Graeca

Extract

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.