Ἀήθεσσον

they were unaccustomed (to)

Translated by Jennifer Benedict · 18 Mar 2001 · Vetting: high · 9 revisions

Translation

[Meaning] they were unused [to]. Also [sc. attested is] a)hqe/ssousin ["they are unaccustomed (to)"], [meaning] they are unacquainted [with].¹
The present tense a)hqe/ssw ["I am unaccustomed (to)"], [like] a)hdi/zomai ["I am disgusted"],² a)i/w ["I perceive"], a)/w ["I blow"], does not turn the alpha into an eta in the imperfect. [There are] a)h/qesson and a)hdizo/mhn, to prevent a succession of etas. But [in the case of] a)/w ["I breathe"] and a)i/w ["I hear"], [this happens] in order to avoid a confusion of meaning. For a)i/w [in the imperfect] would be like h)/i+e "he went";³ and a)/w [in the imperfect would be like] h)=e "he was."⁴

Greek original

Ἀήθεσσον· ἀήθεις ἦσαν. καὶ Ἀηθέσσουσιν, ἀσυνήθεις εἰσίν. Ἀηθέσσω ὁ ἐνεστὼς, ἀηδίζομαι, ἀΐω, ἄω, οὐ τρέπουσι τὸ α εἰς η κατὰ τὸν παρατατικόν. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀήθεσσον καὶ ἀηδιζόμην, ἵνα μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἀλλεπάλληλον τὸ η. τὸ δὲ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, καὶ ἀΐω, τὸ ἀκούω, ἵνα μὴ συνεμπέσωσιν ἑτέρῳ σημαινομένῳ. τὸ γὰρ ἀΐω συνέπεται τῷ ἤϊε, τῷ ἐπορεύετο· τὸ δὲ ἄω, τῷ ἦε, τῷ ὑπῆρχεν.

Betacode

*)ah/qesson: a)h/qeis h)=san. kai\ *)ahqe/ssousin, a)sunh/qeis ei)si/n. *)ahqe/ssw o( e)nestw\s, a)hdi/zomai, a)i/+w, a)/w, ou) tre/pousi to\ a ei)s h kata\ to\n paratatiko/n. kai\ to\ me\n a)h/qesson kai\ a)hdizo/mhn, i(/na mh\ eu(reqh=| a)llepa/llhlon to\ h. to\ de\ a)/w, to\ pne/w, kai\ a)i/+w, to\ a)kou/w, i(/na mh\ sunempe/swsin e(te/rw| shmainome/nw|. to\ ga\r a)i/+w sune/petai tw=| h)/i+e, tw=| e)poreu/eto: to\ de\ a)/w, tw=| h)=e, tw=| u(ph=rxen.

Notes (4)

After the initial glossing, the issue addressed here is to explain why some verbs beginning with alpha do not have eta when they are augmented in the imperfect.
1The primary headword -- a single word in the Greek -- occurs in Homer, Iliad 10.493 (web address 1), and these glosses are from the scholia there. The present indicative is unattested outside lexicography (though its participle occurs in later poetry: see LSJ s.v. at web address 2). ↩
2cf. alpha 649. ↩
3a)/i+on occurs as first person singular imperfect of a)i/w "breathe" (a variant of a)/hmi) in Homer, Iliad 15.252. ↩
4a)/i+e, a)/i+on occur as imperfect of a)i/w "hear" in epic and lyric poetry.

↩

External resources

Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu

Linked from (1)

α649ἈηδίζομαιI feel disgust

Neighbours in Adler order

α650Ἀηδόνειος ᾠδή καὶ Ἀηδόνειον μέλοςnightingale's song and nightingale's strain α651Ἀηδών καὶ ἀηδοῦςnightingale, songstress α652Ἀηδῶςunpleasantly α653Ἀήθεσσονthey were unaccustomed (to)α654Ἄηκεςsharp α655Ἄημαblast α656ἌημαιI swing, I hang (?)

Revisions (9)

1 May 2015David Whitehead
13 Jan 2012David Whiteheadtweaks and cosmetics
16 Aug 2006Catharine Rothcosmetics
15 May 2002Catharine Rothaugmented notes
14 May 2002David Whiteheadcosmetics
13 May 2002Catharine Rothadded link
13 May 2002Catharine Rothmodified translation, added notes
18 Mar 2001Jennifer Benedicttranslated

Translation

Greek original

Betacode

*)ah/qesson: a)h/qeis h)=san. kai\ *)ahqe/ssousin, a)sunh/qeis ei)si/n. *)ahqe/ssw o( e)nestw\s, a)hdi/zomai, a)i/+w, a)/w, ou) tre/pousi to\ a ei)s h kata\ to\n paratatiko/n. kai\ to\ me\n a)h/qesson kai\ a)hdizo/mhn, i(/na mh\ eu(reqh=| a)llepa/llhlon to\ h. to\ de\ a)/w, to\ pne/w, kai\ a)i/+w, to\ a)kou/w, i(/na mh\ sunempe/swsin e(te/rw| shmainome/nw|. to\ ga\r a)i/+w sune/petai tw=| h)/i+e, tw=| e)poreu/eto: to\ de\ a)/w, tw=| h)=e, tw=| u(ph=rxen.

Notes (4)

After the initial glossing, the issue addressed here is to explain why some verbs beginning with alpha do not have eta when they are augmented in the imperfect.

1The primary headword -- a single word in the Greek -- occurs in Homer, Iliad 10.493 (web address 1), and these glosses are from the scholia there. The present indicative is unattested outside lexicography (though its participle occurs in later poetry: see LSJ s.v. at web address 2). ↩

2cf. alpha 649. ↩

3a)/i+on occurs as first person singular imperfect of a)i/w "breathe" (a variant of a)/hmi) in Homer, Iliad 15.252. ↩

4a)/i+e, a)/i+on occur as imperfect of a)i/w "hear" in epic and lyric poetry.