MOVABLE CONSONANTS

134

Movable N may be added at the end of a word when the next word begins with a vowel. Movable ν may be annexed to words ending in -σι; to the third person singular in -ε; and to ἐστί is.

Thus, πᾶσιν ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνα he said that to everybody (but πᾶσι λέγουσι ταῦτα), λέγουσιν ἐμοί they speak to me (but λέγουσί μοι), ἔστιν ἄλλος there is another (187 b), ᾿ Αθήνησιν ἦσαν they were at Athens.

a. Except ἐστί, words that add ν do not elide their final vowel (73).

b. Verbs in -εω never (in Attic) add -ν to the 3 sing. of the contracted form: εὖ ἐποίει αὐτόν he treated him well. But ἤει went and pluperfects (as ᾔδει knew) may add ν.

N.—Movable ν is called ν ἐφελκυστικόν (dragging after).

134 D

Hom. has ἐγώ (ν) I, ἄμμι (ν) to us, ὔμμι (ν) to you, σφί (ν) to them. The suffixes -φι and -θε vary with -φιν and -θεν: θεόφι(ν), πρόσθε(ν). Also κέ(ν) = Attic ἄν, νύ (ν) now. The Mss. of Hdt. avoid movable ν, but it occurs in Ionic inscriptions. Hdt. often has -θε for -θεν (πρόσθε before, ὄπισθε behind).

135

Movable ν is usually written at the end of clauses, and at the end of a verse in poetry. To make a syllable long by position (144) the poets add ν before words beginning with a consonant. Prose inscriptions frequently use ν before a consonant.

136

Movable Σ appears in οὕτως thus, ἐξ out of, before vowels, οὕτω, εκ́ before consonants. Thus, οὕτως ἐποίει he acted thus but οὕτω ποιεῖ he acts thus; ἐξ ἀγορᾶς but ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς out of the market-place.

a. εὐθύς means straightway, εὐθύ straight towards.

136 D

Several adverbs often omit ς without much regard to the following word: ἀμφί about, ἀμφίς (poet.), μέχρι, ἄχρι until (rarely μέχρις, ἄχρις), ἀτρέμας and ἀτρέμα quietly, πολλάκις often (πολλάκι Hom., Hdt.).

137

οὐκ not is used before the smooth breathing, οὐχ (cp. 124) before the rough breathing: οὐκ ὀλίγοι, οὐχ ἡδύς. Before all consonants οὐ is written: οὐ πολλοί, οὐ ῥᾴδιος. Standing alone or at the end of its clause οὐ is written οὔ (rarely οὔκ), as πῶς γὰρ οὔ; for how not? Cp. 180 a.

a. A longer form is οὐχί (Ion. οὐκί) used before vowels and consonants.

b. μηκέτι no longer derives its κ from the analogy of οὐκέτι no longer.