Verb – -βαίνω and γινώσκω

ObjectivesLearning objectives

• More morphology of -βαίνω and γινώσκω verbs
• The semantics of the universal perfect

VocabularyVocabulary

MorphologyMorphology: Verbs – βαίνω and γινώσκω

• Remember: Aorist -βαίνω and γινώσκω verbs take the same endings as the Aorist psv (see 18.1.3.1)
• In the subj, the 3s forms are γνῷ and καταβῇ, with the person and number endings attaching as if the final vowel of the stem were a theme vowel
• The Aorist infs add ναι after the stem, e.g. γνῶναι
• The stems change slightly as ptcps:
• γινώσκω becomes γνούς, γνόντος (nom and gen)
• -βαινω verbs become (κατα)βάς, (κατα)βάντος
• In Luso, both are deponents and use the Aorist stem, e.g. γνώσομαι, καταβήσομαι
• In Leluka, the Aorist stem is used, so the act and psv of γινώσκω are ἔγνωκα and ἔγνωσμαι, and καταβαίνω becomes καταβέβηκα

SemanticsSemantics: Verb – Leluka (5 – Universal Perfect)

Verb – Leluka: all 5 parts on one page →Also in Lesson 19.1, Lesson 20.2, Lesson 23.2, Lesson 41.1

The Leluka form can receive a universal perfect interpretation, which is a state that began to hold in the past and continues to hold in the present (see Semantics C). In the sentence I have lived in Jerusalem for five years, and indeed, I still live there, the state of me living in Jerusalem is said to begin holding five years ago, and this state continues up to the present time. There are two conditions for this interpretation of the perfect. First, the predicate must be a state (e.g. live), and second, the duration of the state must be explicitly given (e.g. five years). These two conditions make the universal perfect interpretation fairly uncommon, but it is still possible:

• (381) Universal perfect τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοί; (Matt 20:6)
• Why have you stood here idle the whole day?

The verb ἑστήκατε is a state, and the phrase ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ‘the whole day’ specifies the duration of the state, so both conditions are met. Moreover, the correct interpretation of the phrase is that the people standing started doing so in the beginning of the day and have continued for the entire day up through the present moment.