Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

10: Imperfect Tense
If a verb begins with a diphthong, the temporal augment can follow one of two
pathways:
1) The initial vowel of the diphthong can be temporally lengthened (with
perhaps the iota dropping into subscript form);
2) or, the diphthong will not be lengthened at all.
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If a verb is prexed with a preposition, the augmentation (of either kind) will be
found between the preposition and the simple verb, not out at the very beginning of
the whole compound verb.
E.g., the verb [a compound formed with the preposition and
the verb ] would appear in the (rst singular, active) Imperfect as
.
If the prexed preposition ends in a vowel, the vowel is dropped as the augmentation
is added.
The Endings of the Imperfect
–
You’ve also noticed that the endings are a bit different. Because we’ve shifted into past time, the personal endings must shift to a set called Secondary Personal Endings. The good
news is that Greek has only two sets of personal endings: Primary and Secondary. By learning the personal endings of the Present and Imperfect Tenses, you will have learned both
sets. All other nite verb forms (in all other tenses and moods) will use either Primary or Secondary Personal Endings.
Just as the endings of the Present Tense were composed of two elements (a variable vowel and a personal ending) so it is with the Imperfect:
Connecting
Vowel
Personal
Ending
Active
Connecting
Vowel
Personal
Ending
Personal Ending
Passive
combine to form μ combine to form μ
combine to form combine to form *
[ ] combine to form combine to form
μ combine to form μ μ combine to form μ
combine to form combine to form
combine to form combine to form
Note:* Sigma often feels “uncomfortable” between vowels, and drops out. This departure brings the two vowels into direct contact with each other, precipitating contraction
(compare with the dynamics of contract verbs).