CYPRIOT GRAMMAR

Chapter 18: Verbs – The Aorist – Αόριστος (1)
The Aorist is a form of verbs with which we refer to actions that happened and were completed in the past eg. I did, I went, you ran etc.
This Tense is fairly simple in Greekcypriot. Simply add a prefix and then a suffix according to the verbal ending in the Present Tense, or
better said, the Verbal Stem and shifting the tone mark to the third-to-last syllable. In addition there are very few irregularities.
18.1 Forming the Aorist
The summed up rule for forming the Aorist is as follows:
Prefix ‘ε-‘*+ Verb + Suffix + Tone mark change (3 rd to last syllable)
Προθεση ‘ε-‘* + Ρήμαν + Κατάληξη + Αλλαγή τόνου (πρόπαραληγουσα)
* Unless the Verb already starts with a vowel!
18.2 1 st Category
I. -ύκω/-φκω
Drop the above endings and add the prefix ε- and the suffix –ψα. Tone mark on the 3 rd to last syllable.
Example
Δουλεύκω -> ε- + δουλε + ψα -> εδούλεψα
Γυρεύκω -> ε- + γυρε + ψα -> εγύρεψα
Κόφκω -> ε- + κό + ψα -> έκοψα
II. –ννω
-ώννω/-άννω/-ήννω/-ύννω/-ούννω -> -α
Drop the –ννω and add the prefix ε- and the suffix –α. Tone mark on the 3 rd to last syllable.
Φερειπείν
Πκιάννω -> ε- + πκιά + -α -> έπκιαα
Αναμώννω -> ε- + αναμώ + -α -> ανάμωα (since there already is a vowel prefix the ε- is not added)
Φτύννω -> ε- + φτύ + -α -> έφτυα
Σβήννω -> ε- + σβή + -α -> έσβηα
-ίννω
The only verb in this subcategory is irregular.
Πίννω -> ήπκια
-αίννω
Drop the –αίννω and add the prefix ε- and the suffix –ηκα. Tone mark on the 3 rd to last syllable.
Φερειπείν
Φκαίννω -> ε- + φκ + -ηκα -> έφκηκα
Κατεβαίννω -> ε- + κατεβ + -ηκα -> εκατέβηκα
Θκιαβαίννω -> ε- + θκιαβ + -ηκα -> εθκιάβηκα
Irregular
Πααίννω/Πηαίννω -> επήα
Μπαίννω -> εμπέϊκα/έμπηκα
ΙΙΙ. –θω
Drop the –θω and add the prefix ε- and the suffix –α. Tone mark on the 3 rd to last syllable.
Φερειπείν
Κλώθω -> ε- + κλώ + -α -> έκλωα
Πλώθω -> ε- + πλώ + -α -> έπλωα
Πλάθω -> ε- + πλά + -α -> έπλαα
IV. –ζω
-άζω/-ίζω/-ύζω/-ούζω/-έζω
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