Insertion

Insertion of ς.—In the perfect middle and first aorist passive systems, verbs which retain a short final vowel and some others usually insert ς before the personal ending.

Thus, τελέω (488 d), τετέλεσμαι, ἐτελέσθην; σπάω draw, ἔσπασμαι, ἐσπάσθην; κελεύω order, κεκέλευσμαι, ἐκελεύσθην; γιγνώσκω know, ἔγνωσμαι, ἐγνώσθην.

a. If the aorist passive ends in -θην and not in -σθην, the perfect middle does not insert ς. Thus -θην, not -σθην, occurs in all verbs in -ευω except λεύω stone to death, in all verbs in -εω which have -θην preceded by η, in all verbs in -οω except χόω heap up, and in all verbs in -αω except those that retain ᾰ. Stems originally ending in ς (624) properly show ς.

b. If the aorist passive ends in -σθην, the perfect middle may or may not insert ς. Verbs in -αζω and -ιζω (stems -αδ, -ιδ) regularly have ς by 83, 587. In the case of other verbs some always show ς, some never show ς, and some are doubtful. In many cases the later usage with ς has crept into the Mss. of the classical authors (so with the perfect of ἀλέω, βαίνω, δράω, ζώννῡμι, κλείω (κλῄω), σῴζω, χρῑ́ω, and with the aorist of παύω).

c. The following verbs show an inserted ς both in the perfect middle and the aorist passive in classical Greek: αἰδέομαι, γιγνώσκω, ἑλκύω, θλάω, θραύω, κελεύω, κλάω, κνα(ί)ω, κορέννῡμι, κυλῑ́ω, ξῡ́ω, πίμπλημι, πρῑ́ω, πτίττω, σβέννῡμι, σείω, σκεδάννῡμι, σπάω, τανύω, τελέω, τίνω, ῡ̔́ω, φλάω, χόω, χρῴζω.

d. The following form only the perfect middle with ς in classical Greek: βῡνέω, ἕννῡμι (εἷμαι, but ἕστο Hom.), ἐρύω, ζώννῡμι, ξέω, *ὀδύσσομαι, πλέω, φλεύω (Hdt.).

e. The following form only the aorist passive with ς in classical Greek: ἄγαμαι, ἀκούω, ἀνύω, ἀρέσκω, ἄχθομαι, γελάω, δαίνῡμι, δράω, ἐλύω, ἔραμαι, ἐράω, ῑ̔λάσκομαι, κλείω (κλῄω), λεύω, μεθύσκω, μιμνῄσκω, ὀῑ́ω, ὄνομαι (Hdt.), παίω, παλαίω, πετάννῡμι, πίμπρημι, ῥαίω, ῥώννῡμι, στόρνῡμι, χαλάω, χράομαι, χράω, χρῑ̔ω.

f. Only in post-classical Greek is ς attested both in the perfect middle and aorist passive in ἀρκέω, ζέω, κλαίω, (ἀπο) λαύω, λόω, ὄλλῡμι, πνέω, πταίω, σάω, ψαύω. —Only in the perfect middle: ἄγαμαι, ἀκούω, ἀνύω, γελάω, δράω, ἐμέω, ἔραμαι, κεράννῡμι, κολούω, μεθύσκω, ναίω, νάω spin, ὀπυίω, παίω, παλαίω, πετάννῡμι (and in Ionic), πίμπρημι (Aristotle; earlier perf. πέπρημαι), στόρνῡμι, χαλάω, ψαύω. When the perfect middle is not attested in classical Greek some at least of the ς forms from the above verbs may represent classical usage, provided the aorist passive has -σθην.—Only in the aorist passive: ἀκέομαι, ἀλέω, ἀρύω, βαίνω, βῡνέω, ψεύω, εἰλύω, ἐλαύνω, ἔρυμαι, ἐρύω, ζώννῡμι, καίω, ξέω, μάχομαι, νέω heap up, *ὀδύσσομαι, πλέω, πτύω, σῴζω, φθάνω.

g. Some verbs have double forms (one of which may be disputed) in the classical period: δύναμαι: ἐδυνήθην and ἐδυνάσθην (chiefly Ionic and poetic); κε<*>άννῡμι: ἐκρᾱ́θην and ἐκεράσθην; κρούω: κέκρουμαι better than κέκρουσμαι; νέω: νἑνημαι and νένησμαι; ὄμνῡμι: ὀμώμομαι (and ὀμώμοσται), ὠμόθην and ὠμόσθην.— Dialectal or dialectal and late are ἐβώσθην for ἐβοήθην (βοάω), ἐλήλασμαι ἠλάσθην (ἐλαύνω), κεκόρημαι for κεκόρεσμαι (κορέννῡμι), πεπέτασμαι (πετάννῡμι).

h. Some verb-stems ending in ν show -σ-μαι in the perfect middle: ἡδῡ́νω, μιαίνω, παχῡ́νω, περαίνω, ὑφαίνω, φαίνω. Thus πέφασμαι, ἥδυσμαι, μεμίασμαι. Dialectal or late: θηλῡ́νω, κοιλαίνω, λεπτῡ́νω, λῡμαίνομαι, ξαίνω, ξημαίνω, σημαίνω. On -μμαι see 579.

i. Observe that some vowel verbs inserting ς do not lengthen the final vowel of the verb-stem in any tense (γελάω, τελέω); and that some not inserting ς (δέω, θῡ́ω, λῡ́ω) do not lengthen the final vowel in some tenses. ἐπ-αινέω commend and παρ-αινέω exhort do not insert ς and have the short vowel in all tenses.

j. The insertion of ς in the perfect middle started in the 3 sing. and 2 pl. Before the endings -ται and -σθε, ς was retained in the case of verbs with stems originally ending in ς (as τελέω), or where ς developed from τ, δ, θ (98) before -ται, -σθε (πέπεισται from πεπειθται). See 409 b, 624. In all cases where the verb-stem did not originally end in ς, the sigma forms are due to analogy; as in κεκέλευσμαι (κελεύω), πέπλησμαι (πίμπλημι), ἔγνωσμαι (γιγνώσκω).

Insertion of sigma.—Between root (or stem) and suffix ς is often found, and in some cases it has become attached to the suffix. This parasitic letter spread from the perfect middle, where it is properly in place only in stems in τ, δ, θ, or ς; as in σχι-σ-μό-ς cleaving with ς from ἔ-σχι-σ-μαι by analogy to ἔ-σχισ-ται for ἐ-σχιδ-ται (σχίζω cleave). In -σ-της the transference was made easier by words like σχισ-τός cloven for σχιδ-τος. This ς appears before many suffixes, and usually where the perfect middle has acquired it (489).

μα· σπά-σ-μα spasm (σπάω rend, ἔσπασμαι), κέλευ-σ-μα command (κελεύ-ω command, κεκέλευσμαι), μία-σ-μα stain (μιαίνω stain, μεμίασμαι).—μο: σπα-σ-μός = σπά-σ-μα, κελευ-σ-μός command.—μη: δύ-σ-μη setting (δῡ́ω set).—της: κελευσ-τής signal-man, ὀρχη-σ-τής dancer (ὀρχ-έ-ομαι dance), δυνά-σ-της lord (δύνα-μαι am able). Also in δρα-σ-τήριος efficacious (δρά-ω do), ὀρχή-σ-τρᾱ dancing-place, πλη-σ-μόνη fulness. -σ-μ has displaced δμ, -θ-μ (832) in ὀσμή odour (earlier ὀδμή), ῥυ-σ-μός (and ῥυ-θ-μός) rhythm.

Insertion of tau.—In a few words τ is inserted before the suffixes μο, μα, μη, μην. Thus, ἐφ-ε-τ-μή command (ἐφῑ́ημι, root ἑ, ἡ), λαῖ-τ-μα depth of the sea, ἀϋ-τ-μή and ἀϋ-τ-μήν breath (ἄημι blow). In ἐρετ-μό-ν oar the τ may be part of the verb-stem (ἐρέσσω, 515), and have spread thence to the other words.

A preposition or adverb is often the first part of a compound: εἴσ-οδος entrance, ἀπο-φεύγω flee from, εὐ-τυχής happy, ἀείμνηστος ever to be remembered.

a. Except when the substantive is treated as a verbal (as in εἴσ-οδος entrance, cp. εἰσ-ιέναι enter), prepositions are rarely compounded with substantives. Thus, σύν-δουλος fellow-slave, ὑπο-διδάσκαλος (= ὁ ὑπό τινι δ.) under-teacher; also ὑπό-λευκος whitish.

b. The ordinary euphonic changes occur. Observe that πρό before may contract with ο or ε to ου: προέχω or προὔχω hold before (cp. 449 b). See 124 a.

c. η sometimes is inserted after a preposition or takes the place of a final vowel: ὑπερ-ή-φανος conspicuous, ἐπ-ή-βολος having achieved.

d. Akin to adverbial compounds are some in φιλ-ο, as φιλο-μαθής one who gladly learns.