I put it here and not in the learning greek corner bc it is a feature of Early Greek. It can also be a feature of certain dialects and I would like to hear if someone knows something about this.
What I often thought about the diphthong ει is if there are occurences where it spoken as a diphthong and not as long closed e and when it was lost.
For example we know the verb endings -εις and -ει and what happens when they contract compared to endings like -ειν.
Also there are other examples where a true ει can be inferred:
- the liquide verbal stems which can end in ι like κτείνω. This derives from *κτενjω like καθαίρω derives from *καθαρjω so why not spoken with a true diphthong?
- words with have a cognate whith a true ι like τεῖχος and τοῖχος or κλείω and κλῄω or ῥεῖα and ῥᾴδιος or εἴην compared with optatives like σταίην or πείθω and πέποιθα.
How realistic it is to assume it was spoken with a diphthong in this case and when was it merged to closed long e? Is someone here who knows more than me about that?
Ἔθηκα ἐνθαῦτά γε κοὐκ εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἑλληνικὴν μανθάνειν ἀποκρίσιν ἅτε τοῦ πρωιαιτέρης ἑλληνικής. Δύναται φωνῆς ἀποχωρίστης μὲν ἄρα εἶναι κεί τις γιγνώσκει χαίροιμι δὲ ἀκοῦσαι.
Πολλάκις οὖη διενοούμην τοῦ ει εἴτε ἐνίοτε ἀληθῶς ὡς δίφθογγος φωνουμένου ἂν οὐδὲ ὡς δολιχὸν κλειστὸν ε στοιχεῖον καὶ πότε δὴ τετελεύτηται.
Διαγιγνώσκομεν γὰρ Οἶόν τι τα τῶν ῥημάτων τέρματα -εις τε καὶ -ει ἃ συναιροῦνται νῦν ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ ἢ τέρματα ὡς τὸ -ειν.
Καὶ δὴ καὶ ἄλλα δείγματα τεικμαίρουσιν δίφθογγον ει ἰσως ὑπάρχον· - Ῥήματα τελειοῦντα σὺν ι στοιχείῳ τε καὶ ῥευστῷ οἷόν τι κτείνω ἐστιν. Κτείνω ἀπογεγονὸς τοῦ *κτένjω ἧ καθαίρω τοῦ καθάρjω. Τίη δήπου δὲ ου ἐφωνοῦτο σὺν ι στοιχεῖον;
- Ἔτι πολλὰ εἴσιν ἔπη ὧν συγγενὴ ἔχουσιν ι ἔτυμον οἷὰ τινα δὲ τεῖχός τε καὶ τοῖχος ἢ κλείω τε καὶ κλῄω ἢ ῥεῖα καὶ ῥᾴδιος ἢ είην συμβεβλημένον ἄλλαις εὐκτικαῖς ὡς σταιην ἢ πείθω καὶ πέποιθα.
.
Εἰκὸν ἄρα ταῦτα έτύμῃ διφθόγγῳ φωνεῖται εν τούτοις τοῖς δείγμάτων καὶ πότε εἰς κλειστὸν δοκιχὸν ε στοιχεῖον; Ἐστίν τις ἐνθάδε μεῖζον ἐπιστάμενος ἢ ἐγὼν αὐτός;