Verb: Luso middle

MorphologyVerb – Luso middle singular

• There are two classes of Luso verbs:
• σ class: add σ to the present med-psv form (e.g. πορεύσομαι); σ may contract (e.g. εὔχ-σ-ομαι → εὔξομαι; see 10.2.3.1)
• Thematic class: add present med-psv endings to the Aorist stem (e.g. ἔφαγον || φάγ-ομαι)
• Some Luso mids, including the thematic class, are future deponents – there is no corresponding Luso act form

fromLesson 25.1

SemanticsVerb – Luso (2 – Future state without endpoint)

The σ in the Luso and Elusa forms is probably originally the same morpheme which encoded perfective aspect. We have already said that Elusa is a perfective form, since it requires the end of the event to be included in the time that is being talked about, the reference time. Because Luso also has σ, can we say the same thing about the future, that it too is perfective? Despite the morphology, Luso is not perfective. There are many instances where a state referred to by the Luso form simply holds and does not have an endpoint, which is what we would expect from a true perfective form:

fromLesson 25.1

SemanticsVerb – Luso (3 – Deontic)

We have described the future as referring to a time after the time of speaking, but this, however, is a bit simplistic. Sometimes, the Luso form is used to refer to a future time when someone is obligated to perform an action. In other words, it is used more like a command, or at least to describe an obligation. We call this the deontic use of the future (see Semantics D for further discussion):

• (240) Placing a future obligation οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί (Matt 6:5)
• You should not be like the hypocrites

Jesus is here placing an obligation on his audience, so it is similar to an imperative. However, the deontic use of Luso need not always create an obligation:

fromLesson 26.1