GREEK WORD FORMATION

GREEK WORD FORMATION

Virgil Warren, PhD

SUFFIXES

morpheme                   part of speech         meaning               formed from                example

-ανω                            verb

                                    (-ινω, -αινω are variants of the same form)

-ἀω                              denominative verb  action having the nature of the stem

                                    Cp. with –έω verbs and -όω  verbs

-εια

-εῖον                            noun                        place where

-ευς, -εως                    noun                        agent                    ἀρχιερεύς, βασιλεύς, βυρσεύς, ἱερεύς, γναφεύς, γραμματεύς

-ευω                            verb                        

-έω                              verb                                                     noun or adjective  φίλος< φιλέω

                                    Cp. with -άω  verbs and -όω  verbs

--η                               verb                         action of the stem    from noun or adjective

-ης, -ες                                                                                   

-θεν                                                                                                                                                    

-ια                               noun                        quality                 from adjectives

-ιζω                             denominative verb  frequentative action originally

-ικος                            adjective                 having the quality of

-ινος                            adjective                 made of

Ιον                               adverb                                                 borrowed from the corresponding comparative-degree adjective; goes with ιστα

-ιον                              noun                                                    nouns      πόλεμος < πολέμιος,

                                    φίλος < φίλιος

-ιος, -ια, -ιον               adjective-form

-ισσα                           noun                        agent

-ιστα                            adverb                                                 borrowed from the corresponding neuter superlative-degree adjective; goes with -ιον

-ιων, ιον                      comparative suffix added to positive degree adjectives

                                    Goes with –ιστος

-ιστος                          superlative suffix added to positive degree adjectives

-λος

-μα, -ματος                  noun                        result of an action βάπτιζω <βαπτισμα   βαπτιζω < βαπτισμα (baptize/baptism)

-μονη                          

-μος                             noun                        abstract idea of action

-οω                              denominative verb  action denoted by the root

                                    Cp. with -α verbs and -ο verbs            

-ρος                             adjective                                              βλαβερός, ἰσχυρός,

-σια                             noun                        abstract idea of action 

-σις                              noun                        abstract action       nouns   ἀναλύω < ἀνάλυσις

                                    (analyze/analysis)

-σκω                            verb

-στος

-συνη΄                         noun                        abstraction

-τατα                           adverb                                                 created from the accusative neuter plural of the corresponding superlative-degree adjective

-τατος                          superlative suffix added to positive degree adjectives

-τεος                            adjective                 necessity/gerundive

-τερον                          adverb                                                 borrowed from the accusative neuter

                                    singular of the corresponding comparative-degree adjective            

-τηρ                             noun                        agent

-τηριον                        νοθν                        πλαψε

-τερος                          comparative suffix added to positive degree adjectives

-της, -ου                     noun                        agent                    δανιστής, δικαστής, διώκτης, στρατιώτης,

-τικος                          adjectives                relations, ability, fitness

                                    ἀναλύω < ἀναλυτικος (analyze/analytical)

                                    leads go English adjectives in -ic

-τος,                            noun

-τος                             adjective                 passive adjective  formed from the sixth principal part; hence, passive or meaning –a/ible

-τρον                          

-τωρ                            noun                        agent                    ῥέω < ῥήτωρ

-υνω                           

-ω                                adverb                                                 often a termination on prepositions

-ως                              adverb                     often created by borrowed the genitive plural of the corresponding adjective and changing –ν to -ς.

To these can be added

            all the personal endings on verbs, the case and number terminations on nouns and adjectives.

            the consonant variables on the ends of some prepositions and adverbs if placed before a word beginning with a vowel    dropping the final vowel on prepositions ending in a vowel (except ἀμφί, περί, πρό) when they appear before words beginning with a vowel:  ἀνα < ἀν’, διά < δι’, παρά < παρ᾿, ἀντί < ἁντ’ (ἁνΘ’ rough breathing), ἀπό < ἁπ’ (ἀφ’ rough breathing), κατά < κατ’ (καθ’ rough breathing), μετά < μετ’ (μεθ’ rough breathing), ὑπό < ὑπ’ (ὑφ’ rough breathing) ἑπί < ἐπ’ (ἐφ’ rough breathing).  The same thing happens with prepositions that are prefixed to make compounds verbs, nouns, and adjectives.

            adding a final consonant to prepositions and adverbs before words beginning with a vowel:  ἄχρι < ἄχρις, ἐκ, ἐξ; οὐκ, οὐχ (before rough breathing), ἔνεκα < ἔνεκεν 

          ν-movable on third person singular verbs ending in –ε or -σι ahead of vowels and punctuation:

                      -ε on imperfect actives, aorist actives, pluperfect actives;

                      -σι on third plural active present and active future and passive future;

                      -σι also on third plurals of the consonant declension.

          using the accusative neuter singular of a comparative adjective to create a corresponding comparative adverb: -τερον < -τερος; -ιον < -ιων;

          using the accusative neuter plural of a superlative adjective to create a corresponding superlative adverb:  -τατον < -τατος; -ιστa <  -ιστoς

PREFIXES

α(ν)-                            nouns or verbs        negates the root   nouns, verbs, adjectives

                                    πιστός < ἄπιστος, ἀπιστέω, ἀπιστία

NOTES:  called “a-privative.”  Accents on a-privative adjectives are recessive; a-privative adjectives are two-ending adjectives, where the masculine-looking form covers masculine and feminine.  The prefix is αν- before roots that begin with a vowel

To these can be added

            the ε– syllabic augment (and vowel lengthening) for the secondary tenses in the indicative mood:  imperfect, aorist (active and passive), pluperfect.

            the syllabic reduplication for the perfect system with verbs beginning with a consonant.

Prepositions are regularly prefixed to verbs nouns and adjectives.  When that happens with verbs the prefixed preposition may be restated with the object of the verb. Sometimes the sequential preposition is omitted and the case required by the preposition normally appears after the verb rather than the normal case that would have followed the uncompounded verb.

INFIXES

ε-ο                               modification for changing verb roots into nouns and adjectives

-ι-                                ι-diminutive            smaller                 ἀρνός < ἀρνίον, βίβλος < βιβλίον, γυναικάριιον < γυνή, δαίμων < δαιμόνιον, κοράσιον παῖς, παιδίον, τέκνον < τεκνίον.

To these can be added

            the tense signs in verbs—which occur between the root and the (connecting vowel and) the personal endings:  -σ- for future, -(σ)α-for first aorist, -(κ)α-.perfect active, -(θ)η- for aorist passives, -(θ)ησ- for future passives.

            the connecting vowels between tense sign and personal endings—except for the perfect middle and passive:  the ο/ε variable in the present imperfect, future, and second aorist; along with the lengthened ε/ο variable that serves as the subjunctive sign ( < η/ω).

            tone marks (“accents”), which appear over the vowels on one of the last three vowels or diphthongs in a word:  recessive with finite verbs and α–privative adjectives.

COMPOUNDING

Crosby p 219