́ς greave (κνήμη leg, thigh).—18. νδᾱ: secondary, in patronymics (846, e).—19. ωδες: secondary, in adjectives of fulness (858. 16).

c. Suffixes with θ.

1. θ appears in suffixes that are obscure in relation to root or stem (832): ὄρνῑς ὄρνῑθ-ος bird, ψάμαθος sand, κύαθος cup, πέλεθος ordure; several in -νθ (probably not Greek), as ἐρέβ-ινθος chick-pea.—2. θλο, θλᾱ: primary, in γέν-ε-θλο-ν, γεν-έ-θλη race (γίγ-νομαι become, γεν-).—3. θλιο: secondary, in γεν-έ-θλιο-ς belonging to one's birth.—4. θρο, θρα: primary, in ἄρ-θρο-ν joint (ἀραρίσκω join, ἀρ-), ἐπι-βά-θρᾱ ladder (βαίνω go, βα-).