Question(s) about the middle verb forms

Greek Learning Greek
1

I am hoping some members will help me explore this topic of the middle verb forms. I am now at Section 5-A and B of the Cambridge JACT text.

So far in the book, I’ve seen the present indicative middle (Sect. 2), the present middle participle (Sect. 4) and the imperfect indicative middle (Sect. 5).

I may start with too simplistic a look but for me it will be a start! I am thinking the middle form comes close to resembling the intransitive verb in English (I would like correction there if necessary).

In other words that is probably not right. But I look at just one ‘problem’ in 5A-B. I consider the verb ἐπαυον (imperfect indicative active, meaning ‘I was stopping’) compared to ἐπαυόμεν (imperfect indicative middle). This seems like a good example, seeing it is the same verb for both forms (same verb at least in English). My understanding is that the active form would take an object: ‘I was stopping him’. The middle form would not take an object: ‘I was stopping here.’ (That is why I think the intransitive form in English can help with my understanding.)

I have more. I will give some verbs in English only (please excuse me for that; too long to go with the Greek script). I see that the verbs ‘I was honouring/valuing,’ ‘I was doing’ and ‘I was showing/revealing’ can also go in the imperfect indicative active and imperfect indicative middle forms, just as the Greek verb for ‘I was stopping’ does (all of this is in Section 5).

Perhaps I should try harder and learn how to use Greek script faster, so here is ‘I was honouring/valuing’ in Greek (edit: that should be ‘I was revealing, showing’):

ἐδηλούμην

Here is where I may be stumped. I can’t see how ‘I was revealing’ can be in both forms (yet, it obviously can!). After some thought, maybe I see how it can work: ‘I revealed the painting’ (active). Then there is ‘I revealed myself to be…’ (but that may not really work as an example of the middle form). I am thinking there must be subtle shifts in meanings.

I think I had better stop. But just to say, I have explored here and there and will keep exploring this matter of middle verb forms. To close on an upbeat note, I am cheered to see correspondences from present active to imperfect active and ditto for the middle form.

EDIT: I have had to edit this quite often because I know I am not explaining myself too well. I will need more practice for sure. But I am getting better acquainted with the middle form. The JACT textbook gives more information later on.

2

The middle voice can have several meanings.

I suggest you read very carefully paragraph 124 on page 107-108. That will get you started as an introduction to the range of meanings

The text gives the examples: παύω I stop “someone or something” παύομαι I stop myself I cease and πείθω I persuade, πείθομαι I persuade myself, I trust, obey.

Not all verbs have both active and middle forms so the distinctions drawn in Reading Greek don’t help when there is only one form, eg where verbs only have a middle future and no active future. You will have also come across the verb ἔρχομαι which doesn’t have an active present form. It has a middle form with an active meaning.

Also you need to remember that middle endings are best described as middle/passive and often the meaning is passive rather than strictly middle. The active δηλῶ means I reveal show etc while the middle/passive δηλοῦμαι is “to be displayed” etc.

I advise going slowly and work with the definitions given in Reading Greek and dont try to generalise beyond what you find there. Greater experience with Greek will provide the clarity you are seeking. As it says in your textbook “The more Greek you read the more you will get used to the way in which middle forms of active verbs are used.”

3

Thank you very much for the reply, seneca2008. It is proving to be very helpful. I will keep working on this. I will have to go back and review especially the relation between middle and passive.

Just to add: It will be difficult for me to find paragraph 124 on page 107-108. The text I am using was first published in 1978 and republished in 1983. I have been looking for information in Section B (Reference grammar) and Section C (Language Survey), but so far I haven’t found much and I don’t think that paragraph is in either of those sections. If you can pinpoint me to where this paragraph appears (i.e., in context), I am sure I will be able to find it. Your support is much appreciated. I’ll be going over this whole matter carefully and more than once!

4

The Cambridge Grammar of Classical Greek has a really good chapter on this, which runs through the different possible meanings of the middle-passive voice. As a general definition the authors say that it ‘expresses that the subject is somehow affected by the action; the precise way in which the subject is affected may vary’.

Normally I’d say that it’s not necessary for a first-year level Greek student to get a reference grammar, but if you find yourself getting stuck on/curious about grammatical questions like this then the CGCG might be worth getting.

5

Just to add: It will be difficult for me to find paragraph 124 on page 107-108.

Ok If you are using the first edition look at paragraph 65 page 66-67

The second edition is much revised and the explanations are for the most better and expanded. I suggest that you get hold of a copy.

I agree with Matt that “The Cambridge Grammar of Classical Greek” is an excellent resource. I think however it is not going to be all that useful for a beginner. It would be better for you to invest your money in the second edition of Reading Greek.

That said, this board will try to help you whatever edition you use. Try not to over-complicate things for yourself. If you on section 5A-B concentrate on learning the forms on page 60-61 without trying to generalise on what the middle/passive means. The specific meanings given will help you read the text and that’s all that’s needed at this stage. Also revise what you have already covered in para 23 p 28.

6

MattK and seneca2008: Thank you both for the posts and the helpful comments. I will go looking for that Cambridge grammar (a bit expensive according to Amazon but I can shop around). It is all a good grounding and I willl focus on the tasks at hand.

7

Smyth’s grammar is free - here’s what he says: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0007%3Apart%3D4%3Achapter%3D44%3Asection%3D104

In practical terms, I suppose this is as much a vocabulary question as a grammatical one - if you look up a verb in a lexicon it will tell you the meanings of the active, middle and passive forms.

8

Re: The question about intransitive παύω/παύομαι.

My understanding is that the active form would take an object: ‘I was stopping him’. The middle form would not take an object: ‘I was stopping here.’

Intransitive παύω, in the LSJ, only occurs in imperative, and can be either middle or active. (Examples like παῦε μάχης and παῦε γόοιο would be a lot harder to call “intransitive” if that were a middle.)

Going by organization, in causal section of LSJ’s παύω, the active should signify “I stop ” and the middle “I quit ”.

However, IMO, none of the middle uses in the c. acc. section look all that transitive to me or like they belong with “c. acc.”, even if we’re inventive:

ἐνὶ κλισίῃ παυέσκετο
οἱ ἱππέες ἐπέπαυντο
οὐ μέν τοι ὅση δύναμίς γε πάρεστι / παύομαι
ἄλλοτε μέν τε γόῳ φρένα τέρπομαι, ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖτε / παύομαι
ὁ δ’ ἐπαύετο θεῖος ἀοιδός
ταῦτα εἴπας ἐπαύετο

You could call it “checked himself” or so on to save the LSJ’s organization, but the actual meaning seems to be complete cessation or rest.

9

In practical terms, I suppose this is as much a vocabulary question as a grammatical one - if you look up a verb in a lexicon it will tell you the meanings of the active, middle and passive forms.

Good advice.

10

What a catty way to respond, Seneca. But in this case, no, the main Lexicon for ancient Greek, the LSJ, is wrong about the poster’s initial question.

I direct everyone to Brill and CGL, which unsurprisingly make the same correction that I have for this entry, and separate out this middle use from the causal active use. No I didn’t look Brill/CGL up before I made the earlier post. It was obvious upon reading the Greek examples which I quoted – and would have been obvious to Seneca if he possessed enough Greek to read them without a translation – that the LSJ entry was somehow misorganized there, and I assume that both the Brill and CGL revisers made the same obvious discovery that I have when they looked up these same citations.