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Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek

  • Geoffrey C. Horrocks
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Perfects in Indo-European Languages and Beyond
This chapter is in the book Perfects in Indo-European Languages and Beyond

Abstract

The present-anterior/stative function of the ancient perfect placed it outside the core verbal system, which was organised around a binary (perfective/imperfective) aspectual opposition. By the early middle ages the increasingly marginal perfect had disappeared as a functionally discrete category, its role subsumed by the aorist (past perfective), and the notion of continuing relevance determined contextually. The rare pluperfect was also abandoned, though periphrastic replacements continued the overt, if optional, expression of relative-past meaning, a function later strengthened by contact with Romance. A perfect counterpart appeared only in modern times, however, functioning as a past perfective with a compulsory current-relevance reading, but remaining optional in that the aorist still carries present-anterior implications in appropriate contexts. Other periphrases were introduced in later antiquity specifically to express stativity. Most have continued in stative function into Modern Greek, though intense contact with Latin/Romance also encouraged present-anterior and relative-past functions locally at various times.

Abstract

The present-anterior/stative function of the ancient perfect placed it outside the core verbal system, which was organised around a binary (perfective/imperfective) aspectual opposition. By the early middle ages the increasingly marginal perfect had disappeared as a functionally discrete category, its role subsumed by the aorist (past perfective), and the notion of continuing relevance determined contextually. The rare pluperfect was also abandoned, though periphrastic replacements continued the overt, if optional, expression of relative-past meaning, a function later strengthened by contact with Romance. A perfect counterpart appeared only in modern times, however, functioning as a past perfective with a compulsory current-relevance reading, but remaining optional in that the aorist still carries present-anterior implications in appropriate contexts. Other periphrases were introduced in later antiquity specifically to express stativity. Most have continued in stative function into Modern Greek, though intense contact with Latin/Romance also encouraged present-anterior and relative-past functions locally at various times.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors’ foreword vii
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
  7. Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
  8. Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
  9. Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
  10. Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
  11. Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
  12. Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
  13. Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
  14. Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
  15. Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
  16. Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
  17. Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
  18. Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
  19. Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
  20. Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
  21. Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
  22. Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
  23. Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
  24. Language Index 669
  25. Subject Index 675
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.352.14hor

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors’ foreword vii
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
  7. Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
  8. Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
  9. Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
  10. Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
  11. Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
  12. Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
  13. Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
  14. Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
  15. Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
  16. Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
  17. Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
  18. Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
  19. Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
  20. Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
  21. Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
  22. Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
  23. Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
  24. Language Index 669
  25. Subject Index 675
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