4. Optative W finite verbs have no variable vowel before the personal ending.
Hi Mike,
I not quite sure what you mean by 'variable vowel'. Can you clarify this?
Meanwhile, permit me a few borrowed observations about optative morphology. This mood can be athematic or thematic. When athematic the optative mood suffix exhibits ablaut - vowel alternation - alternating between
[face=SPIonic]ih[/face] in the singular active and
[face=SPIonic]i[/face] in the dual/plural active and middle. So, looking at the verb
[face=SPIonic]ei)mi/[/face] we see:
1st singular present optative active =
[face=SPIonic]e-ih-n[/face], but
1st plural present optative active =
[face=SPIonic]e-i-men[/face].
When thematic the optative mood suffix is always
[face=SPIonic]i[/face]; whence, in combination with thematic omicron, the familiar
[face=SPIonic]-oi-[/face] suffix that we see in many verbs, e.g.,
[face=SPIonic]lu/w[/face].
But note that by a kind of intrusive analogy you do see thematic forms mixing with athematic, e.g.,
[face=SPIonic]e)/oij[/face] and
[face=SPIonic]e)/oi[/face], 2nd and 3rd person singular active of
[face=SPIonic]ei)mi/[/face].
Cordially,
Paul