Deponent verbs

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ivan
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Deponent verbs

Post by ivan »

Hi!

I want to know why deponent verbs exist in latin language? How did they start to exist? Or, if it isn't known, then maybe you have some idea on how they started to exist.

Thanks!

Carolus Raeticus
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Re: Deponent verbs

Post by Carolus Raeticus »

Salve Ivane!

I am no history-of-language buff, but a quick search on the internet gave the following link to a paper (PDF, 182 KB which has a section about this topic: 3.1 Genesis of Deponents: Organic or Analogous. I have given it only a brief glance, but it seems to fit your bill.

Vale,

Carolus Raeticus
Sperate miseri, cavete felices.

ivan
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Re: Deponent verbs

Post by ivan »

Gratias tibi ago!

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thesaurus
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Re: Deponent verbs

Post by thesaurus »

Verba deponentia delenda sunt...
Horae quidem cedunt et dies et menses et anni, nec praeteritum tempus umquam revertitur nec quid sequatur sciri potest. Quod cuique temporis ad vivendum datur, eo debet esse contentus. --Cicero, De Senectute

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Anthony Appleyard
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Re: Deponent verbs

Post by Anthony Appleyard »

Some deponent verbs likely started as a middle-and-passive form of some now-lost active verb. For example with "sequor" = "I follow" : Greek still has the active form: 'hepo_' = "I am engaged with", "I am busy about" :: 'hepomai' = "I follow".

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