Perfect Deponent Koine

[erik550c]

Hello, I have learned all tenses of biblical Koine Greek, but my text book kind of confused me recently regarding deponents. How can I tell if a Perfect is deponent (I realize it should be the same way across all tenses), because when I see the principal parts the Perfect middle/passive is always with a primary middle/passive personal ending and thus it always looks deponent to me? How should I translate deponent Perfects?

[bedwere]

I am not sure I understand your question, but here it is. If you have to look at the context first. If there is a ὕπο + genitive or a dative dependent from the perfect, than it is passive. Otherwise it's likely deponent.

[erik550c]

I am not sure I understand your question, but here it is. If you have to look at the context first. If there is a ὕπο + genitive or a dative dependent from the perfect, than it is passive. Otherwise it's likely deponent.

I'm still having trouble. I just need to know besides from context, when a perfect is deponent. I know the lexical form is deponent if it is listed as middle/passive, and that a deponent in the present may not be deponent in the future or aorist, etc... So how do I tell if a perfect is deponent? I hope this makes sense. This is a beginner question, and I admit I'm not yet through with a first year textbook.

Erik

[jeidsath]

You can look up the principal parts for your verb. Verbs that have a deponent present and an active aorist are generally defective (like ἁλίσκομαι, ἔρχομαι). πέρδομαι is the only exception to this that I can find, with perfect πέπορδα. A useful verb, you have to admit.

[erik550c]

You can look up the principal parts for your verb. Verbs that have a deponent present and an active aorist are generally defective (like ἁλίσκομαι, ἔρχομαι). πέρδομαι is the only exception to this that I can find, with perfect πέπορδα. A useful verb, you have to admit.

πέρδομαι!! Looks like "pardon me."