Lesson 14: Imperfect, Middle and Passive, Indicative
βιβλιον - book | καθαριζω - I cleanse |
δαιμονιον - demon | οὐδε - not |
ἐργον - work | οὐδε…οὐδε - neither...nor |
θαλασσα - sea | οὑπω - not yet |
πλοιον - boat |
ASSIGNMENT: Memorize the vocabulary above.
The imperfect middle and passive indicatives are identical in form. Thus, the translator must be sensitive to the context to determine whether the verb should be translated middle ἐλυομην (I was loosing myself) or passive ἐλυομην (I was being loosed).
The following table shows the form of both the middle and the passive (the translation is, of course the passive. Yet it could also be middle, as stated above, since they are identical in form):
ἐλυομην - I am being loosed | ἐλυομεθα - we are being loosed |
ἐλυου - you are being loosed | ἐλυεσθε - you are being loosed |
ἐλυετο - he, she, it is being loosed | ἐλυοντο - they are being loosed |
Notice that the imperfect middle and passive have the ε prefix just as does the imperfect active (and the same rules apply to it). To this prefix is added the verbal stem, and then the connecting vowel, and then the endings; thusly:
ἐ+λυ+ο+μην, etc.
A Note On και
και can mean "and" as learned above; but it can also mean "also, even". Only the context can help decide between these options.
ASSIGNMENT: Memorize the imperfect middle and passive forms above, and translate the following sentences.
1. οὑτοι οἱ λογοι ἐν τῳ βιβλιῳ ἐργαψοντο
2. τοτε ὀχλος ἐξεπορευετο προς αὐτον, νυν δε οὐκετε ἐκπορευεται