Transfer

Transfer of Quantity.—ηο, ηα often exchange quantities, be coming εω, εᾱ. Thus, ληός (Epic λᾱός folk) becomes λεώς, as πόληος becomes πόλεως of a city; τεθνηότος τεθνεῶτος dead; βασιλῆα βασιλέᾱ king.

ὁ νεώς temple

a. So ὁ λεώς people, ὁ Μενέλεως Menelaus, ὁ λαγώς hare. Observe that ω is found in every form, and that it takes ι subscript in the dative of all numbers where an ordinary ο stem has ι.

b. There are no neuter substantives belonging to the Attic declension in standard classical literature; but neuter adjectives (289) end in -ων.

c. νεώς and most words of this declension owe their forms to transfer of quantity (34) or to shortening (39). Thus, νεώς is from νηός ( = Doric νᾱός), νεών from νηόν; νεῴ is from νηῷ. λαγώς is contracted from λαγωός.

d. In the accusative singular some words end in -ω or -ων, as λαγώ or λαγών hare. So ὁ Ἄθως, ἡ Κέως, ἡ Τέως, ἡ Κῶς, ὁ Μῑ́νως. ἡ ἕως dawn always has ἕω.

The verbs ἄγνῡμι, ἁλίσκομαι, (ἀν)οίγνῡμι, ὁράω, which began originally with ϝ, show forms that appear to have a double augment; as ἐᾱ́γην, ἑᾱ́λων, (ἀν)ἐῳγον (rarely ἤνοιγον), ἑώρων, ἑώρᾱκα (and ἑόρᾱκα). These forms appear to be due to transference of quantity (34) from ἠ-ϝᾰγην, ἠ-ϝοιγον, ἠ-ϝορων (cp. 433).

Transfer of Aspiration.—Aspiration may be transferred to a following syllable: πάσχω for παθ-σκω (cp. 98).