LESSON XVII
The Middle Voice
The middle voice, or, as it might more significantly be called, the reflexive or the subjective voice, is a form of the verb where the action does not pass on from the agent to an outward object, but comes back on him, or in some loose way is looked on as done for his benefit, or affecting himself specially. Thus it is in the main identical with what in Latin grammar used to be called neuter verbs, only it is subject to not a few nice shades of personal reference, which leads to its apparent confusion with the active voice, and to various anomalous usages which can only be learned by practice. It is, of course, in strictness more nearly allied to the passive than to the active voice; for in both these voices, as distinguished from the active, the force of the verb is either altogether spent on the agent, or is in some way passively or emotionally or intentionally connected with him. This intimate relationship leads to a similarity of form in the two voices, the present and imperfect middle being in fact identical with the same tenses in the passive voice, and the other tenses, in their characteristic changes, more allied to the passive than to the active.
Future Indicative
First Aorist
οὐ τῶν τυχόντων κατέλαβέ με ἔχειν διδασκάλουςτῆς σοφίας, τὰ νῦν δὲ δικαίως αὐτὸς σοφίζομαι,I had the good luck to have no common teachers of wisdom,but now with good reason I profess wisdom for myself.ἐδεξάμην τὴν βίβλον ἣν σὺ ἐδέξω παρὰ τοῦ ἀνεψιοῦ,καὶ ἀναγνώσομαι αὐτὴν πάσῃ σπουδῇ,I received the book which you got from your cousin,and I will read it carefully.οὗτος ὁ νεανίας τρέχει δεινῶς· βλάψεται,this young man runs furiously; he will hurt himself.οὐ φοβοῦμαι,I am not afraid.ἀσφαλὴς ἐστὶ τοῖς ποσίν,he is a steady-footed fellow.οὗτος ὁ νεανίας ταλαιπώρως κυπτάζει εἰς τὰς βίβλους·τρίψεται ὑπερτρυφῶν ἐν τῇ ἀναγνώσει,this young man stoops miserably down into his books;he will wear himself away, stuffing himself with reading.μὴ χαλέπαινε· βαθμηδὸν ἀκμάζει πάντα. τὰ μικρότατα σπέρματα,ἀρξάμενα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἠρινοῦ χρόνου, πρὸ τῆς ὀπώρας γενήσεταιφυτὰ μεγάλα,do not repine. All things grow ripe by degrees.The smallest seeds beginning with the spring byharvest time will become large plants.οὑτοσὶ πλήρεσιν ἀνάγεται τοῖς ἱστίοις,ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ ἡττησόμεθα,this fellow sails out with full sails,but we shall not fall behind.σήμερον λαμπρῷ χρώμεθα τῷ οὐρανῷ,to-day we have fine weather.αὔριον δὲ ὕσει ὁ θεός,but it will rain to-morrow.ὤ, τάλᾱς ἐγώ· οὐδὲν διαγίγνεται μένον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τῷ κατὰ τὴν Καληδονίαν,alas, alas! there is no continuity or permanence of weather in Scotland.ἀληθῆ λέγεις· μόνον τὸ τῶν Καληδονίων ἦθοςσεμνύνεται ἐπὶ τῷ ἄγαν σταθερῷ καὶ ἀμεταβόλῳ· κρατερὸντὸ Καληδόνιον ἦθος ὡς ὁ γρανιτόλιθος, ὁ ἐν Ἀβερδονίᾳ,true; only the character of the Scots boasts ofsteadiness and permanence. The Scottish characteris strong as the Aberdeen granite.χάριν οἶδα τῷ Θεῷ· αὐτὸς ἀλαζονεύομαι τῆσδε τῆςἐπιμόνου κράσεως οὐ σπανίως μεταλαμβάνεσθαι,thank God! myself boast that I have a fairshare of this persistent temperament.δικαίως γε· ἐγγυᾶται τὴν κατόρθωσιν ἡ ἐπιμονή.ἔρρωσο,and with good reason; perseverance is the pledge of success.Farewell.
οὐ τῶν τυχόντων κατέλαβέ με ἔχειν διδασκάλουςτῆς σοφίας, τὰ νῦν δὲ δικαίως αὐτὸς σοφίζομαι,I had the good luck to have no common teachers of wisdom,but now with good reason I profess wisdom for myself.
ἐδεξάμην τὴν βίβλον ἣν σὺ ἐδέξω παρὰ τοῦ ἀνεψιοῦ,καὶ ἀναγνώσομαι αὐτὴν πάσῃ σπουδῇ,I received the book which you got from your cousin,and I will read it carefully.
οὗτος ὁ νεανίας τρέχει δεινῶς· βλάψεται,this young man runs furiously; he will hurt himself.
οὐ φοβοῦμαι,I am not afraid.
ἀσφαλὴς ἐστὶ τοῖς ποσίν,he is a steady-footed fellow.
οὗτος ὁ νεανίας ταλαιπώρως κυπτάζει εἰς τὰς βίβλους·τρίψεται ὑπερτρυφῶν ἐν τῇ ἀναγνώσει,this young man stoops miserably down into his books;he will wear himself away, stuffing himself with reading.
μὴ χαλέπαινε· βαθμηδὸν ἀκμάζει πάντα. τὰ μικρότατα σπέρματα,ἀρξάμενα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἠρινοῦ χρόνου, πρὸ τῆς ὀπώρας γενήσεταιφυτὰ μεγάλα,do not repine. All things grow ripe by degrees.The smallest seeds beginning with the spring byharvest time will become large plants.
οὑτοσὶ πλήρεσιν ἀνάγεται τοῖς ἱστίοις,ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ ἡττησόμεθα,this fellow sails out with full sails,but we shall not fall behind.
σήμερον λαμπρῷ χρώμεθα τῷ οὐρανῷ,to-day we have fine weather.
αὔριον δὲ ὕσει ὁ θεός,but it will rain to-morrow.
ὤ, τάλᾱς ἐγώ· οὐδὲν διαγίγνεται μένον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τῷ κατὰ τὴν Καληδονίαν,alas, alas! there is no continuity or permanence of weather in Scotland.
ἀληθῆ λέγεις· μόνον τὸ τῶν Καληδονίων ἦθοςσεμνύνεται ἐπὶ τῷ ἄγαν σταθερῷ καὶ ἀμεταβόλῳ· κρατερὸντὸ Καληδόνιον ἦθος ὡς ὁ γρανιτόλιθος, ὁ ἐν Ἀβερδονίᾳ,true; only the character of the Scots boasts ofsteadiness and permanence. The Scottish characteris strong as the Aberdeen granite.
χάριν οἶδα τῷ Θεῷ· αὐτὸς ἀλαζονεύομαι τῆσδε τῆςἐπιμόνου κράσεως οὐ σπανίως μεταλαμβάνεσθαι,thank God! myself boast that I have a fairshare of this persistent temperament.
δικαίως γε· ἐγγυᾶται τὴν κατόρθωσιν ἡ ἐπιμονή.ἔρρωσο,and with good reason; perseverance is the pledge of success.Farewell.
English Affinities
Didactic. Sophist. Study. New. Early. Vernal. Chronology. Grace. Hypertrophy. Idiosyncrasy. Orthography. Acme. Phytology.