Aorist Imperative
Introduction
For a quick introduction to the imperative, see here.
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Intermediate
Τhe asigmatic aorist is predictable in the imperative active and middle:
Αsigmatic Aorist Imperative Active: βαλ/, “throw”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | βάλω (hortatory subjunctive) | βάλωμεν (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | βαλ/ε > βάλε* | βαλ/ετε > βάλετε |
| 3rd Person | βαλ/ετω > βαλέτω | βαλ/οντων > βαλόντων |
*Five asigmatic aorists are accented on the personal marker in the 2nd person singular: εἰπέ (“speak!”), ἰδέ (“look!”), ἐλθέ (“come!”), εὑρέ (“find!”), and λαβέ (“take!”).
Αsigmatic Aorist Imperative Middle/Deponent: γεν/, “become”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | γένωμαι (hortatory subjunctive) | γενώμεθα (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | γεν/εσο > γενοῦ* | γεν/εσθε > γένεσθε |
| 3rd Person | γεν/εσθω > γενέσθω | γεν/εσθων > γενέσθων |
*2nd person singular: what about accent? I can’t tell if frontage is normal. And intermediate steps? -εο and Ionic ευ? Better example?
The sigmatic aorist and athematic aorist also form the imperative normally except in the 2nd person singular. The sigmatic aorist uses /ον in the 2nd person singular active and /αι in the 2nd person singular middle:
Sigmatic Aorist Imperative Active: ἀκου/, “hear, listen”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ἀκούσω (hortatory subjunctive) | ἀκούσωμεν (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | ἀκου/σ/ον > ἄκουσον | ἀκου/σ/ατε > ἀκούσατε |
| 3rd Person | ἀκου/σ/ατω > ἀκουσάτω | ἀκου/σ/αντων > ἀκουσάντων |
Sigmatic Aorist Imperative Middle: ἀκου/, “hear, listen”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ἀκούσωμαι (hortatory subjunctive) | ἀκουσώμεθα (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | ἀκου/σ/αι > ἄκουσαι | ἀκου/σ/ασθε > ἀκούσασθε |
| 3rd Person | ἀκου/σ/ασθω > ἀκουσάσθω | ἀκου/σ/ασθων > ἀκουσάσθων |
The athematic aorist uses /ς in the 2nd person singular active:
Athematic Aorist Imperative Active: θε/, “put”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | θῶ (hortatory subjunctive) | θῶμεν (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | θε/ς > θές | θε/τε > θέτε |
| 3rd Person | θε/τω > θέτω | θε/ντων > θέντων |
Athematic Aorist Imperative Middle: θε/, “put”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | θῶμαι (hortatory subjunctive) | θώμεθα (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | θε/σο > θέο (Homeric) > θεῦ (Ionic) or θοῦ (Attic)* | θε/σθε > θέσθε |
| 3rd Person | θε/σθω > θέσθω | θε/σθων > θέσθων |
*check for same reasons as above
The aorist passive is formed the same way no matter whether it is sigmatic, asigmatic, or athematic in the active and middle. The 2nd person singular passive uses /τι. When combined with /θη/, this appears as -θητι. Recall that the η of the passive marker shortens to ε before ντ. Thus, in the 3rd person plural passive /θη/ντων produces -θεντων:
Aorist Imperative Passive: ἀκου/, “hear, listen”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ἀκούθω (hortatory subjunctive) | ἀκούθωμεν (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | ἀκου/θη/τι > ἀκούθητι | ἀκου/θη/τε > ἀκούθητε |
| 3rd Person | ἀκου/θη/τω > ἀκουθήτω | ἀκου/θη/ντων > ἀκουθέντων |
Aorist Imperative Passive: θε/, “put”
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | τεθῶ (hortatory subjunctive) | τεθῶμεν (hortatory subjunctive) |
| 2nd Person | θε/θη/τι > τέθητι | θε/θη/τε > τέθητε |
| 3rd Person | θε/θη/τω > τεθήτω | θε/θη/ντων > τεθέντων |
Recall Grassmann’s Law. Greek dissimilates two consecutive syllables that begin with aspirates. To do so usually the first deaspirates. Thus *θεθῶ > τεθῶ. No change occurs in a form like θέσθω because Greek speakers syllabify the word as if the second syllable begins with the σ (θέ-σθω).
Vocabulary for this lesson (see here for the full lexicon)
ἀκου/
hear, listen
βαλ/
throw
γεν/
become, come into being, be
θε/
put, set, make
reading morphologically 