9.2 -ω (omega) verbs
The endings of Greek verbs, like those of nouns, follow patterns. The first person singular of most Greek verbs ends in the letter omega. These verbs are sometimes referred to as -ω or omega verbs. Here is the present tense of one common verb παύω (pauō), ‘I stop’ (strictly speaking, the present active indicative).
| number and person | Greek | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| 1 | παύω (pauō) | I stop |
| 2 | παύεις (paueis) | you (singular) stop |
| 3 | παύει (pauei) | he / she / it stops |
| plural | ||
| 1 | παύομεν (pauomen) | we stop |
| 2 | παύετε (pauete) | you (plural) stop |
| 3 | παύουσι(ν) (pauousi(n)) | they stop |
The letter ‘nu’ (ν) at the end of the third person plural is used when the following word begins with a vowel.
Activity 44
a.
Yes
b.
No
The correct answer is a.
Answer
Yes, but nothing like to the same degree as Greek. With ‘he/she/it’ or a singular noun (e.g. ‘the dog’, ‘the cat’), English verbs in the present tense add ‘-s’ (‘she walks’ or ‘the cat skulks’ ).
Most English verbs also change their ending in the past tense (i.e. when describing events in the past) by adding ‘-ed’; thus ‘I walk’ becomes ‘I walked’. Some verbs undergo a more radical change, e.g. ‘I eat’ becomes ‘I ate’.
Practice
Activity 45
Using the verb table repeated below, match the following -omega verbs with their English equivalents.
Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.
-
γράφουσι (graphousi)
-
διώκει (diōkei)
-
θύετε (thuete)
-
τρέχομεν (trechomen)
a.they write
b.he chases
c.you (plural) sacrifice
d.we run
- 1 = a
- 2 = b
- 3 = c
- 4 = d
| Number and person | Latin | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| 1 | παύω (pauō) | I stop |
| 2 | παύεις (paueis) | you (singular) stop |
| 3 | παύει (pauei) | he / she / it stops |
| plural | ||
| 1 | παύομεν (pauomen) | we stop |
| 2 | παύετε (pauete) | you (plural) stop |
| 3 | παύουσι(ν) (pauousi(n)) | they stop |