The secondary middle endings introduced in Chapter 30 are also used by athematic verbs. In the middle, athematic verbs exclusively use the weak stem. Athematic imperfects again prefix the augment a- to their stem, yet athematic present potentials are marked by the addition of -ī- before the ending (compare thematic -e-). Note that both the athematic PRES POT and the IMPF IND use the 2nd and 3rd DU endings -āthām and -ātām; yet the Pot adds -y- before them (as well as before the 1st SG -i). This keeps the potential marker -ī- recognisable throughout the paradigm.
Compare the following active and middle paradigms of √यजु (VII) ‘to link’.
Note:
– In Class V verbs, stem-final -u- may drop in front of endings that begin with -v- or -m-, but only if no more than one consonant precedes: –› 1st DU IMPF MID वृण्वहि or वृणुवहि, but only आप्नुवहि. The suffix in Class IX verb stems appears as -nī- before consonants and -n- before vowels.
– The 3rd PL IMPF MID ending -ata looks like a 3rd SG; compare this to the 3rd PL PRES ACT of Class III verbs (-ati instead of -anti in 3rd PL forms elsewhere) and don't let it confuse you.
Seeing that the athematic potential marker is -ī – allows us to recognise that the thematic potential marker is the thematic vowel -a - + -ī - > -e -.
VOCABULARY
√स्ना (II स्नाति, IV स्नायति, -ते) ‘to bathe’
√शास् (II शास्ति; I शासति, -ते) ‘to order, instruct’
√कॢप् (I कल्पते) ‘to be suitable, ready’ (‘for’: + Loc or Dat)
आचार्य- (m.) ‘teacher’
शिष्य- (m.) ‘student’
कीर्ति- (f.) ‘fame, good reputation’
अकीर्ति- (f.) ‘shame, disgrace’
स्वजन- (m.) ‘one's own people’
श्रेष्ठ- (ADJ) ‘best; excellent’
शास्त्र- (n.) ‘teaching, (good) advice; (esp. religious) treatise’
शस्त्र- (n.) ‘weapon’
दूरम् (INDC) ‘far away; long ago’
EXERCISES
1) Conjugate √पू (IX) in the present potential middle.
2) Conjugate √छिद् (VII) in the imperfect indicative middle.
3) Identify the forms below. Example: शृणुवीय – 1st Sg Pres Pot Mid of √श्रु (V) ‘to listen’
१) तन्वीयाताम्
२) अछिन्द्वहि
३) छिन्दीय
४) वृणुवीथाः
५) युञ्जीवहि
६) अद्विषि
७) जुह्वीय
८) अजुह्वि
९) अतनुध्वम्
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