Compensatory Lengthening - Greek

Greek

Compensatory lengthening is very common in Greek. It is particularly notable in forms where n or nt comes together with s, y (= ι̯), or i. The development of nt + y was perhaps thus:

  • *mont-yă → montsa (palatalization tyts) → mõtsa (nasalization and vowel lengthening) → mõssa → mõsa (shortening sss) → mōsa (denasalization, retention of long vowel) = μοῦσα "muse"

Forms with this type of compensatory lengthening include the nominative singular and dative plural of many participles, adjectives, and nouns, the 3rd person plural ending for present and future active of all verbs, and the 3rd person singular present of athematic verbs:

  • *πάντ-ς → πᾶς "every, whole" (masculine nominative singular)
  • *πάντ-ι̯ᾰ → *πάντσα → πᾶσα (feminine)
  • *πάντ-σι → πᾶσι (masculine/neuter dative plural)
  • compare παντ-ός (m./n. genitive singular)
  • *όντ-ι̯ᾰ → *όντσα → οὖσα participle "being" (feminine nominative singular)
  • *οντ-ίᾱ → *ονσία → οὐσία "property, essence"
  • compare ὀντ-ός (m./n. genitive singular, from participle ὤν "being",)
  • Doric ἄγ-ο-ντι → ἄγοντσι → Attic/Ionic ἄγουσι "they drive"
  • Doric τί-θε-ντι → *τίθεντσι → Attic/Ionic τίθεισι "he/she places"

Read more about this topic:  Compensatory Lengthening

Famous quotes containing the word greek:

    Mass ought to be in Latin, unless you cd. do it in Greek or Chinese. In fact, any abracadabra that no bloody member of the public or half-educated ape of a clargimint cd. think he understood.
    Ezra Pound (1885–1972)

    With astonishment Aschenbach noticed that the boy was entirely beautiful. His countenance, pale and gracefully reserved, was surrounded by ringlets of honey-colored hair, and with its straight nose, its enchanting mouth, its expression of sweet and divine gravity, it recalled Greek sculpture of the noblest period.
    Thomas Mann (1875–1955)

    All that we call ideal in Greek or any other art, because to us it is false and visionary, was, to the makers of it, true and existent.
    John Ruskin (1819–1900)