THE FIRST GREEK BOOK
BY JOHN WILLIAMS WHITE, PH.D, LL.D., LITT.D.
Professor Of Ancient Greek At Harvard University
This Revision Copyright ©2012 by Shawn Irwin
737. Contraction of Vowels.
1. Two vowels which can form a diphthong simply unite in one syllable.
Thus, εὔρει, εὔρει (747-749); κπέαι, κρέαι (747); ἀληθέι, ἀληθεῖ (752).
2. Two like vowels ( i.e. two α sounds, two ε sounds, or two
ο sounds, without regard to quantity) unite to form the common long (α, η, or ω).
thus, μνάᾱ, μνᾱ (742); ποιέητε, ποιῆτε (782); δηλόω, δηλῶ
(783). exception: κρέαα, κρέα (747).
a. But ε + ε gives ει, and ο + ο gives ου.
Thus, ποιέετε, ποιεῖτε (782); εὔρεε, εὔρει, τριήπεες, τριήρεις
(747-749); ἀληθέε, ἀληθεῖ, ἀληθέες, ἀληθεῖς (752); δηλόομεν, δηλοῦμεν (783);
νόος, νοῦς (742); ἁπλόος, ἁπλοῦς (751).
3. When an ο sound precedes or follows an α or an ε
sound, the two become ω.
Thus, τῑμάω, τῑμώ, τῑμάομεν, τῑμῶμεν (781); κρέαος, κρέως, κπεάων, κρεῶν (747);
δηλόητε, δηλῶτε (783); ποιέω, ποιῶ (782); τπιηπέων, τριηρῶν
(747); ἀληθέων, ἀληθῶν (752).
a. But ο + ε and ε + ο give ου.
Thus, δηλόετε, δηλοῦτε (783); νόε, νοῦ (742); ποιέομεν, ποιοῦμεν
(782); χρύσεος, χρῡσοῦς (751); εὔρεος, εὔρους (747);
ἀληθέος, ἀληθοῦς (752).
4. When an α sound precedes or follows an ε sound, the first (in order) prevails,
and we have α or η.
Τhus, τῑμάετε, τῑμᾶτε, τῑμάητε, τῑμᾶτε (781); εὔρεα, εὔρη, τπιήπεα, τριήρη, ἄστεα, ἄστη
(747, 748); ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ (752).
5. A vowel disappears by absorption before a diphthong beginning with the same vowel, and ε
is always absorbed before οι.
Thus, ποιέει, ποιεῖ (782); δηλόουλτι, δηλοῦσι, δηλόοι, δηλοῖ (783);
ποιέοι, ποιοῖ (782); εὐπέοιν, εὐροῖν, τριηπέοιν, τριηροῖν (747);
ἀληθέοιν, ἀληθοῖν (752).
6. In other cases a simple vowel followed by a diphthong is contracted with the first vowel of the diphthong, and a following
ι remains as iota subscript, but a following υ disappears.
Thus, τῑμάει, τῑμᾷ, τῑμάουσι, τῑμῶσι, τῑμάῃ, τῑμᾷ, τῑμάοι, τῑμῷ (781); ποιέουσι, ποιοῦσι, ποιέῃ, ποιῇ (782).
a. But in verbs in οω, ο + ει and ο + ῃ give οι.
Thus, δηλόει, δηλοῖ, δηλόῃ, δηλλοῖ (783).
b. Infinitives in αειν and οειν
contract into ᾱν and ουν.
Thus, τῑμάειν, τῑμᾶν (781); δηλόειν, δηλοῦν (783).
7. (Special Rule for Vowel Declension) in contracts of the Vowel Declension, every short vowel before α,
or before a long vowel or a diphthong, is absorbed. See 742; 751.
a. But in the singular of the A Declension εᾱ is contracted regularly to η
(after a vowel or ρ, to ᾱ). See 742; 751.
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This Revision Copyright ©2012 by Shawn Irwin