Inflection

Inflection is the change in the form of nouns, pronouns, and verbs which indicates their relation to other words in the sentence. Declension is the inflection of substantives, adjectives (including participles), and pronouns; conjugation is the inflection of verbs.

Inflection.—The inflection of a verb consists in the addition of certain endings to the different stems.

Stems.—Inflection is shown by the addition of endings to the stem, which is that part of a word which sets forth the idea; the endings fit the word to stand in various relations to other words in the sentence. The endings originally had distinct meanings, which are now seldom apparent. In verbs they represent the force of the personal pronouns in English; in nouns they often correspond to the ideas expressed by of, to, for, etc. Thus, the stem λογο- becomes λόγο-ς word, the stem λεγο- becomes λέγο-μεν we say. Whether a stem is used as a noun or a verb depends solely on its signification; many stems are used both for nouns and for verbs, as τῑμᾱ- in τῑμή honour, τῑμα- in τῑμά-ω I honour; ἐλπιδ- in ἐλπί(δ)-ς hope, ἐλπίζω I hope (ἐλπιδ-ιω). The pure stem, that is, the stem without any ending, may serve as a word; as χώρᾱ land, λέγε speak! λόγε oh word!

ο is used before μ or ν in the indicative, and in the optative, ω before μ or ν in the subjunctive, elsewhere ε is used in the indicative (η in the subjunctive).

In the μι inflection no thematic vowel is employed, and the endings are attached directly to the tense-stem. The μι form is used only in the present, imperfect, and second aorist. In the other tenses, verbs in μι generally show the same inflection as ω-verbs. For further explanation of the ω and the μι inflection see 602ff., 717ff.

ο is used before μ or ν in the indicative, and in the optative, ω before μ or ν in the subjunctive, elsewhere ε is used in the indicative (η in the subjunctive).

In the μι inflection no thematic vowel is employed, and the endings are attached directly to the tense-stem. The μι form is used only in the present, imperfect, and second aorist. In the other tenses, verbs in μι generally show the same inflection as ω-verbs. For further explanation of the ω and the μι inflection see 602ff., 717ff.