Pure verbs, orvocalic verbs, are thoseverbs of theGreek language that have theirword stem ending in avowel (monophthong ordiphthong).

The Greek pure verbs can be assigned to severalderivational types in the precedingProto-Indo-European language:

Most of the verbs in -αω are derived fromnominal ā-stems by forming thepresent tense with thesuffix -i̯e-/-i̯o-: νικάω < *νῑκᾱ-i̯o- 'to win, prevail', from νίκα 'victory'; τιμάω < *τῑμᾱ-i̯o- 'to honor, revere', from τιμά 'honor'. A few verbs of this class underived verbs, e.g. δράω 'to do', σπάω 'to draw, pull'.

Verbs in -εω are derived from a range of nominal stems: φιλέω < *φιλε-i̯o- 'to love', from φίλος 'dear, beloved'; τελέω < *τελεσ-i̯o- 'to finish', from τέλος 'target, destination'; φωνέω < *φωνε-i̯o- 'to make a sound', from φονή 'sound'; μαρτυρέω < *μαρτυρε-i̯o- 'to testify', from μάρτυς 'witness'. Examples for underived verbs in this class are: ῥέω < *ῥεϝω 'to flow', ζέω < *ζεσω 'to boil'.

The verbs in -οω are mainlyfactitives derived from nominal o-stems: δηλόω 'to clarify, reveal', from δῆλος 'clear, obvious', δουλόω 'to enslave, conquer', from δοῦλος 'servant, slave'.

The verbs in -ιω are derived from nominal i-stems: μηνίω 'to be angry', from μῆνις 'anger, wrath'.

Among the verbs in -υω, there are underived ones, e.g. φύω 'to produce, issue', as well as somedenominal verbs derived from u-stems, e.g. μεθύω 'to be drunk', from μέθυ 'wine'.

The verbs in -ευω are derived from nominal consonant stems: παιδεύω 'to educate', from παῖς 'child', δουλεύω 'to serve, to be a slave', from δοῦλος 'servant, slave'.

The verbs in -αιω are derived with the -i̯e-/-i̯o-suffix fromroots ending in u̯: καίω < *καϝ-i̯o- 'to burn'; κλαίω < *κλαϝ-i̯o- 'to weep, wail'.

The following tables show the conjugated forms of the pure verb λῡ́ειν 'to solve; to free; to destroy' in classicalAttic Greek.

In the present and imperfect tenses, the sounds represented by α and ο, inAttic Greek also ε, are usually merged with the followingthematic vowel: τιμάω > τιμῶ 'I revere', καλέω > καλῶ 'I call'. In theAeolic andArcadocypriotdialects these verbs join theathematic class: κάλημμι ‘I call’.

Some verbs in Attic Greek, among them all Verbs in -ίζω, have contracted future tense forms, that look the same as the present forms of verbs in -εω:

• Carl Darling Buck,Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Chicago/London 1933, p.262 ff.
• Carl Darling Buck,The Greek Dialects, Chicago 1955, p. 122 ff.
• Jean Louis Burnouf,Méthode pour étudier la langue grecque, Paris 1835,p. 62 ff.
• Raphael Kühner/Friedrich Blass,Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache. Erster Teil: Elementar- und Formenlehre II, 3rd revised edition, Hannover 1892, pp.98 ff.,122 ff.,198 ff.

• Indo-European verbs
• Greek grammar
• Ancient Greek

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata