ἐπαρκέ-ω is a contract verb in the present tense but in the aorist where we “normally” expect to see ε–⟩η we find ἐπήρκεσα. There are of course other verbs like this such as ἐπαινέω, aorist ἐπαινεσ-. I was wondering whether there is a linguistic explanation for this?
I don’t know about ἀρκέω, but αἰνέω doesn’t lengthen because it’s from τὸ αἶνος, so the sigma blocked the lengthening of the vowel (before later disappearing).
Note that for third-declension neuter -ος nouns like αἶνος, the sigma is part of the stem, not part of the declension ending, so it would have appeared in compounds.
Wiktionary does list a theory that ἀρκέω is from ἄρκος, and LJS does have τὸ ἄρκος. If that theory is true then it would explain well why ἀρκέω doesn’t lengthen in the aorist.
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