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Greek 202: Syntax.

Review Sheet 9.
Purpose Clauses (ina and Subjunctive / Optative).


PURPOSE CLAUSES
 
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."

Click here for Aorist Subjunctive Paradigm.

Click here for Present Subjunctive Paradigm.
 

Click here for Aorist Optative Paradigm.
Click here for Present Optative Paradigm.
 

Primary Verb with Subjunctive:

nizei ta wta ina akouhi.
"He washes his ears so that he may hear (in general)."

eleusontai ina tou SwkratouV akouswi.
"They will come so that they may hear Socrates (on a specific occasion)."
 

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."