L'evoluzione semantico-funzionale dell'elemento -th- nella morfologia verbale del greco

This work deals with the verbal system of Ancient Greek, focusing on the multifunctional suffix -th-, and in particular on the hypothesis that a connection between the present forms in -tho and the passive aorist in -the- exists. The exposition will proceed as follows: after discussing the distribution of the suffix -the- in Homeric language, and its role within pairs of apparently synonymous verbs, the idea that these couples manifest the causative/inchoative opposition will be proposed and commented toghether with a detailed analysis of the contexts in which the different verb forms occur. Subsequently some previous typological studies on causative/inchoative alternations will be illustrated, and a semantic map for the grammatical meanings and functions of the inchoative will be shown to apply also to Homeric data. On the basis of these preliminary conclusions, the relationship between the presents in -tho and the middle voice will be analysed. Eventually the development and the functions of the aorist in -the-, and the principal factors which motivate its contrast with the other middle aorist forms will be discussed.