Abstract: An application of the method used by M. Meillet ( Mem. Soc. Ling . XIX. p. 181) to the variation οἲχομαι: οίχνέω indicates that this verb probably had non-thematic inflexion at one time. From these two forms we can abstract a stem οίχ- which may be added to M. Meillet's list of presents with o vocalization. The meaning of οἵχομαι(οἲχʵται ‘he has gone away’) has been arrived at by a series of changes which can still be observed. As Buttmann ( Sprachlehre II. p. 252) showed, οἲχομαι originally meant ‘to go’ without the notion ‘away’ (‘das eigentliche gehn , ohne den Begriff fort ’). In confirmation of this he points to ⋯ποίχομαι (he might have added προσοίχομαι Pind.) and II . E 495: κατ⋯ στρατὐν ᾤχετο πάντη 'Οτρύνων μαχέσαθαι A53: ⋯νν⋯μαρ μ⋯ν στρατ⋯ν ᾣχετο κ⋯λα θεοῖο. He seems right also in his assertion that the use of the present form οἲχεται in a perfect sense (‘he has gone’) is secondary and derived from οἲχεται ‘there he goes.’ The o grade of οἲχομαι has therefore nothing to do with the o grade of the Indo-Eur. perfect, but must be grouped with that of βόλομαι, ὂρομαι and the rest.
Publication Year: 1921
Publication Date: 1921-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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