Issues:
- Verb stems carry some of the inflectional information that is carried by the ending: λέγ- in λέγει carries the information "present", while -ει carries the information "third-person singular present indicative active" (or arguably "present or future"); ἔβαλλ- in ἔβαλλε carries the information "aorist indicative active", while -ε carries the information "third-person singular aorist indicative active" (or arguably "aorist or imperfect or perfect").
- Verbs have information for as many as five inflectional categories. Perhaps it is easiest to treat indicative and active as the defaults for the categories of mood and voice, and omit them. Then, εἰμί is "first-person present" and not "first-person present indicative" or "first-person present indicative active".
- The augment can perhaps be analyzed as a separate morpheme when it is ἐ-, as in ἔλεγον, in which case it probably carries the information "past", or it can be considered a part of the tense stem, in which case it carries the meaning "indicative". When the augment is quantitative, as in ἦγον, it can't be analyzed as a separate morpheme. When there is a prepositional prefix, I am not sure how to format the glossing abbreviations: συνέβην.
- What was said about the augment is also true of reduplication.
Cases edit
From Ancient Greek nouns:
Nominative edit
The Ancient Greek nominative, like the Proto-Indo-European nominative, is used for the subject and for things describing the subject (predicate nouns or adjectives):
Σωκράτ-ης
Sōkrát-ēs
Socrates-NOM.SG
γὰρ
gàr
for
σοφ-ὸς
soph-òs
wise-NOM.SG
ἦν
ên
be.IMPERF.IND.3.SG
καὶ
kaì
and
For Socrates was wise and just.
Vocative edit
The vocative is used for addressing people or things. It is frequently the same as the nominative in the singular and always the same in the plural.
ἀληθ-ῆ
alēth-ê
true-ACC.SG
λέγ-εις,
lég-eis,
say.PRES-2.SG.PRES.IND.ACT,
ὦ
ô
PTCL.VOC
What you say is true, Socrates.
Accusative edit
The accusative is used for the object of a verb, and also after prepositions. After prepositions it is often used for the destination of motion:
πέμπ-ουσιν
pémp-ousin
send.PRES-3.PL.PRES.IND.ACT
ἐς
es
into
Κρήτ-ην
Krḗt-ēn
Crete-ACC.SG
They send messengers to Crete.
Genitive edit
The Ancient Greek genitive can often be translated with the preposition "of" or the English possessive case:
ἡ
hē
the.F.NOM.SG
τ-οῦ
t-oû
the-M.GEN.SG
Καίσαρ-ος
Kaísar-os
Caesar-GEN.SG
The wife of Caesar
It is also used after prepositions, especially those which mean "from":
ἀπῆλθ-εν
apêlth-en
go away.AOR.IND-3.SG.AOR.IND.ACT
ἐκ
ek
out of
τ-ῆς
t-ês
the-F.GEN.SG
He went away from the marketplace.
Dative edit
The Ancient Greek dative corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European dative, instrumental, or locative. When it corresponds to the dative, it expresses the person or thing that is indirectly affected by an action, and can often be translated with the prepositions "to" or "for":
λέγ-ει
lég-ei
say.PRES-3.SG.PRES.IND.ACT
τ-ὴν
t-ḕn
the-F.ACC.SG
μαντεί-αν
manteí-an
oracle-ACC.SG
τ-ῷ
t-ôi
the-M.DAT.SG
He tells the oracle to Socrates.
When the dative corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European instrumental, it expresses the thing with which something is done, and can often be translated by the preposition "with":
ἔβαλλ-έ
éball-é
throw.AOR.IND-3.SG.AOR.IND.ACT
με
me
PN.1.ACC.SG
He was hitting me with stones.
When the dative corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European locative case (this is often the case when it is used with prepositions), it expresses location (sometimes figuratively) or time, and can often be translated by "in", "at", or "on":
τρίτ-ῳ
trít-ōi
third-DAT.SG
ἔτ-ει
ét-ei
year-DAT.SG
ὡμολόγησ-αν
hōmológēs-an
agree.AOR.IND-3.PL.AOR.IND.ACT
In the third year they came to an agreement with the Athenians.
The dative is also frequently used after prepositions, such as ἐν (en) "in":
ἐν
en
in
τ-ῇ
t-êi
the-F.DAT.SG
μάχ-ῃ
mákh-ēi
battle-DAT.SG
He died in the battle.
Verb stuff edit
From Ancient Greek verbs:
Present tense edit
πολλ-ά
poll-á
many-N.ACC.PL
γε
ge
DM
ἔτ-η
ét-ē
year-ACC.PL
ἤδη
ḗdē
already
εἰμὶ
eimì
be.1.SG.PRES.IND
ἐν
en
in
τ-ῇ
t-êi
the-F.DAT.SG
I have been [lit. I am] in the business for many years now.
τὸ
tò
the.N.NOM.SG
πλοῖ-ον
ploî-on
boat-NOM.SG
ἧκ-εν
hêk-en
arrive.IMPERF.IND-3.SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
ἐν
en
in
ᾧ
hôi
REL.M.DAT.SG
The boat arrived in which we had been drinking.
ὄμνῡ-μι
ómnū-mi
swear.PRES-1.SG.PRES.IND.ACT
πάντ-ας
pánt-as
all-M.ACC.PL
I swear by all the gods!
ᾱ̓εὶ
āeì
always
ταὐτ-ὰ
taut-à
the same.N.ACC.PL
λέγ-εις,
lég-eis,
say.PRES-2.SG.PRES.ACT.IND,
ὦ
ô
PTCL.VOC
You are always saying the same things, Socrates!
“ὦ
“ô
"PTCL.VOC
Σώκρατ-ες,”
Sṓkrat-es,”
Socrates-VOC.SG,"
ἔφ-η,
éph-ē,
say.IMPERF-3.SG.IMPERF.IND,
“ἐγρήγορ-ας
“egrḗgor-as
"wake.PERF.ACT-1.SG.PERF.IND.ACT
ἢ
ḕ
or
"O Socrates", he said, "have you woken up, or are you sleeping?"
Imperfect tense edit
ὁ
ho
the.M.NOM.SG
λοχαγ-ὸς
lokhag-òs
captain-NOM.SG
ᾔδ-ει
ḗid-ei
know.PLUP.IND-3.SG.PLUP.IND.ACT
ὅπου
hópou
where
ἔκει-το
ékei-to
lie.IMPERF.IND-3.SG.IMPERF.IND.MID
ἡ
hē
the.F.NOM.SG
The captain knew where the letter was lying.
ἐστρατοπεδεύ-οντο
estratopedeú-onto
camp.IMPERF.IND-3.PL.IMPERF.IND.ACT
ἑκάστοτε
hekástote
at each time
ἀπέχ-οντ-ες
apékh-ont-es
keep away.PRES-PTCP.PRES-M.NOM.PL
ἀλλήλ-ων
allḗl-ōn
each other-GEN.PL
παρασάγγ-ην
parasáng-ēn
parasang-ACC.SG
καὶ
kaì
and
Every night the (two armies) would camp a parasang or more apart from each other.
ταῦτ-α
taût-a
this-N.NOM.PL
πολ-ὺν
pol-ùn
much-M.ACC.SG
χρόν-ον
khrón-on
time-ACC.SG
οὕτ-ως
hoút-ōs
this-ADV
These things carried on like this for long time.
συμβαλ-όντ-ες
sumbal-ónt-es
throw.AOR.ACT-PTCP.AOR-M.NOM.PL
τ-ᾱ̀ς
t-ā̀s
the-F.ACC.PL
ἀσπίδ-ας
aspíd-as
shield-ACC.PL
ἐωθ-οῦντο,
eōth-oûnto,
shove.IMPERF.IND-3.PL.IMPERF.IND.MID,
ἐμάχ-οντο,
emákh-onto,
fight.IMPERF.IND-3.PL.IMPERF.IND.MID,
ἀπέκτειν-ον,
apéktein-on,
kill.IMPERF.IND-3.PL.IMPERF.IND.ACT,
Throwing together their shields, they began shoving, fighting, killing, and dying.
μετὰ
metà
after
τὸ
tò
the.N.ACC.SG
δεῖπν-ον
deîpn-on
dinner-ACC.SG
τὸ
tò
the.NOM.SG
παιδί-ον
paidí-on
baby-NOM.SG
After dinner the baby began crying.
ἐπειδὴ
epeidḕ
when
δὲ
dè
CNJ
ἕ-ως
hé-ōs
dawn-NOM.SG
ἐγέν-ετο,
egén-eto,
happen.IMPERF.IND-3.SG.IMPERF.IND.MID,
διέβαιν-ον
diébain-on
cross.IMPERF.IND-3.PL.IMPERF.IND.ACT
τ-ὴν
t-ḕn
the-F.ACC.S
And when dawn came, they began crossing the bridge.
- ^ Aristotle, Rhetoric 1357b.10
- ^ Plato, Ion 530c
- ^ Herodotus, 4.151.2
- ^ Josephus, The Life of Flavius Josephus 429
- ^ Aeschines, 1.61
- ^ Xenophon, Anabasis 3.1.7
- ^ Lysias, 3.8
- ^ Thucydides, 1.101.3
- ^ Xenophon, Cyropaedia 7.3.3
- ^ Plato, Protagoras 317c
- ^ Antiphon, 5.29
- ^ Xenophon, Agesilaus 5.5, Symposium 4.11
- ^ Xenophon, Anabasis 1.8.26
- ^ Plato, Gorgias 490e
- ^ Plato, Protagoras 310b
- ^ Xenophon, Cyropaedia 2.2.9
- ^ Xenophon, Anabasis 2.4.10
- ^ Lysias, 1.10
- ^ Xenophon, Agesilaus 2.12
- ^ Lysias, 1.11
- ^ Xenophon, Anabasis 2.4.24