APPENDIX C

 

CONJUGATION

 

C0. THE GREEK VERB

 

C0.1 THE GREEK CONJUGATION SYSTEM 

 

C0.11 There are three conjugations in Greek (#10.12). Their distinctive features may be seen in the following table:

Conjugation:	FIRST	SECOND	THIRD
Feature:
Ending of lexical form:	-ω	-ω	-μι
Aspect morpheme for aorist active:	punctuliar morpheme -σα-	neutral morpheme -ο/ε-	no morpheme –  adds endings directly
Builds verb system upon:	present stem	aorist stem	aorist stem
Present stem requires a durative morpheme:	no	yes	yes
No. of verbs in the N.T. following this conjugation:	930	34	36

(counting each simplex verb and its compounds as a single verb)

 

C0.12 Numbers of the Second and Third Conjugation verbs have forms and flexions which follow the first Conjugation.

 

C0.13 For a discussion of these Conjugations, see #10.1 and #10.2.

 

C0.14 The Greek verb system in all its ramifications will be presented in full for the regular First Conjugation verb, λύω, for which there will be given a Paradigm Synopsis, setting out the first person singular form for all the flexions of the paradigm of λύω, followed by a Meaning Synopsis of the meanings of the various flexions. The other paradigms of the First Conjugation are then given, followed by the Second and Third Conjugations (#C2 and #C3), and sections discussing Verbs With Direct Flexions (#C4), and Verbs Which Add a Durative Aspect Morpheme (#C5). Finally a Conspectus is given for the three Conjugations (#C6), and details of Deponent Verbs (#C7), Irregular Verbs (#C8) and Verb Groups (#C9).

 

C0.15 The form from a flexion given in the Paradigm Synopsis (always the first person singular where it exists, but the second person singular for the imperative and the masculine nominative singular for the participle) is called the flexion form. It consists of the tense stem (see #10.2) and the pronoun suffix (see #2.76).

 

C0.2 PARADIGM SYNOPSIS OF THE GREEK VERB

(For explanations, see the Notes which follow in #0.3.)

ASPECT:		DURATIVE		PUNCTILIAR	PERFECTIVE
TIME:			FUTURE			(FUTURE)
TENSE:		PRESENT/IMPERFECT	FUTURE	AORIST	PRESENT PERFECT/ PLUPERFECT	FUTURE PERFECT
MODE:
Primary Indicative (6 each)	A M P	λύω λύομαι    *	λύσω λύσομαι λυθήσομαι	none	λέλυκα λελυκάμην   *	λελυκὼς ἔσομαι λελύσομαι   *
Secondary Indicative (6 each)	A M P	ἔλυον ἐλυόμην    *	none	ἔλυσα ἐλυσάμην ἐλύθην	ἐλελύκειν ἐλελύμην   *	none
Subjunctive (6 each)	A M P	λύω λύωμαι   *	none	λύσω λυσώμαι λυθῶ	λελυκὼς ὦ λελυμένος ὦ   *	none
Optative (6 each)	A M P	λύοιμι λυοίμην   *	λύσοιμι λυσοίμην λυθησοίμην	λύσαιμι λυσαίμην λυθησαίμην	λελυκὼς εἴη λελυμένος εἴη   *	lacking λελυσοίμην   ?
Imperative (4 each)	A M P	λύε λύου   *	none	λύσον λῦσαι λύθητι	λελυκὼς ἴσθι λέλυσο   *	none
Infinitive (1 each)	A M P	λύειν λύσεσθαι   *	λύσειν λύσεσθαι λυθήσεσθαι	λῦσαι λύσασθαι λυθῆναι	λελυκέναι λελύσθαι   *	lacking λελύσεσθαι   ?
Participle (24 each)	A M P	λύων λυόμενος   *	λύσων λυσόμενος λυθησόμενος	λύσας λυσάμενος λυθείς	λελυκώς λελύμενος   *	lacking
No. of forms in the column		106	·         111	·         141	·         106	·         43  =  507

 

C0.3 NOTES ON THE PARADIGM SYNOPSIS

 

C0.31 This Paradigm Synopsis shows the flexion form (the first person singular, apart from the imperative, where it is the second person singular, and the Participle, for which it is the masculine nominative singular) for all the possible flexions of a single Greek verb. Some categories do not exist at all, and these are indicated in the Synopsis by the word “none”. Some categories could exist, but are not found in Hellenistic literature, and are indicated by the word “lacking". Some of the verb forms illustrated in this Synopsis are not found in the New Testament but can occur in Hellenistic Greek. That is to say, they were available to the New Testament writers had they had occasion to use them. Other forms illustrated in the Synopsis are very rare in the New Testement (see section #C0.33).

 

C0.32 In the synopsis, A = Active, M = Middle, and P = Passive. Separate forms exist for the passive only in the Future and Aorist systems; in the Present and Perfect systems the middle forms are found used with passive meaning as well as being used with middle meaning. The places in the synopsis where a middle flexion is used with passive as well as middle meanings are indicated by *.

 

C0.33 Some forms were rare even in Classical times, primarily because the circumstances for their use would arise so infrequently. In Hellenistic times a number of categories had become virtually obsolete or, if used, usually had something of an archaic connotation. These were: The Optative Mode, the Future Perfect, the Perfect Imperative, and the Future Infinitive and Participle. Nonetheless, all these verb categories were available for use to the Hellenistic writer if he wished to call upon them. In fact some examples of forms from all of these categories are found in the pages of the New Testament, amounting to several dozen instances in all. Some forms, though possible, are so conjectural as to be omitted from the Synopsis — for example, such a form as the future perfect passive participle, which would be λελυθησομένος, if it were ever needed.

 

C0.34 The numbers that are given under the name of the Mode indicate the number of forms which there are in each of the flexions for which the flexion form has been given, and the totals for each aspect are given at the foot of each column. Ιt can be seen that the number of forms of each verb available to a Greek writer was 507. (It was greater still in Classical times, when a Dual number was in use for second and third person of each flexion, in addition to Singular and Plural. ) If one deducts the 107 forms in the rarely-used flexions (#C0.33), this leaves 400 forms in the frequently-used flexions of a verb — though in the nature of the case some of these would be used less frequently and others more frequently.

 

C0.35 Some verbs would not have any passive forms in consequence of their meaning (for example, φεύγω, I flee). Many verbs were defective, that is, they did not have a full range of flexions in use (and various verbs would of course be defective to varying degrees). There are seven verbs which are actually “verb sets”, where two or three defective verbs were used in no association, one supplying flexions which the other lacked. These are called suppletives (see #7.63 and #C2.8).

 

C0.36 In the Indicative Mode, the present, future, present perfect and future perfect tenses are called the Primary Tenses. They have in common that they do not refer to past time, and their similar pronoun suffixes in the middle flexions. The imperfect, aorist and pluperfect tenses are called the Secondary Tenses or Historic Tenses. They have in common that they do refer to past time, and their middle pronoun suffixes are similar to each other and differ in some forms from those of the Primary Tenses. The middle forms of the subjunctive have pronoun suffixes similar to those of the Primary Tenses, while those for the optative have pronoun suffixes similar to the Secondary Tenses.

 

C0.37 It should be noted that the Greek verb has four tense systems, one for each of the three aspects in Greek, durative, punctiliar, and perfective, and the fourth is the future system. Each of the three aspect tense systems has a Secondary Indicative or past time flexion (the Imperfect, Aorist, and Pluperfect), and two of the three have a Primary Indicative or present flexion (the Present and the Present Perfect). The aorist has no present or Primary Indicative form, but outside the Indicative Mode it indicates only punctiliar aspect and not past time (and accordingly it has no past time morpheme). The perfective aspect system also has future time flexions, the Future Perfect flexions, which are used in referring to something having been completed (and thus inaugurating a new state of affairs) at some time in the future. In the nature of the case, the occasions for the use of this tense are few.

 

C0.38 The future forms have no inherent aspect, but can be either durative or punctiliar - and this will be related to the lexical meaning of a particular verb, or, according to circumstances, indicated by the context in which a verb is used.

 

CO.4 MEANING SYNOPSIS OF THE GREEK VERB

 

C0.41 This Synopsis gives the nearest English approximation of the meaning of the flexion form of each of the Greek verb flexions, for most contexts.

 

C0.42 Some of these English renderings are cumbersome, to say the least, and are not necessarily intended to represent how that verb ought to be translated in English, but rather to give an approximation of the force of the Greek. The meaning of the less common, more difficult forms (including those like the optative, which have not been given in this Synopsis) is best grasped by noting them in the context where they occur at the time when they are encountered.

 

C0.43 INDICATIVE

	PRESENT		FUTURΕ
A	λύω	I am loosing	λύσω	I will loose/be loosing
M	λύομαι	I am loosing for myself	λύσομαι	I will loose/be loosing for myself
P	λύομαι	I am (being) loosed	λύσομαι	I will be loosed
	IMPERFECT		AORIST
A	ἔλυον	I was loosing	ἔλυσα	I loosed
M	ἐλυόμην	I was loosing for myself	ἐλυσάμην	I loosed for myself
P	ἐλυόμην	I was being loosed	ἐλύθην	I was loosed
	PRESENT PERFECT		FUTURE PERFECT
A	λέλυκα	I have loosed	λελυκὼς ἔσομαι	I will have loosed
M	λέλυμαι	I have loosed for myself	λελύσομαι	I will have loosed for myself
P	λέλυμαι	I have been loosed	λελύσομαι	I will have been loosed
	PLUPΕRFECT
A	(ἐ)λελύκειν	I had loosed
M	(ἐ)λελύμην	I had loosed for myself
P	(ἐ)λελύμην	I had been loosed

 

C0.44 SUBJUNCTIVE

	PRESENT (Durative)		AORIST (Punctiliar)
A	λύω	I would/might be loosing	λύσω	I would/might loose
M	λύωμαι	I would/might be loosing for myself	λύσωμαι	I would/might loose for myself
P	λύωμαι	I would/might be being loosed	λυθῶ	I would/might be loosed
	PRESENT PERFECT
A	λελυκὼς ὦ	I would/might have been loosing
M	λελυμένος ὦ	I would/might have been loosing for myself
P	λελυμένος ὦ	I would/might have been loosed

 

C0.45 IMPERATIVE

	PRESENT (Durative)		AORIST (Punctiliar)
A	λῦε	loose!	λῦσον	loose !
M	λύου	loose for yourself!	λῦσαι	loose for yourself!
P	λύου	be loosed!	λύθητι	be loosed!
	PRESENT PERFECT
A	λελυκὼς ἴσθι	be having been loosing!
M	λέλυσο	be having been loosing for yourself!
P	λέλυσο	be having been loosed!

 

C0.46 INFINITIVE

	PRESENT (Durative)		FUTURE
A	λύειν	to be loosing	λύσειν	to be about to loose
M	λύεσθαι	to be loosing for oneself	λύσεσθαι	to be about to loose for oneself
P	λύεσθαι	to be being loosed	λυθήσεσθαι	to be about to be loosed
	PRESENT PERFECT		AORIST (Punctiliar)
A	λελυκέναι	to have loosed	λῦσαι	to loose
M	λελύσθαι	to have loosed for oneself	λύσασθαι	to loose for oneself
P	λελύσθαι	to have been loosed	λυθῆναι	to be loosed

 

C0.47 PARTICIPLE

	PRESENT (Durative)		FUTURE
A	λύων	(while) loosing	λύσων	being about to loose
M	λυόμενος	(while) loosing for oneself	λυσόμενος	being about to loose for oneself
P	λυόμενος	(while being) loosed	λυθησόμενος	being about to be loosed
	PRESENT PERFECT		AORIST (Punctiliar)
A	λελυκώς	having loosed	λύσας	having loosed/after loosing
M	λελυμένος	having loosed for oneself	λυσάμενος	having loosed/after loosing for oneself
P	λελυμένος	having been loosed	λυθείς	having been loosed/after being loosed

 

C1. THE FIRST CONJUGATION

There are nine paradigms of the First Conjugation.

 

C1.1 LONG VOWEL STEM PARADIGM (λύω l loose, untie, release)

 

The Principal Parts for λύω are: λύω, λύσω, ἔλυσα, λέλυκα, λέλυμαι, ἐλύθην

 

This paradigm is followed by approximately 100 New Testament verbs (70 of which end in -ευ).

 

C1.11 ACTIVE:

	PRESENT	FUTURE	AORIST	PERFECT
INDICATIVE
S1	λύω	λύσω	none	λέλυκα
2	λύεις	λύσεις		λέλυκας
3	λύει	λύσει		λέλυκε(ν)
P1	λύομεν	λύσομεν
2	λύετε	λύσετε		λελύκατε
3	λύουσι(ν)	λύσουσι(ν)		λελύκασι(ν)
	Imperfect			Pluperfect
S1	ἔλυον	none	ἔλυσα	(ἐ)λελύκειν
2	ἔλυες		ἔλυσας	(ἐ)λελύκεις
3	ἔλυε(ν)		ἔλυσε(ν)	(ἐ)λελύκει
P1	ἐλύομεν		ἐλύσαμεν	(ἐ)λελύκειμεν
2	ἐλύετε		ἐλύσατε	(ἐ)λελύκειτε
3	ἔλυον		ἔλυσαν	(ἐ)λελύκεισαν
SUBJUNCTIVE
S1	λύω	none	λύσω	λελυκὼς ὦ
2	λύῃς		λύσῃς	λελυκὼς ἦς
3	λύῃ		λύσῃ	λελυκὼς ᾖ
P1	λύωμεν		λύσωμεν	λελυκότες ὦμεν
2	λύητε		λύσητε	λελυκότες ἦτε
3	λύωσι(ν)		λύσωσι(ν)	λελυκότες ὦσι(ν)
OPTATIVE
S1	λύοιμι	λύσοιμι	λύσαιμι	λελυκὼς εἴην
2	λύοις	(No forms	λύσαις	(No forms
3	λύοι	occur	λύσαι	occur
P1	λύοιμεν	in the	λύσαιμεν	in the
2	λύοιτε	New	λύσαιτε	New
3	λύοιεν	Testament)	λύσαιεν	Testament)
IMPΕRATIVE
S2	λῦε	none	λῦσον	λελυκὼς ἴσθι
3	λυέτω		λυσάτω	(No forms occur
P2	λύετε		λύσατε	in the New
3	λυέτωσαν		λυσάτωσαν	Testament)
INFINITIVE
	λύειν	λύσειν	λῦσαι	λελυκέναι
PARTICIPLE
NomS M	λύων	λύσων	λύσας	λελυκώς
F	λύουσα	λύσουσα	λύσασα	λελυκυῖα
N	λῦον	λῦσον	λύσαν	λελυκός
Gen S M/N	λύοντος	λύσοντος	λύσαντος	λελυκότος

 

C1.12 MIDDLE AND PASSIVE:

	PRESENT	FUTURE		AORIST		PERFECT
	MIDDLE & PASSIVE	MIDDLE	PASSIVE	MIDDLE	PASSIVE	MIDDLE & PASSIVE
INDICATIVE
S1	λύομαι	λύσομαι	λυθήσομαι			λέλυμαι
2	λύῃ	λυσῃ	λυθήσῃ			λέλυσαι
3	λύεται	λύσεται	λυθήσεται			λἐλυται
Pl	λυόμεθα	λυσόμεθα	λυθησόμεθα			λελύμεθα
2	λύεσθε	λύσεσθε	λυθήσεσθε			λέλυσθε
3	λύονται	λύσονται	λυθήσονται			λέλυνται
Imperfect						Pluperfect
S1	ἐλυόμην	none	none	ἐλυσάμην	ἐλύθην	(ἐ)λελύμην
2	ἐλύου			ἐλύσω	ἐλύθης	(ἐ)λέλυσο
3	ἐλύετο			ἐλύσατο	ἐλύθη	(ἐ)λέλυτο
P1	ἐλυόμεθα			ἐλυσάμεθα	ἐλύθημεν	(ἐ)λελύμεθα
2	ἐλύεσθε			ἐλύσασθε	ἐλύθητε	(ἐ)λέλυσθε
3	ἐλύοντο			ἐλύσαντο	ἐλύθησαν	(ἐ)λέλυντο
SUBJUNCTIVE
S1	λύωμαι	none	none			λελυμένος ὦ
2	λύῃ					λελυμένος ἦς
3	λύηται					λελυμένος ᾖ
Pl	λυώμεθα					λελυμένοι ὦμεν
2	λύησθε					λελυμένοι ἦτε
3	λύωνται					λελυμένοι ὦσιν
OPTATIVE
Sl	λυοίμην	λυσοίμην	λυθησοίμην	λυσαίμην	λυθείην
2	λύοιο	(No forms	(No forms	λυσαιο	λυθείης	(No forms
3	λύοιτο	occur	occur	λύσαιτο	λυθείη	occur
Pl	λυοίμεθα	in the	in the	ἐλυσαίμεθα	λυθείημεν	in the
2	λύοισθε	New	New	λύσασθε	λυθείητε	New
3	λύοιντο	Testament)		λύσαιντο	λυθείησαν	Testament)
IMPERATIVE
S2	λύου	none	none	λῦσαι	λύθητι	λέλυσο
3	λυέσθω			λυσάσθω	λυθήτω	λελύσθω
P2	λύεσθε			λύσασθε	λύθητε	λελύσθωσαν
3	λυέσθωσαν			λυσάσθωσαν	λυθήτωσαν	λελύσθωσαν
S2	λύου
INFINITIVE
	λύεσθαι	λύσεσθαι	λυθήσεσθαι	λύσασθαι	λυθῆναι	λελύσθαι
PARTICIPLE
NS M	λυόμενος	λυσόμενος	λυθησόμενος	λυσάμενος	λυθείς	λελυμένος
F	λυομένη	λυσομένη	λυθησομένη	λυσαμένη	λυθεῖσα	λελυμένη
Ν	λυόμενον	λυσόμενον	λυθησόμενον	λυσάμενον	λυθέν	λελυμένον
GSM/N	λυομένου	λυσομένου	λυθησομένου	λυσαμένου	λυθέντος	λελυμένου

 

C1.13 For many of the forms given in this paradigm, variant forms will be encountered in the New Testament at times. When these occur in the Greek text, they will usually be mentioned in commentaries or grammatical analyses on the text. They can be noted when encountered, but there is no need to give all these possible variant forms in the standard paradigm.

 

C1.14 It will be noticed that the augment on the forms in the two pluperfect flexions (for Active and Middle-Passive) is placed in brackets. This augment is "correct" in that the pluperfect is a past tense and therefore "should" have the augment, but because the pluperfect forms are adequately identifiable by reduplication, the pluperfect active specifier (-ει-) in Slot 8, and distinctive endings, the augment was often omitted by Greek authors when they used the pluperfect.