Verb: ο-contract

MorphologyVerb – ο-contract (contractions)

• ο contracts with other vowels according to the following rules:
• With ω, ο contracts to ω
• With ε, ο, or ου, ο contracts to ου
• With any vowel with ι, ο contracts to οι (though see the inf exception below)

fromLesson 44.1

MorphologyVerb – ο-contract (lengthening)

• Like we have seen in other contract verbs (26.2.3.1, 37.1.3.1), when the ending begins with a consonant the ο will lengthen to ω

fromLesson 45.1

SemanticsVerb – Aorist (Meaning and summary)

The Aorist can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used to refer to sequential events, inchoative and complexive states, gnomic statements, performatives, and events with an implied result. The common element in each use is that a temporal boundary is being referred to. Sometimes this is an initial temporal boundary, as in the inchoative. At other times, this is the final temporal boundary, as in sequential events, complexive states, and events with an implied result. At still other times, the temporal boundary referred to is a particular event within a series of timeless events, as in the gnomic use. Finally, this temporal boundary may also occur in the act of speaking the event or state into existence, as in the performative. This definition of the Aorist allows us to be more precise about its contribution to the context. Grammars that describe the Aorist as “punctiliar” or “viewing the event as a whole” are describing particular uses of the Aorist, but such descriptions do not capture all the various interpretations we see. Temporal boundedness (properly understood) can, however, account for all the uses and is the meaning that the Aorist contributed to the context.

fromLesson 44.1

SemanticsVerb – Eluon (Meaning and summary)

We have given 5 different uses for the Eluon form: it may refer to the pre-stage of an event (the conative use), the beginning of an event (the ingressive use), habitual events, past states, and past events in progress. All these uses have a common element: the Eluon form says nothing about the end of an eventuality. It can be used to talk about the beginning of an eventuality (the conative and ingressive uses) as well as the middle of an eventuality (habituals, past states, and past events), but it is never used to talk about when an eventuality ends or culminates. Moreover, the part(s) of the eventuality referred to always occur prior to the time of speaking. These two elements make up the basic meaning of the Eluon form: a non-final part of an eventuality occurred in the past. The specific interpretation of the form in context is dependent upon a number of factors, most importantly the nature of the verb the Eluon form combines with.

fromLesson 45.1