ἦλθον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

This aorist's stem is a syncope ἐλθ- (elth-) of weak stem ἐλυθ- (eluth-) of unused verb *ἐλεύθω (*eleúthō, “Ι come”) as in Epic ἐλῠθεῖν (elutheîn), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ludʰét (“to arrive”). Discussion of stems at ἔρχομαι Notes.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̂ːl.tʰon/ → /ˈil.θon/ → /ˈil.θon/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɛ̂ːl.tʰon/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈe̝l.tʰon/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈil.θon/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈil.θon/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈil.θon/

Verb

ἦλθον • (êlthon)

1. first-person singular/third-person plural aorist indicative active of ἔρχομαι (érkhomai):
   1. came
   2. went

Usage notes

Discussion of stems at ἔρχομαι Notes, also from εἶμι (eîmi) which supplies non-indicative present and future and imperfect indicative forms.

Inflected forms are listed at ἔρχομαι (érkhomai).

Inflection

   Aorist: ἦλθον

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἦλθον	ἦλθες	ἦλθε(ν)	ἤλθετον	ἠλθέτην	ἤλθομεν	ἤλθετε	ἦλθον
	subjunctive	ἔλθω	ἔλθῃς	ἔλθῃ	ἔλθητον	ἔλθητον	ἔλθωμεν	ἔλθητε	ἔλθωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἔλθοιμῐ	ἔλθοις	ἔλθοι	ἔλθοιτον	ἐλθοίτην	ἔλθοιμεν	ἔλθοιτε	ἔλθοιεν
	imperative		ἐλθέ	ἐλθέτω	ἔλθετον	ἐλθέτων		ἔλθετε	ἐλθόντων
		active
infinitive		ἐλθεῖν
participle	m	ἐλθών
	f	ἐλθοῦσᾰ
	n	ἐλθόν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation. Epic Greek also has the infinitive forms ἐλθέμεν (elthémen) and ἐλθέμεναι (elthémenai). In Koine, plural indicative forms of the first aorist are also found: ἤλθαμεν (ḗlthamen), ἤλθατε (ḗlthate), ἦλθαν (êlthan)/ἤλθοσαν (ḗlthosan).

   Aorist: ἤλῠθον (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἤλῠθον	ἤλῠθες	ἤλῠθε(ν)	ἠλῠ́θετον	ἠλῠθέτην	ἠλῠ́θομεν	ἠλῠ́θετε	ἤλῠθον
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.

   Aorist: ἦνθον (Doric)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἦνθον	ἦνθες	ἦνθε(ν)	ἤνθετον	ἠνθέτᾱν	ἤνθομες	ἤνθετε	ἦνθον
	subjunctive	ἔνθω	ἔνθῃς	ἔνθῃ	ἔνθητον	ἔνθητον	ἔνθωμες	ἔνθητε	ἐνθέωντῐ
	optative	ἔνθοιμῐ	ἔνθοις	ἔνθοι	ἐνθεῖτον	ἐνθείτᾱν	ἐνθεῖμες	ἐνθεῖτε	ἐνθεῖεν
	imperative		ἐνθέ	ἐνθέτω	ἔνθετον	ἐνθέτων		ἔνθετε	ἐνθόντω
		active
infinitive		ἐνθῆμεν
participle	m	ἐνθών
	f	ἐνθοῦσᾰ
	n	ἐνθόν
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.

Further reading

• “ἔρχομαι”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, 2011
• “ἔρχομαι”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ἦλθον in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 326