Language/Ancient-greek-to-1453/Grammar/Future-Tense

The Future Tense in Ancient Greek

The future tense (Greek μέλλων / méllōn = going to be) describes an event or a state of affairs that will happen in the future.

For example, it can be something promised or predicted.

The future exists in all moods, except the subjunctive and the imperative. Also, there is a passive future.

Τhe forms used for the future tense they are related to the present tense forms

In Ancient Greek grammar, a barytone is a word without any accent on the last syllable :

• eg: λύω (loosen, destroy), νομίζω (think so), διώκω (prosecute)

The stem needs a marker that says the verb is in the future tense. The future tense marker for all verbs is –σ-.

So now the stem looks (and sounds) like this: λυ + σω = λυσ– will loosen (future tense stem).

We learned the formula to form the future tense: verb stem + σ + –ω personal endings. If the verb stem ends in a consonant,

the addition of -σ- results in a number of predictable sound changes:

If the verb stem ends in a labial (-π, –β, –φ), the addition of the σ results in – ψ –

Eg :

• ἅπτω ἅψω (touch)
• γράφω - γράψω (write, draw)
• τρέπω -τέρψω (turn)

Verb stems ending in a dental (-δ, –θ, –ζ ⇒ σ )

Eg :

• θαυμάζω -θαυμάσω (wonder, marvel)
• κατασκευάζω -κατασκευάσω (equip, supply)
• ὀνομάζω -ονομάσω (call by name)
• πείθω -πείσω (persuade)
• σῴζω, σώσω save (note the change in the use of the iota subscript in the penult!
• φράζω -φράσω (tell)

Verb stems ending in a palatal (-κ, –γ, –χ ⇒ξ in future)

Eg :

• ἄγω -ἄξω (lead, bring, pass (time))
• ὑπάγω - ὑπάξω (go away)
• ἄρχω -ἄρξω (begin, lead, rule (+ gen.)
• ὑπάρχω - ὑπάρξω (exist, be, belong to)
• διδάσκω, διδάξω (teach)
• διώκω -διώξω (pursue)
• ἥκω -ἥξω (have come, be present)
• λέγω -λέξω (say, tell)

Verb stems ending in –ττ / -σσ

A number of verbs with stems ending in –ττ– in Classical Athenian Greek were treated as though they were palatals:

i.e : –ττ or σσ = ξ . These Athenian –ττ– verbs were spelled instead with –σσ– in most other Greek dialects.

These words are the same with either spelling, as are their futures: both result in ξ.

Eg :

• πράττω -πράξω (πράσσω -ξω) : do
• τάττω -τάξω (τάσσω -ξω) : arrange
• ὑποτάττω -ὑποτάξω (ὑποτάσσω -ξω) : subordinate, subject
• φυλάττω -φυλάξω (φυλάσσω -ξω) : watch, guard, defend

Remember that Greek has two distinct sets of inflectional endings:

–μι verbs (athematic)

–ω verbs (thematic)

All verbs, regardless of whether they are thematic or athematic in the present tense, use thematic (-ω verb) endings in the future tense.

In other words, while δείκνυμι, for example, is a –μι verb in the present active, it uses the same thematic personal endings in the future active that a verb like

λύω : does.

The Future Indicative Active of δείκνυμι is as follows:

Future  simple	Future Moyne
δείξω (I will show)	δείξομεν (we will show)

Principal Parts: –μι verbs

• (δεικ-) δείκνυμι, δείξω (show)
• (μιγ-) μίγνυμι, μίξω (mix)
• (δω-) δίδωμι, δώσω(give)
• ἀποδίδωμι, ἀποδώσω (give back)
• παραδίδωμι, παραδώσω( hand over, deliver)
• (ἥ-) ἵημι, ἥσω (throw)
• ἀφίημι, ἀφήσω (send forth; let go, allow)
• (στη-) ἵστημι, στήσω (stand)
• ἀνίστημι, ἀναστήσω (raise, appoint)
• καθίστημι, καταστήσω (set down, establish)
• παρίστημι, παραστήσω (be present)
• (θη-) τίθημι, θήσω put, (make)
• ἐπιτίθημι, ἐπιθήσω (put on)
• προστίθημι, προσθήσω( add to)
• (φη-) φημί, φήσω (say)

Principal Parts: –ω verbs

• βουλεύω, βουλεύσω (deliberate, resolve)

• θύω, θύσω (sacrifice)

• κελεύω, κελεύσω (order)

• κλαίω, κλαύσω (cry out)

• κωλύω, κωλύσω (prevent)

• λύω, λύσω (loosen, destroy)

• ἀπολύω, ἀπολύσω (release, divorce, forgive)

• παύω, παύσω (stop)

• περισσεύω, περισσεύσω (be left over, increase, exceed)

• πιστεύω, πιστεύσω (trust, rely on, believe in (+ dat.)

• πορεύω, πορεύσω (carry)

• φύω, φύσω (produce)

Author

➡ Marianthi

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Source : https://ancientgreek.pressbooks.com/chapter/15/

Other Lessons

• The article
• Structure and constituents of verb
• Verb: λύομαι: Passive Medium voice
• The Middle Voice of λύω : λύομαι
• Pronouns
• Ancient Greek Adjectivess
• Prepositions
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Endings of the third declensions
• Reciprocal Pronouns