Middle Voice
Who |
|
wants to |
do what? |
|
|
stem |
ending |
|
I |
|
βούλ |
ομαι |
καθεύδειν |
do you? |
ἆρα |
βούλ |
ει |
δειπνεῖν; (dine) |
he/she/it |
|
βούλ |
εται |
ὁρᾶν τὴν ἑορτήν |
we |
|
βουλ |
όμεθα |
ἡσυχάζειν (rest) |
do you? |
ἆρα |
βούλ |
εσθε |
διώκειν λύκους; |
they |
|
βούλ |
ονται |
ἀκούειν τὸν μῦθον |
All right, so "you want to ..." should really be βούλεσαι .
The σ was dropped, so then we had βουλε-αι.
But ε + α normally contract to η, so ε + αι will contract to ῃ
And ε + αι becoming ει is just a alternative formation,
or maybe just an alternative spelling because
η and ει were once pronounced the same.
But that doesn't apply to , there is apparently no βούλῃ verb-form
Better use 'you receive or accept' instead (of δέχομαι)
δέχει or
δέχῃ |
Your turn now to practice these forms, use the right half of your brain (pictures, sounds, smells, feelings). As far as "wishing, wanting" is concerned, that shouldn't be too difficult. A Greek-English mixture is fine, if it allows you to become really familiar with these middle voice forms: Maybe you βούλει strangle the teacher? Well, go right ahead - in your mind only, please - if that's what you really βούλει. You should come up with far better thoughts than that though.
Think you've had your fill of wishing but need some more practice. What about experimenting with the following:
We may need the infinitive forms as well:
stem |
ending |
meaning |
βούλ |
ομαι |
I want to |
βούλ |
εσθε |
you all want to |
βούλ |
εσθαι |
to want to INFINITIVE |
γίγνεσθαι |
to become old, frustrated, relieved, rich.... |
δέχεσθαι |
to accept, receive presents, guests, a laurel wreath |
ἔρχεσθαι |
to come, to go all sorts of people come or go |
ἀπέρχεσθαι |
to go away trains, planes, friends, we ourselves... |
πείθεσθαι |
to obey children, wives, husbands, not always ( αἰεί ) |
ἐγείρεσθαι |
to wake up difficult, not possible, don't want to.... |
λούεσθαι |
to get washed, to wash for one's own benefit |
|