Palatals

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 labial or a palatal stop (16) before a dental stop (τ, δ, θ) must be of the same order (16).

a. βτ, φτ become πτ: (τετρῑβ-ται) τέτρῑπται has been rubbed from τρῑ́β-ω rub; (γεγραφ-ται) γέγραπται has been written from γράφ-ω write. γτ, χτ become κτ: (λελεγ-ται) λέλεκται) has been said from λέγ-ω say; (βεβρεχ-ται) βέβρεκται has been moistened from βρέχ-ω moisten.

b. πδ, φδ become βδ: (κλεπ-δην) κλέβδην by stealth from κλέπ-τ-ω steal; (γραφδην) γράβδην scraping from γράφ-ω write (originally scratch, scrape). κδ becomes γδ: (πλεκ-δην) πλέγδην entwined from πλέκ-ω plait.

c. πθ, βθ become φθ: (ἐπεμπ-θην) ἐπέμφθην I was sent from πέμπ-ω send; (ἐτρῑβ-θη) ἐτρῑ́φθη it was rubbed (τρῑ́β-ω rub). κθ, γθ become χθ: (ἐπλεκ-θη) ἐπλέχθη it was plaited (πλέκ-ω plait); (ἐλεγ-θη) ἐλέχθη it was said (λέγ-ω say).

N. 1.—Cp. ἑπτά seven, ἕβδομος seventh, ἑφθήμερος lasting seven days.

N. 2.—But ἐκ out of remains unchanged: ἐκδίδωμι surrender, ἐκθέω run out (104).

Before μ, the labial stops (π, β, φ) become μ; the palatal stops κ, χ become γ; γ before μ remains unchanged.

ὄμμα eye for ὀπ-μα (cp. ὄπωπα), λέλειμμαι I have been left for λελειπ-μαι from λείπ-ω leave, τέτρῑμμαι for τετρῑβ-μαι from τρῑ́β-ω rub, γέγραμμαι for γεγραφμαι from γράφ-ω write, πέπλεγμαι for πεπλεκ-μαι from πλέκ-ω plait, τέτευγμαι for τετευχ-μαι from τεύχ-ω build.

a. κ and χ may remain unchanged before μ in a noun-suffix: ἀκ-μή edge, δραχ-μή drachma. κμ remains when brought together by phonetic change (128 a), as in κέ-κμη-κα am wearied (κάμ-νω).

With ς a labial stop forms ψ, a palatal stop forms ξ.

a. The only stop that can stand before ς is π or κ, hence β, φ become π, and γ, χ become κ. Thus, γραφ-σω, ἀγ-σω become γραπ-σω, ἀκ-σω.

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.

SUFFIXES WITH PALATALS (κ, γ, χ)

1. κο, κᾱ: primary (rare), in θή-κη box (τί-θη-μι place); secondary, in adjectives (858.6).—ακο (rare): primary, in μαλ-ακό-ς soft (cp. Lat. mollis); secondary in adjectives (858. 6. c).—ιακο: secondary, in κῡρ-ιακό-ς of the Lord.—ικο, ικᾱ: secondary, in adjectives (858. 6), in gentiles (844. 3). —2. σκο, σκᾱ: primary, in δίσκος quoit ( = δικ + σκο-ς from δικ-εῖν throw), βο-σκή food (cp. βό-σκω feed).—ισκο: secondary, in diminutives (852. 6).

3. ακ: primary, in μεῖραξ lass, μειράκ-ιο-ν lad dimin. 854, κόλαξ flatterer.— 4. ᾱκ: primary, in θώρᾱξ breast-plate.—5. ικ: primary, in κύλιξ cup, ἧλιξ comrade.—6. ῑκ: primary, in πέρδιξ, -ῑκος partridge.—7. ῡκ: primary, in κῆρυξ, -ῡκος herald.

8. αγ: primary, in ἅρπαξ rapacious, ἁρπαγ-ή seizure (cp. ἁρπάζω seize).— 9. ῑγ: primary, in μάστιξ, -ῑγ-ος whip.—10. υγ: primary, in ἄντυξ, -υγος rim.—11. γγ: primary, denoting something hollow, in φάλαγξ phalanx, σάλπιγξ trumpet, λάρυγξ larynx.

12. ιχο: secondary, in ὀρτάλ-ιχο-ς chick, dimin. (ὀρταλί-ς chicken).