| 1. |
The word for "so that" is ina,
ofra
or
opwV.
The negative is mh. |
| 2. A. |
If the introductory verb is in a Primary
Tense (Present, Future, Perfect)
you use the subjunctive
mood.
Eleusomeqa ina ton Swkrath idwmen.
We shall go so that we may see Socrates. |
| 2. B. |
If the introductory verb is in a Secondary
Tense (Imperfect, Aorist, Pluperfect)
you use the optative
mood.
Hlqomen ina ton Swkrath idoimen.
We went so that we might see Socrates. |
| 3.
|
Sometimes the Greeks ignore rule 2.B. and use
the subjunctive mood instead.
This is called the graphic
construction.
Hlqomen ina ton Swkrath idwmen.
We went so that we might see Socrates.
At the time we went, we were thinking "We are
doing this so that we MAY see Socrates" (Subjunctive). We had a Subjunctive
in our minds, and the graphic construction
graphically records that original Subjunctive.
|
| 4. |
The tense of the Subjuntive or Optative
has nothing to do with time
(do NOT use the Future Optative):
the Aorist will refer to a specific action;
the Present will refer to action in general;
the Perfect is usually used with verbs that have
a special meaning in the Perfect Tense, e.g. esthka
= "I am standing."
Edosan kaqedran hmin ina mh esthkoimen.
"They gave us a chair so that we wouldn't be
standing." |
Historic Verb
with Optative:
Hrgazen ina crhmata lambanoi.
"He worked so that he might get money (in general)."
hlqen ina crhmata laboi.
"He came so that he might get the money (on a
specific occasion)."
Graphic Construction:
Subjunctive
(iw) with Historic
Tense (ekallwpisamhn).
ekallwpisamhn in a para kalon iw.
(174 a 5-6)
"I made myself beautiful so that I could walk
alongside a beautiful man."