ἔρομαι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• εἴρομαι (eíromai) — Ionic, Epic

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *erwomai, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rou-neh₂-, which is probably related to Icelandic raun (“trial, test”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /é.ro.mai̯/ → /ˈe.ro.mɛ/ → /ˈe.ro.me/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /é.ro.mai̯/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ro.mɛ/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ro.mɛ/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ro.me/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ro.me/

Verb

ἔρομαι • (éromai)

1. to ask
   • 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 192d:

     καὶ εἰ αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κατακειμένοις ἐπιστὰς ὁ Ἥφαιστος, ἔχων τὰ ὄργανα, ἔροιτο: ‘τί ἔσθ᾽ ὃ βούλεσθε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, ὑμῖν παρ᾽ ἀλλήλων γενέσθαι

     kaì ei autoîs en tôi autôi katakeiménois epistàs ho Hḗphaistos, ékhōn tà órgana, éroito: ‘tí ésth᾽ hò boúlesthe, ô ánthrōpoi, humîn par᾽ allḗlōn genésthai

     suppose that, as they [the lovers] lay together, Hephaestus should descend and stand over them, and showing his tools should ask: ‘What is it, mortals, that you would have of one another?

Usage notes

The present indicative of this verb is almost never used in Attic, being replaced by ἐρωτάω (erōtáō). Ionic and Epic use the alternative form εἴρομαι (eíromai) and the related verb ἐρέω (eréō).

Conjugation

   Present: ἔρομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	ἔρομαι	ἔρῃ, ἔρει	ἔρεται	ἔρεσθον	ἔρεσθον	ἐρόμεθᾰ	ἔρεσθε	ἔρονται
	subjunctive	ἔρωμαι	ἔρῃ	ἔρηται	ἔρησθον	ἔρησθον	ἐρώμεθᾰ	ἔρησθε	ἔρωνται
	optative	ἐροίμην	ἔροιο	ἔροιτο	ἔροισθον	ἐροίσθην	ἐροίμεθᾰ	ἔροισθε	ἔροιντο
	imperative		ἔρου	ἐρέσθω	ἔρεσθον	ἐρέσθων		ἔρεσθε	ἐρέσθων
						middle/passive
infinitive						ἔρεσθαι
participle	m					ἐρόμενος
	f					ἐρομένη
	n					ἐρόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: εἰρόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	εἰρόμην	εἴρου	εἴρετο	εἴρεσθον	εἰρέσθην	εἰρόμεθᾰ	εἴρεσθε	εἴροντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Future: ἐρήσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἐρήσομαι	ἐρήσῃ, ἐρήσει	ἐρήσεται	ἐρήσεσθον	ἐρήσεσθον	ἐρησόμεθᾰ	ἐρήσεσθε	ἐρήσονται
	optative	ἐρησοίμην	ἐρήσοιο	ἐρήσοιτο	ἐρήσοισθον	ἐρησοίσθην	ἐρησοίμεθᾰ	ἐρήσοισθε	ἐρήσοιντο
					middle
infinitive					ἐρήσεσθαι
participle	m				ἐρησόμενος
	f				ἐρησομένη
	n				ἐρησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Aorist: ἠρόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἠρόμην	ἤρου	ἤρετο	ἤρεσθον	ἠρέσθην	ἠρόμεθᾰ	ἤρεσθε	ἤροντο
	subjunctive	ἔρωμαι	ἔρῃ	ἔρηται	ἔρησθον	ἔρησθον	ἐρώμεθᾰ	ἔρησθε	ἔρωνται
	optative	ἐροίμην	ἔροιο	ἔροιτο	ἔροισθον	ἐροίσθην	ἐροίμεθᾰ	ἔροισθε	ἔροιντο
	imperative		ἐροῦ	ἐρέσθω	ἔρεσθον	ἐρέσθων		ἔρεσθε	ἐρέσθων
					middle
infinitive					ἐρέσθαι
participle	m				ἐρόμενος
	f				ἐρομένη
	n				ἐρόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

• διέρομαι (diéromai)
• εἴρων (eírōn)
• ἐξέρομαι (exéromai)
• ἐπανέρομαι (epanéromai)
• ἐπέρομαι (epéromai)
• ἔρευνα (éreuna)
• προσανέρομαι (prosanéromai)
• συνέρομαι (sunéromai)

 

References

• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἔρομαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 391-92

Further reading

• “ἔρομαι”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press