Lesson 2 | Subjunctives
[3] Aorist Subjunctives
Three Key Features
| Subjunctives: 3 KEY FEATURES |
| Tense-Form |
Voice |
Stem |
Tense Former |
Ending Pattern |
| Present |
Active |
present |
|
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Active |
Middle/
Passive |
present |
|
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Middle-Passive |
| 1st Aorist |
Active |
usually same as present |
σ |
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Active |
| Middle |
usually same as present |
σ |
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Middle-Passive |
| Passive |
usually same as present |
θ |
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Active |
| 2nd Aorist |
Active |
aorist |
|
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Active |
| Middle |
aorist |
|
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Middle-Passive |
| Passive |
aorist |
|
⇠vowel⇢ Primary
Active |
In order to help you recognize how aorist subjunctives are formed, let’s first highlight both the similarities and differences from aorist indicative. As you go through these points, look up at the 3 Key Features and down at the indicative-subjunctive comparison.
They are like aorist indicatives in that…
there are both first and second aorist forms (depending on which stem a particular word uses)
first aorists use a tense former, second aorists do not
they have separate middle and passive forms
aorist passive forms use active endings
They are unlike aorist indicatives in that…
ἐλυσα
[1st Aorist Indicative]
λύσω
[1st Aorist Subjunctive]
ἔλαβον
[2 Aorist Indicative]
λάβω
[2nd Aorist Subjunctive]
Now compare present subjunctives with first and second aorist subjunctives in the tables below. Notice three differences:
first aorists use a tense former
aorist passives use active endings
aorist passives have a circumflex accent over the connecting vowel.
| Comparison of Active and Passive Subjunctives |
|
|
|
Present
Active |
|
1st Aorist
Active |
|
1st Aorist
Passive |
|
2nd Aorist
Active |
|
2nd Aorist
Passive |
| Singular |
First |
λύω |
λύσω |
λυθῶ |
λάβω |
γραφῶ |
| Second |
λύῃς |
λύσῃς |
λυθῇς |
λάβῃς |
γραφῇς |
| Third |
λύῃ |
λύσῃ |
λυθῇ |
λάβῃ |
γραφῇ |
| Plural |
First |
λύωμεν |
λύσωμεν |
λυθῶμεν |
λάβωμεν |
γραφῶμεν |
| Second |
λύητε |
λύσητε |
λυθῆτε |
λάβητε |
γραφῆτε |
| Third |
λύωσι(ν) |
λύσωσι(ν) |
λυθῶσι(ν) |
λάβωσι(ν) |
γραφῶσι(ν) |
| Comparison of Middle Subjunctives |
|
|
|
Present
Middle-Passive |
|
1st Aorist
Middle |
|
2nd Aorist
Middle |
| Singular |
First |
λύωμαι |
λύσωμαι |
γένωμαι |
| Second |
λύῃ |
λύσῃ |
γένῃ |
| Third |
λύηται |
λύσηται |
γένηται |
| Plural |
First |
λυώμεθα |
λυσώμεθα |
γενώμεθα |
| Second |
λύησθε |
λύσησθε |
γένησθε |
| Third |
λύωνται |
λύσωνται |
γένωνται |
Practice
Use the quizlet below to parse λύω as an aorist subjunctive: