Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

Let’s see what this looks like with a real Greek verb. Standard Greek reference
resources (e.g. lexicons, grammars) will tell us that the six Principal Parts of
are as follows:
First Pr.
Prt.
Second Pr.
Prt.
Third Pr.
Prt.
Fourth Pr.
Prt.
Fifth Pr.
Prt.
Sixth Pr.
Prt.
μ
[An Extremely Important Note: If I could stand on my head and scream, or create
a ashing neon sign right at this point…I would! Ponder what follows until it sinks
in completely: When we look up a Greek verb in the dictionary (e.g. in BDAG the
form ), we are seeing that verb’s FIRST PRINCIPAL PART, not its ROOT!! In
other words, the dictionary entry is NOT the basic form from which all other forms
of that verb are built. The dictionary entry (the First Principal Part) is simply one of
several offshoots the root will generate.
This realization must be followed by a second, equally important, realization: that the
dictionary entry (i.e. the First Principal Part) must NOT be imagined to be the BASIC
form of the verb from which the other Principal Parts are formed. It is necessary that
we tell ourselves over and over that the First Principle Part is not necessarily “rst”
or “foremost” or “more important” in any meaningful way. All the Principal Parts are
“brothers and sisters” of equal standing, each descending directly from their single
parent (the root) and not from another Principal Part.]
It wouldn’t hurt for us to be redundant here to make our point as clearly as possible.
We have simply rearranged the diagram on the previous page to show in yet another
way how the verb root and the dictionary entry are two completely different entities.
Verb Root:
Note again that there is NO genetic movement from the First to the Second Principal
Part (and so on). Each Principal Part is a direct offspring from the Root, and is NOT
a child of any other Principal Part. So when you look up a verb in BDAG, you must
insist (in your own mind) on identifying that dictionary entry simply as one child
among other children (the other Principal Parts). [Unfortunately, most dictionaries
never identify a verb’s root (the parent form).]
Another unhelpful habit of tradition is that we are usually given (in various verb lists)
a verb’s Principal Parts in their “dressed up” forms. Take a look again at the list of
Principal Parts for the verb below. This time, we’ll strip augments, connecting
vowels, and personal endings from the Principal Part to reveal the “naked Principal
Part” hidden inside.
First Pr.
Prt.
Second
Pr. Prt.
Verb Root:
Third Pr.
Prt.
Fourth Pr.
Prt.
Fifth Pr.
Prt.
Sixth Pr.
Prt.
μ
-- -- -- -- -- --
Dressed-up Forms: An actually-occurring 1st person singular form (in
a specic tense/voice/mood) used to represent all other forms within the
lineage of that Principal Part.
“Naked” Forms: The theoretical “stem” from which all forms found within
this lineage are actually formed.
First Pr.
Prt.
Second Pr.
Prt.
Third Pr.
Prt.
Fourth Pr.
Prt.
Fifth Pr.
Prt.
Sixth Pr.
Prt.
μ
[Dictionary Entry]
11: The Future Tense
136