Word Formation

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Introduction

Word formation refers to the type of vowel used in personal markers to connect them to bases. Available vowels are ε and ο, called thematic (λύεται), no vowel (λέλυται), called athematic, and α (ἐλύσατο).

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Intermediate

By “word formation” we mean: whether or not a word uses a theme vowel to connect the stem of a word to a case marker in nouns and adjectives or a personal marker in verbs.

Theme vowels are full grade /ε/ and /ο/ (or lengthened grade /η/ and /ω/). See ablaut <link> for more. If one of these vowels is used in the formation of a word, that word is said to be thematic:

	λεγ/ε/τε > λέγετε	you (plural) are saying
	λόγ/ο/ς > λόγος	statement

In verbs, Reading Morphologically includes the theme vowel in personal markers. So λέγετε will be segmented λεγ/ετε. In nouns and adjectives, the theme vowel is includes with the base. So λόγος will be segmented λόγο/ς.

If a word is formed without the inclusion of full grade /ε/ or /ο/ (or lengthened grade /η/ or /ω/) between the stem and the case or personal marker, the word is said to be athematic:

	δυνα/μαι > δύναμαι	I am able
	δι/δο/μεν > δίδομεν	we are giving

Theme vowels are full grade /ε/ and /ο/ and lengthened grade /η/ and /ω/. Sometimes words are formed with /α/, like the sigmatic aorist active and middle indicative and the perfect active indicative. This /α/ is not a theme vowel, so the form is athematic:

ἐ/λεγ/σ/α/μεν > ἐλέξαμεν

we said

As noted above, in Reading Morphologically connecting vowels are regularly included with the personal markers for verbs. So ἐλέξαμεν will be segmented ἐ/λεγ/σ/αμεν.