Person and Number
These charts list the basic personal markers typical of each verb formation:
They serve two purposes. First, by categorizing personal markers in correspondence with the verb forms that use them, they should be a handy reference for verb formation while you internalize the material. Secondly, the charts should help you see patterns in and across verb forms that might otherwise be obscured when each verb form is treated in isolation from the others.
Personal markers are classified as either “past time” or “not past time” because not past time verbs (present and future) generally use the same sets of personal markers, while past time verbs use different sets. Grammarians prefer the less descriptive terms “primary” for “not past time” and “secondary” or (perhaps better) “historical” for “past time.” However, “primary” (or “not past time”) markers were actually derived from “secondary” (“historical,” or “past time”) markers. In most cases this was through the addition of ι (e.g. /μι , /μαι, /εις, /σαι, /ει, /ται, /σι, /ουσι, /νται, /ασι). Thus, historically what we call “secondary” markers were in fact “primary,” and what we call “historical” or “past time” personal markers were not in origin markers of past time. This explains why, for instance, the optative uses “past time” personal markers but does not actually have past time. However, in all other instances “past time” (or “historical”) and “not past time” apply correctly in Classical Greek.
Here are some observations on individual personal markers to illustrate some regularity between them. Those who know Latin should find through these notes a greater degree of similarity between Greek and Latin personal markers than otherwise apparent.
1st Person Singular
The markers /ν (used in thematic formation) and /α (used in athematic formation) both come from /Ṇ. In turn, Greek Ṇ comes from PIE Ṃ, and μ is found in most 1st person singular markers (e.g. /μι, /μαι, /μην).
2nd Person Singular
With few exceptions σ is the core of the 2nd person singular (e.g. /εις, /ες, /ς, /σαι, /σο).
3rd Person Singular
The main marker of the 3rd person singular is τ, still seen in the middle/passive (e.g. /ται, /το, /ετω). Indeed, /τ was the marker of the 3rd person singular active but was lost in most forms because τ cannot end a Greek word. The athematic /τι, found in ἐστι (ἐσ/τι) and in Doric (e.g. δίδωτι), produces /σι in Ionic and Attic (e.g. δίδωσι).
1st Person Plural
Only two personal markers are used for the 1st person plural: /μεν for active and /μεθα for middle/passive (an alternate middle/passive form, /μεσθα, sometimes appears in Homeric Greek). All show an original PIE 1st person plural marker /με. The 1st person plural personal marker does not distinguish “past time” from “not past time.”
2nd Person Plural
Like the 1st person plural, the 2nd person plural only has two markers, /τε for active and /σθε for middle/passive, and does not distinguish “past time” from “not past time.”
3rd Person Plural
The main marker of the 3rd person plural is Ṇτ, still seen in the middle/passive (e.g. /νται, /ντο, /οντων). As how /τι produced /σι in Ionic and Attic, thus /Ṇτι produced /ουσι (in combination with the theme vowel ο) and /ασι. The past time /ν is the result of /ντ after word-final τ drops because it cannot end a Greek word.
reading morphologically 