Homeric Greek; A Grammar of the Homeric Dialect (Monro) (1891)

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A

GRAMMAR OF THE

HOMERIC DIALECT BY

D. B. PROVOST

OP

MONRO, M.A. ORIEL

COLLEGE,

OXFORD

SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED

L'objet de cette science est de rechercher dans 1'esprit de 1'homme la cause

de la transformation des idioines

M. BREAI

AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1891

[

All rights reserved]

PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE REV.

JAMES EIDDELL LATE FELLOW AND TUTOR OF BALLIOL

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. IT

be

may

Grammar

said,

without fear of giving

offence, that

a

new

Homeric

dialect is sorely wanted. The admirable Griechische Formenlehre of the late H. L. Ahrens is

of the

now just

and is confined, as its title indiNot only has the course of discovery

thirty years old,

cates, to the inflexions.

been going on since Ahrens wrote (and with hardly less rapidity than in the first years of the new science), but the historical method has been carried into the field of syntax.

And

apart from

'

comparative philology,' the researches of Bekker, Cobet, La Roche, and many other students have brought together a wealth of material that only needs careful analysis and arrangement to body of learners.

The plan of

make

it

accessible to the general

book has sufficient novelty to call for some have not attempted to write a Comparative explanation. even a or Grammar that would deserve the epithet Grammar, historical but I have kept in view two principles of arrangement which belong to the historical or genetic method. These are, that grammar should proceed from the simple to the complex types of the Sentence, and that the form and the meaning should as far as possible be treated together. Now the simplest possible Sentence apart from mere exclamations this

I

'

'

:

consists of a Verb, or

word containing

in itself the

two

ele-

a Subject and a Predicate. We begin, therefore, by analysing the Verb, and classifying (i) the Endings, which express the Person and Number of the Subject ( 1-7), and serve also to distinguish the Middle or

ments of

all rational utterance,

'

'

Reflexive use ( 8), and (2) the modifications of the Stem which yield the several Tenses and Moods. These modifications, we at once perceive, are more numerous than the meanings which they serve to express, and we have therefore to

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

viii

choose between classifying according to formation i. e. acand Moodcording to the process by which each Tense-Stem and the or Verb-Stem Stem is derived from the simple Ko.ot,

ordinary classification according to meaning (Present, Future, The former course seemed preferable

Perfect, Aorist, &c.).

because find

answers to the historical order. The problem is to common to Greek and Sanscrit, pre-existing forms

it

how

'

*

and therefore part of an original Indo-European grammar were adapted to the specifically Greek system of Tense-meanI have therefore taken the different formations in turn, ings. 9-20, 22-27, 29-69, 79~&3)> beginning with the simplest ( and introducing an account of the meaning of each as soon as

This part of the subject naturally 21, 28, 70-78). possible ( includes the .accentuation of the different forms of the Verb 87-89)-

(

The next great division of the subject enlargement of the Sentence. which taken by itself says nothing first

Predicate

is

concerned with the

A

word may be added contains no Subject and

but which combines with ^and

qualifies the primi-

one- word Sentence.

The elements which may gather in this way round the basis or nucleus formed by the Verb and the are ultimately of two kinds, Nouns and Pronouns relations in which they may stand to the Verb are also twofold. A Noun or Pronoun may stand as a Subject limiting tive

;

or explaining the Subject already contained in the PersonEnding or may qualify the Predicate given by the Stem of

the Verb.

again

may

These relations are shown by the Ending, which be either a Case-Ending or an adverbial Ending.

We

begin accordingly by an account of the Declensions, supplemented by a list of the chief groups of Adverbs (Chapter V). When we pass from the Endings to the Stems of Nouns

and Pronouns, we find that they are essentially different. A Nominal Stem consists in general of two parts, (i) a predicative part, usually identical with a Verb-Stem, and (2) a Suffix. Each of these two elements, again, may be complex. The addition of a further Suffix yields a fresh Stem, with a '

5

corresponding derivative meaning

;

and thus we have the disand Secondary or Deemployed in these two

tinction between Primitive or Verbal

nominative Nouns.

The

Suffixes

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. classes are

generally

enumeration than

distinct,

IX

and deserve a more

careful

usually given in elementary grammars. The predicative part, again, may be enlarged by a second Nominal Stem, prefixed to the other, and qualifying it nearly as a Case-form or

is

Adverb

qualifies the Verb.

The Compounds

thus formed are of especial interest for the poetical dialect of Homer. The analysis which I have given of the chief forms

which they present must be taken to be provisional

only, as to the subject of doubt. the meanrespect ing I have attempted no complete classification. It is always unsafe to insist on distinctions which may be clear to us, but is still full

With

we mark them by distinct forms of expression. The chapter on the formation of Nouns should perhaps have been followed by one on the formation of Pronouns. The material for such a chapter, however, lies for the most only because

part beyond the scope of a grammar. It is represented in this book by a section on Heteroclite Pronouns ( 108), which notices some traces of composite Pronominal Stems, and in some degree by another on the Numerals ( 130). When we come to examine the syntactical use of the Cases, we find ourselves sometimes dealing with sentences which contain at least two members besides the Verb. Along with the constructions which may be called adverbial (using the term Adverb in a wide sense, to include all words directly construed with the Verb), we have the constructions in which the governing word is a Noun or Preposition. And in these again we must distinguish between the government of a Case apparently by a Noun or Preposition, really by the combined result of the Noun or Preposition and the Verb, and the true government by a Noun alone, of which the dependent Genitive and the Adjective are the main types. These distinctions, '

'

however, though of great importance in reference to the development of the use of Cases, cannot well be followed excluI have therefore taken the sively in the order of treatment. Cases in succession, and along with them the chief points which have to be noticed regarding the concords of Gender ( 166-168) and Number ( 169-173). In the Infinitive and Participle (Chapter X) we have the {

first

step from the simple to the

'

complex Sentence.

The

pre-

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

X

dicative element in the Verbal

say,

it

Noun

same element in a true or

like the

'

takes

*

is

'

'

adverbial

the character of a

it

;

Thus while retaining

constructions.

Noun

treated syntactically Verb that is to

finite

becomes the nucleus of a new

imperfect Sentence, without a grammatical Subject properly so called (though the Infinitive in Greek acquired a quasiSubject in the use of the Accusative before it), and standing to the main Sentence as an adverb or adjective. While the Infinitival and Participial Clauses may thus be described

as

Nouns which have expanded

into dependent

Sentences, the true Subordinate Clause shows the opposite In many instances, especially in Homeric syntax, process.

we can

trace the steps by which originally independent Sentences have come to stand in an adverbial or adjectival

The change is generally brought about, as we shall means of Pronouns, or Adverbs formed from Pronosee, by minal stems. Hence it is convenient that the account of the uses of the Pronouns (Chapter XI) should hold the place of an introduction to the part in which we have to do with the

relation.

relations of Clauses to each other.

The next chapter, however, does not

treat directly of sub-

ordinate Clauses, but of the uses of the Moods in them. It seemed best to bring these uses into immediate connexion

with the uses which are found in simple Sentences. In this way the original character of Subordinate Clauses comes into a clearer light. If anything remains to be said of them, it finds its place in the account of the Particles (Chapter XIII) in which also we examine the relations of independent Sentences, ;

so far at least as these are expressed

The

last

by grammatical forms.

chapter contains a discussion of the Metre of

Homer

(Chapter XIV), and of some points of 'phonology' us at least) are ultimately metrical questions. Chief among these is the famous question of the Digamma.

which I

(for

have endeavoured to

state the

main

issues

which have been

raised on this subject as fully as possible but without hope of bringing them to a satisfactory decision. :

much

A

book of this kind is necessarily to a great extent a compilation, and from sources so numerous that it is scarcely possible to

make a

sufficient

acknowledgment of indebted-

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. ness.

work

XI

The earlier chapters are mainly founded on the great of G. Curtius on the Greek Verb. More recent writers

have cleared up some difficulties, especially in the phonoI have learned very much from M. de Saussure's logy. Mtmoire sur le systeme primitif des voyelles, and from several articles by K. Brugmann and Joh. Schmidt, especially the last. I would mention also, as valuable on single points, the papers of J. Paech (Vratisl. 1861) and H. Stier (Curt. Stud. II) on the Subjunctive, B. Mangold on the 'diectasis' of Verbs in -a&> (Curt. Stud. VI), F. D. Allen on the same subject (Trans, of the American Phil. Assoc. 1873), Leskien on o-crin the Fut. and Aor. (Curt. Stud. II), and K. Koch on the Augment (Brunsvici

On the subject of Nominal Composition I may name 1868). a paper by W. Clemm in Curt. Stud. VII, which gives references to the earlier literature of the subject, and one by F. Stolz (Klagenfurt 1874). On the forms of the Personal Pronouns there is a valuable dissertation by P. Cauer (Curt. Stud. VII)

:

on the Numerals by Joh. Baunack (K. Z. XXV) on the Comparative and Superlative by Fr. Weihrich (De Gradibus, &c. Gissae 1869). Going on to the syntax of the Cases, I would :

the dissertation of B. Delbruck, Ablativ Localis Instrumental, &c. (Berlin 1867), and next the excellent work place

first

On the 1875). I have obtained the greatest help from La Roche, Accusative Der Accusativ im Homer (Wien 1861): on the Dual from of

Hubschmann, Zur Casuslehre (Mlinchen

On the Prepositions Bieber, De Duali Numero (Jena 1864). I have used the papers of C. A. J. Hoffmann (Luneburg 1857Mommsen (see 221), Giseke, Die allmdliche Entstehung der Gesdnge der Ilias (Gottingen 1853), La Roche, especially on VTTO (Wien 1861) and CTH (in the Z.f. 60, Clausthal 1858-59), T.

ost.

Gymn.), Rau on

-napd (Curt.

Stud.

Ill),

and the

articles in

Ebeling's Lexicon. On this part of syntax the fourth volume Of the of Delbruck's Forschungen is especially instructive. literature

on the

Infinitive I

would mention J.

Jolly's Geschichte (Miinchen 1873), a^ so a

im Indogermanischen paper by Albrecht (Curt. Stud. IV), and a note in Max The Mliller's Chips from a German Workshop (IV. p. 49 ff.). use of the Participle has been admirably treated by Classen, in his Beobachtungen uber den homerischen Sprachgebrauch des Infinitivs

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

xii

A

(Frankfurt 1867).

paper by Jolly in the collection of

Sprachwissenschaftliche Abhandlungen (Leipzig 1874) is also On the subject of the Pronouns the chief source suggestive. is

a dissertation by E. Windisch in Curt. Stud.

II.

On

the

Article almost everything will be found in H. Foerstemann's Bemerkungen uber den Gebrauch des Artikels bei Homer (Mag-

The controversy on the Reflexive Pronoun is On the Homeric uses of the Moods, 255. Delbriick's great work, I would mention Jolly's

deburg 1861). referred to in besides

monograph

entitled

Ein Kapitel vergleichender Syntax (Mun-

chen 1872), and L. Lange's elaborate papers on et (Leipzig 1872-73). It is to be regretted that they have not yet been a complete book on the For the general theory of the subject

carried to the point of forming

Homeric use of Prof.

Goodwin's Greek Moods and Tenses

value.

KW

ei.

is of the very highest the the uses of av and of cognate question Regarding

main

principles have been laid down by Delbriick. to mention that they were clearly stated as long ago as 1832, in a paper in the Philological Museum (Vol. I. p. 96), written in opposition to the then reigning

the

It is

worth while

method of Hermann. For the other Particles little has been done by Homeric students since Nagelsbach and Hartung. I have cited three valuable papers; on re by Wentzel, on I would (rje) by Praetorius, and on jj by A. R. Vierke. add here a paper on the syntax of Causal Sentences in 7}

On all syntactical 1871). of the abundant stores of Kiihner's

Homer, by E. Pfudel (Liegnitz matters use has been

made

Ausfuhrliche Grammatik. And it is impossible to say too of the guidance and inspiration (as I may almost call which I have derived from the it) Digest of Platonic Idioms left behind by the lamented friend to whose memory I have

much

ventured to dedicate this book.

On

the collateral subjects of Metre I have profited most by Hartel's Homerische Studien, La Roche, Homerische Unter(Leipzig 1869), Knb's, De digammo Homerico (Upsaliae 1872-79), and Tudeer, De dialectorum Graecarum

suchungen

digammo

(Helsingforsiae 1879).

OXFORD, July

18, 1882.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. THE

rapid progress of linguistic science during the nine that have passed since this Grammar was first published years has necessitated considerable alteration and enlargement in a

new

Much

edition.

has been discovered in the interval

;

much

was then new and speculative has been accepted on all sides and much has been done in sifting and combining the results attained. The Morphologischen Untersuchungen of Osthoff and Brugmann have been followed by Brugmann's admirable summary of Greek grammar (in Iwan Muller's Handbuch), and his comprehensive Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der indogermanischen Sprachen. Of three portions of this work that have already appeared (Strassburg that

;

the last (treating chiefly of the Declensions)

1886-90-91),

came too late to be of service to the present book. The part which deals with the Verb has not yet been published and the volume on Comparative Syntax, promised by Delbruck the is also still to first complete work on this part of the subject :

It will doubtless be a

worthy sequel to the Altindische fifth volume of his Syntaktische the forms which now Syntax, books which have appeared since other Forschungen. Among the publication of this Grammar, or which were not sufficiently made use of for the first edition, I would mention Joh. Schmidt's Pluralbildungen der indogermanischen Neutra come.

1889), G. Meyer's Griechische Grammatik (second Leipzig 1886), the new edition of Mr. Goodwin's Moods and Tenses (London 1889), the treatises in Schanz's

(Weimar edition,

series of Beitrdge

zur historischen Syntax der

griechischeri

Sprache, Aug. Tick's two books (see Appendix F), articles by Wackernagel, Frb'hde and others in Kuhrts Zeitschrift and 1

Bezzenberger

s

Beitrdge, the long series of papers

by Aug.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

XIV

Nauck

Melanges gre'co-romains (St. Petersnot often seen in this country, a book burg 1855-88) and the dissertations of J. van Leeuwen in the Mnemosyne. collected in the

The two writers

last

mentioned are chiefly concerned with

the restoration of the Homeric text to form.

historic

than

linguistic,

Their method, which

may

is

its

original or pre-

philological

rather

some further results when the have been examined and have

lead to

numerous MSS. of the Iliad furnished us with an adequate apparatus criticus. Although very much has been re-written, the numbering of the sections has been retained, with a few exceptions so that ;

made to the first edition will generally still hold The new sections are distinguished by an asterisk.

the references

good.

I will not attempt to enumerate the points on which new matter has been added, or former views recalled or modified. The increase in the size of the book is largely due to the fuller

Additions bearing on questions

treatment of the morphology. of syntax will be found in

On

238, 248, 267, 270*, 362, 365. the whole I have become more sceptical about the theories

which seek to explain the forms of the Subordinate Clause from parataxis, or the mere juxta-position of independent In general

clauses.

arose in the

effect

it

may

be admitted that the complex

by the amalgamation of simpler but we must beware of leaving out of sight the of contamination in extending syntactical types once

elements

first

instance

:

*

'

The neglect of this consideration is in reality another and more insidious form of the error from which recent writers on morphology have delivered us, viz. that created.

of explaining grammatical forms as the result of direct amalgamation of a stem with a suffix or ending, without duly allowing for the working of analogy.

OXFORD, March

21, 1891.

TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER

The Person-Endings.

I.

PAGE 1.

2.

3.

4. 5. 6.

Sentences

9.

IT.

13.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

3 Plural

of the Middle

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Examples

The Simple Non-Thematic Aorist 15.

Aorists in -a

and

-KCI

17.

The Non-Thematic Reduplicated Present The Presents with -v] (-vd) and -vu

19.

1 8. Thematic forms Non-Thematic Contracted Verbs

1 6.

.

.

22.

.

Presents Aorists

20.

21.

The

.

.

.

25.

Reduplication The forms of the 3 Plural Long and Short Stems

26.

The

27.

Thematic forms

24.

.

.

Perfect Participle

Meaning of the Perfect The Simple Thematic Present 30. With Short Stem The Thematic Aorist . 32. Remarks 28.

29.

31.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.32

,

.

.

31

33

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Thematic Aorists in Homer

27

.28 .28 -30

.

.

34.

.

.

.

Doubtful forms

17

.18 .18 .20 .22 .22 .22 .26

.

.

33.

15

.16

.

.

.

14 .

.

Meaning of Non-Thematic Tenses

Perfect 23.

.10 .11 .12 .12

.

Variation of the Stem

.

i

.2 .2 .6 .8 -9

The Tenses.

II.

Verb-Stem Tense- Stem Formation of Tense-Stems The Simple Non-Thematic Present

Metathesis

i

.

The forms of the

14.

i

.

.

12.

.

.

Table of Person-Endings Influence of the Ending on the Stem

Meaning

.

.

CHAPTER 10.

.

Stem and Endings The Person-Endings Thematic Vowel Non-Thematic forms

7.

8.

Subject and Predicate

-34 -36 -37 -38

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

XVI

PAGE 35.

36.

The Eeduplicated Thematic Present The Reduplicated Aorist (Thematic)

37. Aorists in -a

38. Tense- Stems 39.

41.

.

formed by a

The Aorist in

40. Aorists

.

.

-s, OTTWS, Iva.

Final and Object Clauses . 315. History of the Subjunctive and OptativeUses in Independent Clauses . 314.

.

.

Final and Object Conditional .

Adverbs

269

.270 .271

.

j^e

305. 306. Relatival

268

.275 -275 .276 .276 .278 -279 .281

fJL-fj

304. Relative Clauses

.

.

The Optative in Subordinate Clauses 303. Clauses

265 265

.267 .268

..... .

Secondary Tenses The Optative in Simple Sentences

310.

263

.

298.

eim

262

.

267

296.

309.

.

et

with et The Subjunctive with us el eTret with the Subj.

294. Object Clauses

261

.262

.... .... .

.

293. Final Clauses

.260 .260

.265

'

VT, %HOS 291. Clauses with el, &c. 292. Conditional Protasis 290.

295.

PAGE

.... ......

Adverbs

.

292

293 293

294 295

296 296 298 299

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

The

XIII.

xxill

Particles.

PAGE 329. Classification of the Particles /cat

330.

.

.

331. re

.

.

332. re in general 333- Se

.

334. 5e of the

.

.

.

299

300

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.301

statement

.

.

.

301

.

.

.

.

304

.....

Apodosis

335. Enclitic 8e

.

.

.

.... .

336-7. dAAa, avrap, arap, av, avr(, e/Mnjs

.

.

.

338. ^ TIT), fTTft-fi

3

340.

,

342-5.

fjidv,

Dependent Interrogative

341.

.

.

HTJV, fj.ev

.

.

.

.

.

.

346. rot

347-8. apa, -yap

349-352. ovv,

355. ov,

817,

.

vv, erjv

.

315

.

316

.

319

.

321

320

distinction of usage

u.i\

^U,

.

ovfeis

.

359. ov 360. ov

M

361.

and dV 363.

and

in Conditional Clauses

\ii]

of uses

.

.

.

difference of av

meaning of av and itev Particles and Enclitic Pronouns

The Hexameter 367. Diaeresis

.

370. Position

Kei>

and Caesura

.

331

.

.

.

334

.

.

-335

.

.

.

.

.

/>,

X,

/*,

v,

cr,

5

.

.

-34 2

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

344 345

346

.

.

347

.

.

347 349

.

.

.

.

.

.

378*. Contraction

.

.

.

378. Synizesis

34 1

.

. *

34 .

.

ending in a Consonant

.

338

-338

....

372. Origin of the lengthening 373. Final -t of the Dat. Sing. 374. Final -a of the Neut. Plur. 375. Short Syllables

.

.

.

.

.

326 327

Metre and Quantity.

Lengthening before

377. Crasis

and

324 325

.326

......

XIV.

368. Spondaic verses 369. Quantity of Syllables

376. Elision, &c.

.323

.......

Summary

323

.

,,

CHAPTER

371.

-322

.

with the Infinitive and Participle

364. Original

Order of

.

....

.

.

358.

.

.

.

Double negatives Uses of /; Indicative

357.

366.

.309 .31 .311 .312

-

356. ovoe,

362. Kfv

.

..

p

354. 76

365.

307

308 308

339.

353-

305

35

.

35 1 .

35 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

xxiv

PAGE 379.

Hiatus

355

380.

Long vowels

before Hiatus

.

Shortening of diphthongs before Hiatus Hiatus after short syllables . 383. Doubtful Syllables 384. Doubtful vowels

.

356

..... ..... ......

357

381. 382.

.

385.

-355

.

Doubling of consonants

.

.

.

-

.

.

.

-357

.

.

.

.

386. Metrical licence 387. Vocatives 388.

The Digamma

.

.

.

.

363

e

.

.

.

393. Loss of p , esp. before 394-5. Initial 5f, fp, &c.

396. f not initial 397. Loss of initial a and i 398. Traces of 399. Theories

w

.

.

402. Hiatus, &c., as a survival

.

.

C.

On

77

and

et

in

.

f

371

.372

.

374 375

376 376

376

.

-377

.

.

377

-378 -379 -379

.

403. Explanation from the nature of the dialects in Ionic .

f in other Greek

APPENDIX

.

.

. 400. Hypothesis of alternative forms 401. Explanation from fixed phrases, &c.

404-5.

.370

.

.

.

.

Summary of the Digamma f

.

..... ..... ..... o,

360 360

.361 .361

.

Nature of the evidence from metre 390. Words with initial f 391. Words with initial af ( f ) 392. f inferred from metre only 389.

358

360

.

.... .... ..... .

Homer

F. Pick's theory of the

Homeric

dialect

.

.

Other Notes and Corrections

INDEX

Homeric Forms

I.

II.

Subjects

.

.

Chief passages referred to

III.

,, ,,

70, line 83,

,,

93,

,,

149, ,,

185,

,,

223,

6, for

.

.

.

.

.431

yvus read yvws

II.

read Od.

,,

32, for olos read olos

245,

,,

36, for three read two,

259,

,,

12, for

,,

309,

,,

12,

,,

329,

,,

10, for

b

b

b ^t

3 ^

*?

b

g

t"

b

^

b

^I ^

g

i