Accent and Augment

[swiftnicholas]

I was informed only very recently of another reason that learning the rules of accenting can be helpful: it can sometimes indicate an augment.

Here are three instances from the Hymn to Demeter:

Line 25, [face=spionic]a)/i+en[\face][\size], impf.act.ind.3rd.sg. of [size=16][face=spionic]a)i/w[\face][\size].

Line 38, [size=16][face=spionic]h)/xhsan[\face][\size], aor.act.ind.3rd.pl. of [size=16][face=spionic]h)xe/w[\face][\size].

Line 95, [size=16][face=spionic]gi/nwske[\face][\size], impf.act.ind.3rd.sg. of [size=16][face=spionic]ginw/skw[/face].


Are these all instances of augmentation, or does the accent move for other reasons? I suspect the first two examples are augmented, although I wonder if the accent for [size=16][face=spionic]gi/nwske[\face][\size] is just the result of recessive tendency.

Thanks

~Nicholas

[chad]

hi, the vowel in the last syll of each of those verb forms is short, that's why it moves back further than the present 1 sg forms (which end with omega, and so the law of limitation means that they're paroxy). the augment isn't relevant here, it's the recessive tendency as you said.

[swiftnicholas]

Thanks Chad I think that perhaps Smyth 426.a and 426.a.N. cover what this person meant about a relationship between accent and augments, but I still haven't had a chance to clarify it with them.

~N

[chad]

hi, yep but that section in smyth is talking about compound verbs. that's not the case with the e.g.s above.

[swiftnicholas]

hi, yep but that section in smyth is talking about compound verbs. that's not the case with the e.g.s above.

Yes. Somebody mentioned to me casually that learning the rules of accenting can sometimes help you detect an augment, and when reading the h.Demeter I thought that those examples I posted might be what she was talking about. You were definitely right though, so now I suspect that she was referring to those sections of Smyth (otherwise I'm not sure what she meant), although I haven't been able to ask her yet.

I've learned some random rules of accenting, but never took the time to really understand what was going on. I hope to spend time this winter on some long overdue composition exercises, which should help with several of my weak areas.

~N

[chad]

hi, well it's possible that she was talking about augmented non-compound verbs (rather than prefixed prepositions in compound augmented verbs) but i doubt it, it wouldn't be helpful that often... i mean if you have a 2-syllable verb beginning with a short alpha or iota say, it would help, i.e. the augmented imperfect would be circumflexed on the initial vowel, but the unaugm imperf would keep the acute, i.e. the circumflex would show the augmentation (the vowel otherwise looking the same, see the table of contractions of vowels). but that isn't going to help all that often.

you can however clearly and often see the prefixed preposition in a compound verb where the verb is augmented or reduplicated, e.g. e)ph=lqe, where the accent doesn't recede to the 1st syll...

if you want to practice accents i recommend probert 2003. you can finish the whole thing in a weekend, it's good.

[swiftnicholas]

hi, well it's possible that she was talking about augmented non-compound verbs (rather than prefixed prepositions in compound augmented verbs) but i doubt it, it wouldn't be helpful that often... i mean if you have a 2-syllable verb beginning with a short alpha or iota say, it would help, i.e. the augmented imperfect would be circumflexed on the initial vowel, but the unaugm imperf would keep the acute, i.e. the circumflex would show the augmentation (the vowel otherwise looking the same, see the table of contractions of vowels). but that isn't going to help all that often.

Ah, ok. That's more like what I had in mind; that's probably what she was talking about too. Perhaps I overemphasized its utility.

if you want to practice accents i recommend probert 2003. you can finish the whole thing in a weekend, it's good.

Hey, that looks great. Reasonably priced, and I'm glad to see that it includes answers at the back for self-checking. Do you remember how many pages it has? If I can find it at a library, maybe I'll try to photocopy it. Thanks for the tip.

When searching for it, I also saw this, but at 480 pgs that might not be in my plans anytime soon.

Thanks again.

[swiftnicholas]

Do you remember how many pages it has?

Nevermind: I looked more closely and saw that it has about 215 pgs, prob too long for photocopying.