Abstract

The Greek optative suffixes -iē-, -i- continue the Proto-Indo-European *-i̯éh₁-, *-ih₁- and, after contraction with the final vowel of the tense-stem, appear as -oi-, -ai-, -ei-, and -iē-. With án (or Hom. ké) the optative expresses potentiality, and it is also used in purpose clauses, causal clauses, object clauses after verbs of effort and fearing, and in conditionals. Without án the optative has a desiderative or an imperative meaning. A subordinate verb dependent on a past-tense verb may…