εἰμί

See also: εἶμι and εἰμι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *ehmi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi (“I am, I exist”).

Cognate with Old English eom (whence English am), Latin sum, Sanskrit अस्मि (ásmi), Old Armenian եմ (em), and so on. More at *h₁es- (“to be, exist”). Not to be confused with εἶμι (eîmi) (to go).

Pronunciation
 
  • Audio (Classical Attic): εἰμί, ἔσομαι, ἦν, εἶναι(file)

Verb

εἰμῐ́ • (eimí)

  1. to be, exist; (of persons) live
    1. (of events) to happen
    2. to be the case
      • a. 1452/1454, Plethon, “λϛʹ. Προσρήσεών τε καὶ ὕμνων χρήσεως διάταξις. [CHAPTER 36. Instruction for the use of addresses and hymns]”, in Νομων Συγγραφη. [Book of Laws]‎, translation of original by John Opsopaus, PhD:
        ...ἐάν δ’ ἱερέων μηδεὶς παρῇ, τὸν τῆς προσκυνήσεως κατάρξαντα ἰδιώτην, καὶ ταύτην ἐπιλέγειν τὴν εὐχήν, οὐκέτι μέντοι ἐπαίροντα τὼ χεῖρε· πρὸς δέ, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ ὑμῖν, ἡμῖν λέγοντα· καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς· ‘εἶεν· εἶεν· εἶεν’, ὑποκριναμένους, οὕτω ἀπολύεσθαι·
        ...eán d’ hieréōn mēdeìs parêi, tòn tês proskunḗseōs katárxanta idiṓtēn, kaì taútēn epilégein tḕn eukhḗn, oukéti méntoi epaíronta tṑ kheîre; pròs dé, kaì antì toû humîn, hēmîn légonta; kaì toùs loipoús; ‘eîen; eîen; eîen’, hupokrinaménous, hoútō apolúesthai;
        ...But if no priest is present, the individual who began the adoration also adds the prayer, but without raising [his] hands, in addition saying “us” instead of “you”; and the rest, answering “Be it so! Be it so! Be it so!”, are thus released.
  2. (copulative) to be [+nominative = something, someone]
  3. (third person, impersonal) it is possible [+infinitive = that ...]

Usage notes
  • Used as Aorist: ἐγενόμην (egenómēn) and as Present Perfect: γέγονα (gégona) from verb γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “come into being”)
  • Postclassical/Hellenistic Koine present imperative 2nd person singular: ἔσο (éso), and 3rd: ἤτω (ḗtō), Imperfect 1st person singular: ἤμην (ḗmēn)
  • Verbal adjective: συνεστέον (sunestéon)
  • All forms of the present active indicative except 2nd person singular (εἶ) are enclitic.

Inflection
   Present: εἰμῐ́
number singular dual plural
first second third second third first second third
active indicative εἰμῐ́ εἶ ἐστί/ἐστίν ἐστόν ἐστόν ἐσμέν ἐστέ εἰσί/εἰσίν
subjunctive ὦ ᾖς ᾖ ἦτον ἦτον ὦμεν ἦτε ὦσι/ὦσιν
optative εἴην εἴης εἴη εἴητον/εἶτον εἰήτην/εἴτην εἴημεν/εἶμεν εἴητε/εἶτε εἴησαν/εἶεν
imperative   ἴσθι ἔστω ἔστον ἔστων   ἔστε ἔστων/ἔστωσαν/ὄντων
active
infinitive εἶναι
participle m ὤν
f οὖσα
n ὄν
Notes:
This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
   Present: εἰμί (Epic)
number singular dual plural
first second third second third first second third
active indicative εἰμί ἐσσί/εἶς ἐστί/ἐστίν ἐστόν ἐστόν εἰμέν ἐστέ εἰσί(ν)/ἔᾱσι(ν)
subjunctive ἔω ᾖς ἔῃ/ἔῃσι(ν)/ᾖσι(ν)       ἦτε ἔωσι(ν)/ὦσι(ν)
optative εἴην εἴης/ἔοις εἴη/ἔοι εἴητον/εἶτον εἰήτην/εἴτην εἴημεν/εἶμεν εἴητε/εἶτε εἴησαν/εἶεν
imperative   ἔσσο ἔστω ἔστον ἔστων   ἔστε ἔστων
active
infinitive εἶναι/ἔμμεναι/ἔμεναι/ἔμμεν/ἔμεν
participle m ἐών/ὤν
f ἐοῦσα/οὖσα
n ἐόν/ὄν
Notes:
This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
   Imperfect: ἦ/ἦν
number singular dual plural
first second third second third first second third
active indicative ἦ/ἦν ἦσθα ἦν ἦστον ἤστην ἦμεν ἦτε ἦσαν
Notes:
This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
   Imperfect: ἦα/ἔᾱ/ἔον/ἔσκον (Epic)
number singular dual plural
first second third second third first second third
active indicative ἦα/ἔᾱ/ἔον/ἔσκον ἔησθα/ἦσθα ἦεν/ἔην/ἤην/ἦν/ἔσκε(ν) ἤστον ἤστην ἦμεν ἦτε ἦσαν/ἔσαν
Notes:
This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
   Future: ἔσομαι
number singular dual plural
first second third second third first second third
middle indicative ἔσομαι ἔσῃ,
ἔσει		 ἔσται/ἔσεται ἔσεσθον ἔσεσθον ἐσόμεθᾰ ἔσεσθε ἔσονται
optative ἐσοίμην ἔσοιο ἔσοιτο ἔσοισθον ἐσοίσθην ἐσοίμεθᾰ ἔσοισθε ἔσοιντο
middle
infinitive ἔσεσθαι
participle m ἐσόμενος
f ἐσομένη
n ἐσόμενον
Notes:
This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
   Future: ἔσσομαι (Epic)
number singular dual plural
first second third second third first second third
middle indicative ἔσσομαι ἔσσεαι ἔσσεται/ἐσσεῖται ἔσσεσθον ἔσσεσθον ἐσσόμε(σ)θᾰ ἔσσεσθε ἔσσονται
optative ἐσσοίμην ἔσσοιο ἔσσοιτο ἔσσοισθον ἐσσοίσθην ἐσσοίμε(σ)θᾰ ἔσσοισθε ἐσσοίᾰτο
middle
infinitive ἔσσεσθαι
participle m ἐσσόμενος
f ἐσσομένη
n ἐσσόμενον
Notes:
Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants
  • Byzantine Greek: εἶμαι (eîmai)
  • Mariupol Greek: и́ми (ími)

Further reading
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