LESSON XIII
Moods: Subjunctive and Conditional
The subjunctive or conjunctive mood is the form which the verb takes when no independent assertion is made as a fact, but only as a sequence of an asserted fact or truth, and having only a secondary or conditional existence; as if I should say in English,I give you this, that it may be in your power to do so and so, the secondary sentence preceded bythatis altogether dependent on the precedent thing done,I give you this. In this example the substantival proposition is in the present indicative, and thesubjunctive nature of the dependent sentence is expressed by the auxiliary verbmay; but, if the leading clause is in the past tense, the dependent clause is expressed bymight, which in fact is the past tense ofmay, asI gave you this that you might. In Greek this past conditional is, from a peculiar usage, commonly called theoptative mood. In the present lesson we shall confine ourselves to the dependent tense subjoined to a present or a future. The form of the subjunctive is very simple, consisting as it does in the mere change of the terminational vowel or diphthong of the present into ω and η—
and in the first and second aorist the same—κόπτω, ἔκοψα, κόψω,-ῃς, -ῃ.
The subjunctive mood is often introduced by ἐάν or ἤν, ἵνα, and ὅταν, and when a negative particle belongs to it, it is μή, not οὐ.
δίδωμί σοι ταύτην τὴν βίβλον ἵνα καταλαμβάνῃςὅσον ἐστὶ χαλεπὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα περὶ οὗ ἔγραφες,I give you this book that you may understandhow difficult the matter is on which you were writing.ἐὰν μὴ ἐκπονῇς τὰ διδάγματα, οὐ διδάξω σε,if you don’t work out the lessons, I will not teach you.ἢν τὸν δάκτυλον κόψῃς ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὀξείᾳ μαχαίρᾳ, οὐ παρ’ ἐμοὶ ἡ αἰτία,if you cut your finger with that sharp knife, the blame is not with me.ἐκτέλεσον τὸ ἔργον τὸ προκείμενον, ἵνα μή σε ταράσσῃαὔριον τὰ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας ὑστερήματα,finish the work that lies before you, that the leavingsof to-day may not disturb you to-morrow.λαβὼν τὸ σκάλευθρον κΐνει τὸ πῦρ, ἵνα μὴ πνίγῃτὴν φλόγα τὸ βάρος τῶν ἀνθράκων,take the poker and stir the fire, that the weightof the coals may not choke the flame.ἐὰν μὴ φυλάττῃ τὴν φλόγα, καύσεις τὰς χειρίδας τοῦ ἱματίου,if you do not take care of the flame,you will burn the sleeves of your coat.φέρε δὴ τὸν Ὅμηρον ἐκ τοῦ θηκίου, ἵνα ἀκούω τί λέγειπερὶ τοῦ κάλλους τῶν γυναικῶν,bring me Homer from the shelf, that I may hearwhat he says about the beauty of women.ἰδοῦ,here it is.ἀνάγνωθι,read it.καλὴ καὶ μεγάλη καὶ ἀγλαὰ ἔργ’ εἰδυῖα,beautiful and tall, and skilful in tasteful works.φεῦ· ὡς εὖ λέγεις. οὐκ ἀργαὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ παρὰ τῷ ἀοιδῷ,excellent. The singer’s ladies were no idlers.μιμήτριαί γε τῆς ἐν τοῖς περὶ τὸν βίον σοφῆς προστατίδος Παλλάδος,they were imitators of their patron goddess Pallas,wise in all that relates to life.ῥίψον τὸ κυνάριον εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μανθάνῃ τὸ νήχεσθαι,fling the dog into the water, that he may learn to swim.ἰδοῦ—νήχεται—ὡς εὐμαθὲς τὸ θρέμμα,there he goes—he swims—what a clever creature!ποίησον σὺ κατὰ ταὐτά,do you the same.οὐδαμῶς· φοβοῦμαι μὴ βαπτίσῃ με τὸ κῦμα,no; I fear the wave will overwhelm me.γελοῖα λέγεις· ἐλαφρότερον γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τοῦ ὕδατος,nonsense; the human body is lighter than the water.οὐ καταποντίσει σε τὸ ὕδωρ ἀλλὰ ὁ φόβος,it is not the water that will drown you, but fear.πιθανόν· ὅμως ἀντέχομαι τῆς ξηρᾶς,likely enough; nevertheless I hold by the dry land.σοφός σύ γε, δεξιώτερον δὲ τὸ ζῷον. χαῖρε,you are wise, but the animal is more clever. Adieu.
δίδωμί σοι ταύτην τὴν βίβλον ἵνα καταλαμβάνῃςὅσον ἐστὶ χαλεπὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα περὶ οὗ ἔγραφες,I give you this book that you may understandhow difficult the matter is on which you were writing.
ἐὰν μὴ ἐκπονῇς τὰ διδάγματα, οὐ διδάξω σε,if you don’t work out the lessons, I will not teach you.
ἢν τὸν δάκτυλον κόψῃς ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὀξείᾳ μαχαίρᾳ, οὐ παρ’ ἐμοὶ ἡ αἰτία,if you cut your finger with that sharp knife, the blame is not with me.
ἐκτέλεσον τὸ ἔργον τὸ προκείμενον, ἵνα μή σε ταράσσῃαὔριον τὰ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας ὑστερήματα,finish the work that lies before you, that the leavingsof to-day may not disturb you to-morrow.
λαβὼν τὸ σκάλευθρον κΐνει τὸ πῦρ, ἵνα μὴ πνίγῃτὴν φλόγα τὸ βάρος τῶν ἀνθράκων,take the poker and stir the fire, that the weightof the coals may not choke the flame.
ἐὰν μὴ φυλάττῃ τὴν φλόγα, καύσεις τὰς χειρίδας τοῦ ἱματίου,if you do not take care of the flame,you will burn the sleeves of your coat.
φέρε δὴ τὸν Ὅμηρον ἐκ τοῦ θηκίου, ἵνα ἀκούω τί λέγειπερὶ τοῦ κάλλους τῶν γυναικῶν,bring me Homer from the shelf, that I may hearwhat he says about the beauty of women.
ἰδοῦ,here it is.
ἀνάγνωθι,read it.
καλὴ καὶ μεγάλη καὶ ἀγλαὰ ἔργ’ εἰδυῖα,beautiful and tall, and skilful in tasteful works.
φεῦ· ὡς εὖ λέγεις. οὐκ ἀργαὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ παρὰ τῷ ἀοιδῷ,excellent. The singer’s ladies were no idlers.
μιμήτριαί γε τῆς ἐν τοῖς περὶ τὸν βίον σοφῆς προστατίδος Παλλάδος,they were imitators of their patron goddess Pallas,wise in all that relates to life.
ῥίψον τὸ κυνάριον εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μανθάνῃ τὸ νήχεσθαι,fling the dog into the water, that he may learn to swim.
ἰδοῦ—νήχεται—ὡς εὐμαθὲς τὸ θρέμμα,there he goes—he swims—what a clever creature!
ποίησον σὺ κατὰ ταὐτά,do you the same.
οὐδαμῶς· φοβοῦμαι μὴ βαπτίσῃ με τὸ κῦμα,no; I fear the wave will overwhelm me.
γελοῖα λέγεις· ἐλαφρότερον γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τοῦ ὕδατος,nonsense; the human body is lighter than the water.
οὐ καταποντίσει σε τὸ ὕδωρ ἀλλὰ ὁ φόβος,it is not the water that will drown you, but fear.
πιθανόν· ὅμως ἀντέχομαι τῆς ξηρᾶς,likely enough; nevertheless I hold by the dry land.
σοφός σύ γε, δεξιώτερον δὲ τὸ ζῷον. χαῖρε,you are wise, but the animal is more clever. Adieu.
English Affinities
Anthracite. Barometer. Phlogiston. Caustic. Ferry. Mimetic. Pantomime. Hydropathy. Baptize. Anthropology. Dexterity.