Second Aoristchanged stem · secondary endings · same aspect

The "second" in "second aorist" does NOT mean a second/different tense. The second aorist is the SAME aorist tense as the first aorist — both carry PAST TIME + PERFECTIVE ASPECT (a snapshot view of the action). The two pathways differ only in morphology: how the form is BUILT, not what it MEANS.

• First aorist (Lesson 15) — augment + present stem + -σα- + α-set endings (-α, -ας, -ε(ν), -αμεν, -ατε, -αν). Example: λύω → ἔλυσα.
• Second aorist (this lesson) — augment + CHANGED stem + connecting vowel + SECONDARY endings (-ον, -ες, -ε(ν), -ομεν, -ετε, -ον — same as the imperfect). NO -σα formative. Example: λαμβάνω → ἔλαβον.

About 30 high-frequency NT verbs use the second-aorist pathway. They are the ones the lesson page focuses on.

The defining feature of a second-aorist verb is that its AORIST STEM differs from its PRESENT STEM. The present stem of λαμβάνω is λαμβαν-; the aorist stem is λαβ- (bare root, no infixed -μ-, no -αν- suffix). The aorist 1 sg is therefore:

ἔλαβον = augment ἐ- + aorist stem λαβ- + connecting vowel ο + secondary ending -ν.

No -σα- formative — that's the whole point. The stem-change does the work the -σα would do.

The second aorist's endings are literally identical to the imperfect's secondary endings:

• Active: -ον, -ες, -ε(ν), -ομεν, -ετε, -ον.
• Middle: -ομην, -ου, -ετο, -ομεθα, -εσθε, -οντο.

So a second-aorist form LOOKS just like an imperfect — except for the STEM. ἔλαβον (aorist, stem λαβ-) and ἐλάμβανον (imperfect, stem λαμβαν-) share the same -ον ending. The STEM is the discriminator. This is the central parsing trap of the second aorist; we'll drill it in Part 6.

A verb is either first-aorist (PP 3 ends in -σα) or second-aorist (PP 3 has a changed stem and -ον). You do not get to choose. The third principal part (PP 3, aor act ind 1 sg) in the lexicon entry tells you which pathway the verb uses. There are no "doubles" — the verb is one or the other:

• First-aorist verbs: λύω (PP 3 = ἔλυσα); ἀκούω (ἤκουσα); πιστεύω (ἐπίστευσα); κηρύσσω (ἐκήρυξα); ἀγαπάω (ἠγάπησα).
• Second-aorist verbs: λαμβάνω (PP 3 = ἔλαβον); λέγω (εἶπον); ἔρχομαι (ἦλθον); βάλλω (ἔβαλον); ὁράω (εἶδον); γίνομαι (ἐγενόμην); εὑρίσκω (εὗρον); ἐσθίω (ἔφαγον).

Memorize PP 3 once when you learn the verb. From then on you know which pathway to use.

Some second aorists must be MEMORIZED as separate vocabulary items because the present and the aorist come from different etymological roots. This is called suppletion. The three most important:

• λέγω → εἶπον "I say / I said." Aorist root ϝεπ- (lost initial digamma ϝ; what's left becomes εἰ-).
• ἔρχομαι → ἦλθον "I come / I came." Aorist root ἐλθ-; deponent present, but ACTIVE-form aorist.
• ὁράω → εἶδον "I see / I saw." Aorist root ϝιδ-; cognate with Latin video. The English derivatives "idea" and "video" trace back to this root.

Plus a fourth common one: ἐσθίω → ἔφαγον "I eat / I ate." Aorist root φαγ-, etymologically unrelated. Memorize these four as separate vocab items; do not try to derive them.

The augment is syllabic ἐ- (λαβ- starts with a consonant). The aorist stem is λαβ- (NOT λαμβαν-, which is the present stem). Connecting vowel rule: ο before μ/ν, ε elsewhere.

★ SPECIAL — the 1 sg / 3 pl ambiguity. Both 1 sg and 3 pl end in -ον. ἔλαβον = "I took" OR "they took." Context decides — exactly the same -ον/-ον trap you saw in the imperfect.

γίνομαι "I become / it happens" is deponent — middle/passive in form, active in meaning. Its second-aorist middle paradigm is the canonical example for the middle voice. ★ Note the 2 sg σ-drop (same mechanism as in the imperfect M/P).

The hallmark of each pathway. The FIRST has -σα- (visible as -σ- before the ending; -σα explicit in 1 sg ἔλυσα and 3 pl ἔλυσαν) and uses the α-set endings (-α, -ας, -ε(ν), -αμεν, -ατε, -αν). The SECOND has the changed stem (λαβ- vs the present λαμβαν-) and uses the ο/ε-set (secondary) endings (-ον, -ες, -ε(ν), -ομεν, -ετε, -ον — identical to the imperfect).

The 3 sg lookalike trap. Both ἔλυσε(ν) and ἔλαβε(ν) end in -ε(ν). The discriminator is what precedes: -σ- with the first (ἔλυ-σ-ε), no -σ- with the second (ἔλαβ-ε), plus the changed stem.

The endings are IDENTICAL row by row. The STEM is the only discriminator:

• If the stem MATCHES the present stem (λαμβαν-) → imperfect ("I was taking").
• If the stem DIFFERS from the present stem (λαβ-) → second aorist ("I took").

This rule is exceptionless. Always check the stem against the lexicon's PP 1 (present 1 sg) before parsing any past-tense form. The same logic applies for every second-aorist verb: ἐρχόμην (impf, stem ἐρχ-) vs ἦλθον (aor, stem ἐλθ-); ἑώρων (impf, stem ὁρα-) vs εἶδον (aor, stem ϝιδ-/εἰδ-).

1. Step 1 — Spot the augment. Is there ε-, a lengthened initial vowel, or a compound augment? If yes, the form is past-tense indicative (impf, aor, or plpf).
2. Step 2 — IDENTIFY THE STEM (the critical step). Peel off the augment mentally. What stem is left? Compare it to the verb's PRESENT stem from the lexicon (PP 1). If they MATCH → imperfect. If they DIFFER → second aorist (or another past tense with a different stem).
3. Step 3 — Check for -σα-. If you see -σα- before the ending → first aorist. If no -σα-, no -κα-, no -θη- → second aorist (or imperfect, depending on Step 2).
4. Step 4 — Read the ending. Second aorist uses secondary endings (active or middle set; same as imperfect). Match accordingly.
5. Step 5 — State the parse in T-V-M-P-N + lexical form, then translate (default English: simple past — "he took").

Up to now in the verb course you have:

• Lessons 10–13 — the present-tense system (active, contract, mid/pass) and εἰμί.
• Lesson 14 — the imperfect: past, ongoing aspect. Augment + secondary endings.
• Lesson 15 — the first (sigmatic) aorist: past, snapshot aspect. Augment + tense formative σα + secondary endings.

This lesson adds the second aorist. It means exactly the same thing as the first aorist — same time (past), same aspect (snapshot). The only difference is how it's built. Where first-aorist verbs add σα to the present stem, second-aorist verbs use a different stem for the aorist than they use for the present, and add no σα. Compare: λέγω "I say" → εἶπον "I said." Different stem, no σα, but still aorist.

So when you see a verb with an augment but no σα, ask: is the stem the same as the present? If yes, it's an imperfect. If no, it's a second aorist. About 30 high-frequency NT verbs use the second aorist; you'll memorize them as you encounter them.

Greek verbs come in two aorist "flavors":

First aorist (σ-aorist or sigmatic aorist) — formed with σα: λύω → ἔλυσα, πιστεύω → ἐπίστευσα. About 70% of NT verbs.

Second aorist (root aorist or 2-aorist) — formed by changing the verb stem: λέγω → εἶπον, λαμβάνω → ἔλαβον. About 30 high-frequency verbs.

The two are just different ways of forming the past tense. They mean the same thing. A verb uses one or the other, not both.

Compare λαμβάνω ("I take") in present, imperfect, and second aorist: