See also: εἰμι, εἰμί, and Έιμι

Ancient Greek

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Hellenic *éimi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti.

Cognates include Mycenaean Greek 𐀂𐀍𐀳 (i-jo-te), Latin (I go), Sanskrit एति (eti, goes), Hittite 𒄿𒄿𒀀𒀜𒋫 (i-ya-at-ta /⁠iyatta⁠/, goes), Old Persian 𐎠𐎡𐎫𐎡𐎹 (a-i-t-i-y /⁠aitiy⁠/, goes), Old Church Slavonic ити (iti), Old English ēode (went).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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εἶμῐ (eîmi)

  1. to be going to come, go

Usage notes

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Attic Greek: The present indicative (but not the other moods) has a future meaning: "I will go". The rest of the moods and tenses supply verb ἔρχομαι (érkhomai, to come) with Present subjunctive, optative, and with Imperfect. (Also, see ἦλθον (êlthon)). ᾖα etc. are old preterites and can therefore be used with either aorist or imperfective aspect.

Homer: This does not apply to Archaic Epos yet, as Homer uses a future tense: εἴσομαι (eísomai), εἴσῃ (eísēi), εἴσεται (eísetai), εἰσόμεθα (eisómetha), εἴεσθε (eíesthe), εἴσονται (eísontai). Homer knows an aorist as well (εἴσατο (eísato) etc.).

Inflection

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Derived terms

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Further reading

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