The augment in Modern Greek
When the verb-stem is a one syllable form, beginning with a consonant and the verb has a one syllable ending such as «μένω», the «ε-» with a stress is prefixed the stem as an extra syllable in the imperfect and aorist. This phenomenon is called the augment, which only occurs in past tenses and which means enlargement or expansion.
The augment has been set up because of the antepenultimate rule (the stress on the third 3rd syllable from the end). Normally the stress tends to fall on the third syllable from the end in the past tenses of active verbs with more than two syllables, whereas the same syllable retains the stress in the non-past tenses throughout the declension.
When augmentation occurs in Modern Greek it can be divided in three categories viz:
- syllabic augment
- vocalic augment
- internal augment
Syllabic augment
As mentioned, the augment is found in the past tense verb-forms of which the initial letter of the stem is a consonant, with one final syllable:
- I wrote - έ-γραψ-α (aorist)
- you wrote - έ-γραφ-ες (imperfect)
When the stem of a verb has more than one syllable the augment normally isn't used:
- I called - φώναξ-α (aorist)
- he/she called - φώναζ-ε (imperfect)
Similarly when a verb-form has a one syllable stem, but an ending of more syllables:
- we wrote - γράψ-αμε (aorist)
- it has been written - γράφτ-ηκε (aorist)
This augment is found in active verb-forms of verbs of the first conjugation in the imperfect and the aorist, with a one syllable stem, in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person singular and in the 3rd person plural if the final syllable is «-αν», such as «έ-στειλ-αν» - they sent.
There are however a small number of (irregular) verbs with an one syllable stem in the aorist past, but no augment:
- I went out - βγήκα (aorist of the verb «βγαίνω» - to go out)
- I went out - έβγαινα (imperfect of the verb «βγαίνω»)
- I found - βρήκα (aorist of the verb «βρίσκω» - to find)
- I found - έβρισκα - I found (imperfect of the verb «βρίσκω»)
- I took - πήρα (aorist of the verb «παίρνω» - to take)
- I took - έπαιρνα - I took (imperfect of the verb «παίρνω»)
- I went - πήγα (aorist of the verb «πηγαίνω» - to go)
- I went - πήγαινα - I went (imperfect of the verb «πηγαίνω»)
- I went in - μπήκα (aorist of the verb «μπαίνω» - to enter)
- I went in - έμπαινα - I entered (imperfect of the verb «μπαίνω»)
The syllabic augment, without an accent, sometimes occurs in formal language and in cliché expressions from the katharevousa.
In the passive aorist verb-forms, such as:
- ε-λέχθη - it was said
- ε-στάλη - it was sent
In some other past verb-forms in formal language:
- ε-πρόκειτο - was going to
Vocalic augment
This augment changes the initial vowels «-ε», «-α» or «-αι» το «-η» in the past verb-forms, but does not normally occur when the initial vowel does not carry the stress:
- I hoped - ή-λπιζα (imperfect of the verb «ελπίζω»)
- I hoped - έ-λπιζα (the unaugmented form, also used)
With a few verbs which have the vocalic augment it's hardly ever obligatory e.g.:
- «ελέγχω» - to check, control (aorist - «ήλεγξα» - I checked)
- «αίρω» - to lift (aorist - «ήρα» - I lifted)
There are three other verbs with the vocalic augment in one of the past tenses, although this is not explicitly a vocalic augment.
- «θέλω» - to want (only the imperfect - «ήθελα» I wanted)
- «ξέρω» - to know (only the imperfect - «ήξερα» - I knew)
- «πίνω» - to drink (aorist - «ήπια» - I drank)
- «πίνω» - to drink (imperfect - «έπινα» - I drank)
A vocal augment is more used after a prefix than in initial position. A few examples are:
- «υπάρχω» - to exist (in the imperfect, «υπήρχα» - I existed, in the aorist «υπήρξα» - I existed)
- «παραγέλλω» - to order (only in the aorist, «παρήγελλα» - I ordered)
- «απεργώ» - to strike (only in the aorist, «απήργησα» - I stroke)
- «απαντώ» - to answer (only in the aorist, «απήντησα», formal for «απάντησα» - I answered)
- «εξάπτω» - to inflame (only in the aorist, «εξήψα» - I inflamed)
