Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Perfect aspect

⭐ Core Definition: Ancient Greek verbs

Ancient Greek verbs have four moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive and optative), three voices (active, middle and passive), as well as three persons (first, second and third) and three numbers (singular, dual and plural).

In the indicative mood there are seven tenses: present, imperfect, future, aorist (the equivalent of past simple), perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect. (The last two, especially the future perfect, are rarely used).
In the subjunctive and imperative mood, however, there are only three tenses (present, aorist, and perfect).
The optative mood, infinitives and participles are found in four tenses (present, aorist, perfect, and future) and all three voices.

The distinction of the "tenses" in moods other than the indicative is predominantly one of aspect rather than time.

↓ Menu

HINT:

👉 Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Perfect aspect

The perfect tense or aspect (abbreviated PERF or PRF) is a verb form that indicates that an action or circumstance occurred earlier than the time under consideration, often focusing attention on the resulting state rather than on the occurrence itself. An example of a perfect construction is I have made dinner. Although this gives information about a prior action (the speaker's making of the dinner), the focus is likely to be on the present consequences of that action (the fact that the dinner is now ready). The word perfect in this sense means "completed" (from Latin perfectum, which is the perfect passive participle of the verb perficere "to complete").

In traditional Latin and Ancient Greek grammar, the perfect tense is a particular, conjugated-verb form. Modern analyses view the perfect constructions of these languages as combining elements of grammatical tense (such as time reference) and grammatical aspect. The Greek perfect tense is contrasted with the aorist and the imperfect tenses and specifically refers to completed events with present consequences; its meaning is thus similar to that of the English construction, "have/has (done something)". The Latin perfect tense is contrasted only with the imperfect tense (used for past incomplete actions or states) and is thus used to mean both "have/has done something" and "did something" (the preterite use). Other related forms are the pluperfect, denoting an event prior to a past time of reference, and the future perfect, for an event prior to a future time of reference.

↓ Explore More Topics

In this Dossier

⭐ Core Definition: Ancient Greek verbs
👉 Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Perfect aspect
Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Macrobius

Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Macrobius

Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. c. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was as widespread as Greek among the elite. He is primarily known for his writings, which include the widely copied and read Commentarii in Somnium Scipionis ("Commentary on the Dream of Scipio") about Somnium Scipionis, which was one of the most important sources for Neoplatonism in the Latin West during the Middle Ages; the Saturnalia, a compendium of ancient Roman religious and antiquarian lore; and De differentiis et societatibus graeci latinique verbi ("On the Differences and Similarities of the Greek and Latin Verb"), which is now lost. He is the basis for the protagonist Manlius in Iain Pears' book The Dream of Scipio.

View the full Wikipedia page for Macrobius

↑ Return to Menu

Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Perfect aspect

Ancient Greek verbs Study page number 1 of 1

Play TriviaQuestions Online!

Skip to study material about Ancient Greek verbs in the context of "Perfect aspect"

⭐ Core Definition: Ancient Greek verbs

👉 Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Perfect aspect

Ancient Greek verbs in the context of Macrobius