Optative

Optative Mood

  • The optative mood in Greek language is used to express a wish or possibility.
  • It can also be used to convey potentiality, uncertainty, or a hypothetical scenario.
  • This mood is not common in everyday Greek usage. However, it’s largely used in literature, specifically in formal and classical texts.
  • The optative mood often appears in conditional sentences and after certain verbs that express fear, hope, or expectation.

Formation

  • The optative mood is typically formed by adding certain suffixes to the stem of a verb.
  • The suffix varies depending upon the tense. For example, in the present tense, the suffix is -οι- (for active voice) or -είη- (for middle and passive voice).
  • There are different personal endings for the optative mood. The present active endings are: -μι, -ς, -, -μεν, -τε, -εν.

Usage

  • One frequent use of the optative mood is in wishes or desires. The word “ὄφελον” is often used in these instances and it translates into English as “would that” or “if only”.
  • Keep in mind, when used independently (not in a conditional sentence), the present optative tends to express a potential action in the future, while the aorist optative refers to a single, undefined instance.

Important Points

  • Remember that context is key in understanding the optative mood. The same form can sometimes express either a wish or a potential action, depending on the overall context of the sentence.
  • Also, the optative is often used in indirect statements or indirect questions, after verbs of saying, thinking, and perceiving.
  • In some instances, optative can be used to give advice or commands, typically preceded by “ἄν” to express probability.

Translating

  • Translating the optative mood requires careful attention. There is not always a direct English equivalent.
  • Sometimes, simple changes like the addition of “should” or “would” before the verb can convey the optative sense.

  • For conditional sentences, pay attention to the condition (‘if’) and the consequence (‘then’). The options are:

    -Optative in condition, future tense in consequence (Future Less Vivid condition): ‘if this were to happen (but I doubt it), then that would happen’.

    • Optative in both (Present Contrary to Fact condition): ‘if this were happening (but it’s not), then that would be happening’.