Greek I

Contract Verbs(Chapter 17)

Exegetical Insight – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2

Pau/loj kai. Silouano.j kai. Timo,qeojPaul and Silas and Timothyth/| evkklhsi,a| Qessalonike,wn to the church of the Thessaloniansevn qew/| patri. kai. kuri,w| VIhsou/ Cristw/|( in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christca,rij u`mi/n kai. eivrh,nhÅ Euvcaristou/men tw/| qew/| grace to you and peace. We give thanks to Godpa,ntote peri. pa,ntwn u`mw/n always concerning all of youmnei,an poiou,menoi evpi. tw/n proseucw/n h`mw/n(making mention in our prayers

Overview of this Lesson

In this lesson we will learn: that verb stems ending in a, e, or o

contract when they add connecting vowels and personal endings. Such verbs are called contract verbs.

eight rules governing the contraction of vowels.

Introduction Verbs whose stems end in alpha, epsilon, or

omicron are called contract verbs. The final vowel of the stem is called the contract vowel. The stem of avgapa,w is *agapa.

Contract verbs follow the same rules as the other verbs in their various forms. The difference is that when their final stem vowel comes in contact with the connecting vowel, the two vowels contract, thus forming a different vowel or dipthong. *poie + omen= poiou/men

Contract verbs are categorized by their final stem vowel; each category is consistent in the way it forms its endings.

Contractions Why do we need to know about these?

Primarily in order to recognize the lexical form (and thus the meaning) of a verb that has undergone a contraction.

We will meet contractions only in two tenses, the present and the imperfect. In the other tenses, the connecting vowel lengthens and there is no contraction.

Eight Rules for Contraction

Eight Rules for Contraction

Eight Rules for Contraction

The lexical form of contract verbs will include the contract vowel (e.g., avgapa,w). However, when the first person singular form occurs in the text, it will have contracted (avgapw/).

Eight Rules for Contraction

If the alpha is first, they form a long alpha. If the epsilon is first, they form an eta (which is a lengthened epsilon).

Eight Rules for Contraction

Eight Rules for Contraction What happens with a dipthong depends

upon whether the contract vowel and the first vowel of the dipthong are the same or different.

Eight Rules for Contraction Contract verbs contract with the actual

personal endings of the present active indicative.

There is a complete chart of possible contractions in the appendix, p. 340.

Paradigms for Contract VerbsPresent Active Indicative

For Next Week

Vocab quiz from chapter 17. Workbook Exercise #17. Read chapter 18 on Present

Middle/Passive Indicative, pp. 147-154.