Castilla y León PAU Greek II key terms

Verbal tense expressing a completed action without reference to its duration; in narrative prose it usually corresponds to the Spanish pretérito perfecto simple. Its endings differ between sigmatic and thematic types and it must be recognised to translate correctly.

Prefix ε- added to past-tense forms of verbs beginning with a consonant, marking past time. Verbs already beginning with a vowel take the augment by lengthening that vowel instead, which often obscures the base form.

Verbal voice between active and passive, typical of Greek, whose endings often indicate the subject acts for its own interest or with personal involvement. Many common verbs use middle endings with an active meaning.

Verbal voice in which the subject undergoes the action. Greek forms it with middle endings in the present and imperfect, and with the aorist or future passive stems marked by -θη- or -η-.

Verb that has only middle or passive endings but is translated actively, such as γίγνομαι, ἀφικνέομαι or βούλομαι. Its dictionary form ends in -μαι, so the article must be memorised as active in meaning.

Verb whose stem ends in -α-, -ε- or -ο-, which contracts with the personal endings, producing long vowels and circumflex accents in the present and imperfect, for example τιμάω giving τιμῶ.

Participle used like an adjective, normally placed between the article and the noun it modifies, and translated as a relative clause or qualifying adjective. It is distinguished from the predicative participle by the presence of the article.

Participle without article that completes the meaning of a verb of perception, knowledge or saying, expressing an action simultaneous with the main verb. It is translated with a finite subordinate clause introduced by 'que'.

Construction formed by a noun or pronoun in the genitive plus a participle in the genitive, syntactically independent of the main clause. It is usually rendered into Spanish by a temporal, causal or concessive subordinate clause.

Rare construction in which a noun and participle in the accusative stand apart from the main clause. It appears occasionally in classical prose and must be recognised as a subordinate circumstantial clause.

Subordinate clause whose verb is an infinitive, usually with its subject in the accusative, used after verbs of saying, thinking, believing or ordering. In Spanish it becomes a clause introduced by 'que'.

Construction in which the subject of a subordinate infinitive is promoted to subject of the main passive verb, so the main verb agrees with it, as in λέγεται εἶναι. It translates with 'se dice que'.

Genitive expressing the whole of which a part is taken, common after words of quantity, comparison or superlatives. It is translated into Spanish with 'de' or 'entre'.

Dative used with the verb εἰμί to indicate the person who possesses something, while the thing possessed stands as subject. It translates naturally with the verb 'tener'.

Complement of a passive verb indicating who performs the action. It is expressed with ὑπό plus genitive for persons and with the bare dative for things or means.

Case of the direct object and of the subject of an infinitive clause, and after most prepositions of motion. Its endings vary by declension and must be identified from the article and noun together.

Case expressing possession, origin, separation and the complement of certain verbs and adjectives. It also forms the absolute construction and follows prepositions such as ἀπό, ἐκ and ὑπό.

Case of the indirect object, of means and instrument, and of the complement of compound verbs. It also expresses possession with εἰμί and accompanies prepositions such as ἐν and σύν.

Dictionary entry form of a word: nominative singular for nouns and adjectives, first person singular present for verbs. Locating the lemma is the first step in identifying a form in morphological analysis.

Part of the verb to which endings and prefixes are added, obtained by removing the ending from the first person singular present. It may change between tenses, so recognising the tense stem is essential for analysis.

Set of endings that marks case and number in nouns, adjectives and pronouns. Greek has three declensions, distinguished by the stem vowel and by their genitive singular ending.

Adjective formed with the suffix -τέος expressing obligation or necessity, as in ποιητέος 'that must be done'. It is passive in meaning and translated with 'hay que' or 'debe ser'.

Greek noun meaning excellence, virtue or merit, especially the civic and military excellence of a citizen. It is a central value term in historiography and in moralising prose, and its translation depends on context.

City-state, the basic political community of the Greek world, comprising an urban centre and its surrounding territory. The term also means 'citizenship' and is fundamental for understanding civic institutions in the prescribed texts.

Government by the people, the political system of classical Athens in which citizens voted in the assembly and held offices by lot. Prose authors often evaluate it favourably or critically, so the context matters.

Speaker or orator in a public assembly or law court, and by extension a professional speech-writer. The term is frequent in historiography and in the biographies of Athenian politicians.

Polysemous noun meaning word, speech, account, reason or argument, and also the written prose composition. Its meaning in a passage must be decided from the surrounding syntax and context.

Inquiry or investigation, and hence the written account of past events, the genre practised by Herodotus and Thucydides. The word originally stressed research and eyewitness enquiry rather than mere narration.

Athenian historian of the fifth century BC, author of the History of the Peloponnesian War. His work is known for its speeches, its analytical treatment of power and its austere prose style, often prescribed for translation.

Historian from Halicarnassus, called the father of history, author of the Histories on the Persian Wars and the peoples around the Mediterranean. His Ionic prose and digressions are characteristic of the prescribed readings.

Traditional tale or story, especially about gods and heroes, transmitted orally and used by poets and prose writers. It contrasts with λόγος as reasoned account, a distinction often exploited in classical texts.

Hero, a figure of legend descended from gods or distinguished by extraordinary deeds, often receiving cult after death. Heroic genealogy and cult are frequent subjects in the prescribed mythological passages.

Character, habitual disposition or moral custom, a key concept in ethical and rhetorical prose. In speeches it designates the speaker's projected character as a means of persuasion.

Study of the origin of words and the historical relationship between them. In this exam it is applied by linking a Greek lemma to Spanish cultisms and patrimonial words derived from it.

Word borrowed into Spanish directly from Latin or Greek in a learned, largely unaltered form, such as 'filosofía' or 'democracia'. It contrasts with patrimonial words that underwent regular phonetic change.

Word of Greek origin incorporated into Spanish, either through Latin or directly in modern times, such as 'problema' or 'teléfono'. Recognising Greek roots helps deduce the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.

Prefix of adverbial origin added to a verb, such as ἀπό, κατά or σύν, which modifies its meaning, often making it perfective or changing its government of cases. It is written joined to the verb in Greek.