Optative

 
General Introduction
Optative Forms  

 
 
The word optative comes from Latin: optare to wish for, desire; to choose, select.
    An option is something we can select, choose.
    An optional subject at school we can choose but don't have to.
So the optative is basically the "I-wish-for" mood (or mode, whichever you prefer to call it). Basically, but not exclusively.
For instance:
εἶθε τάχα ἔλθοι
Which will be rendered in English by:

  • May he come soon.
  • I hope he'll come soon.
  • I wish he'll come soon.
  • If only he comes soon.
Instead of εἶθε we can use εἲ γὰρ: εἲ γὰρ τάχα ἔλθοι
or just the optative form, plain and simple: τάχα ἔλθοι
 
All this wishing or hoping refers to the future, to a possibility, to potential fact.. Not to the impossible, the opposite of the actual fact. In that case the Greeks use the same construction as we do, i.e. verb in a past tense form. But we haven't learnt any past tense forms yet. Practically always preceded by εἶθε or εἲ γάρ:
  • I wish I had green eyes. (Unattainable wish because my eyes are brown.)
    εἲ γὰρ ἦσαν μοι ὀφθαλμοὶ χλωροί.
  • I wish I could read hieroglyphs. (I can't)
    εἶθε ἐδυνάμην τοὺς ἱερογλύφους ἀναγιγνώσκειν.
  • If only I had not said that. (Unfortunately I did say it)
    εἶθε μὴ εἶπον ταῦτα.
 
I said: optative refers to a possibility, to potential fact. And this is the second usage of the optative. Rendered in English with the help of: may/might, could or would/should:
Actual fact is expressed in Greek by the indicative (for indicating, i.e. pointing out what actually is.)
Potential fact is expressed, in Greek, by the optative accompanied by the particle ἄν
Examples:
He might come - ἔλθοι ἄν
You could think that. - νομίζοις ἄν.
I would say/speak - λέγοιμι ἄν.
 
  top