ἐπίσταμαι

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From earlier *ἐπι-hίσταμαι (*epi-hístamai), with early loss of the breath *-h- and vowel contraction, with sense development "stand before something" > "be confronted with something" > "take knowledge of something" similar to that of Proto-West Germanic *frastandan (“to oppose; to understand”), which is partially cognate in the second component. By surface analysis, ἐπι- (epi-, “epi-, on-”) +‎ ἵσταμαι (hístamai, “to stand, set up”). Compare ἐφῐ́στημῐ (ephĭ́stēmĭ), which is closely related in formation.^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /e.pís.ta.mai̯/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /eˈpis.ta.mɛ/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /eˈpis.ta.mɛ/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /eˈpis.ta.me/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /eˈpis.ta.me/

Verb

ἐπῐ́στᾰμαι • (epĭ́stămai)

(transitive) to know, to have the knowledge of something

Conjugation

Present: ἐπίστᾰμαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἐπίστᾰμαι	ἐπίστᾰσαι, ἐπίστᾳ, ἐπίστῃ	ἐπίστᾰται	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπιστᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐπίστᾰσθε	ἐπίστᾰνται
	subjunctive	ἐπιστῶμαι, ἐπίστωμαι	ἐπιστῇ	ἐπιστῆται	ἐπιστῆσθον	ἐπιστῆσθον	ἐπιστώμεθᾰ	ἐπιστῆσθε	ἐπιστῶνται
	optative	ἐπισταίμην	ἐπίσταιο	ἐπίσταιτο	ἐπίσταισθον	ἐπισταίσθην	ἐπισταίμεθᾰ	ἐπίσταισθε	ἐπίσταιντο
	imperative		ἐπίστᾰσο, ἐπίστω	ἐπιστᾰ́σθω	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπιστᾰ́σθων		ἐπίστᾰσθε	ἐπιστᾰ́σθων

infinitive						ἐπίστᾰσθαι
participle	m					ἐπιστᾰ́μενος
	f					ἐπιστᾰμένη
	n					ἐπιστᾰ́μενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Present: ἐπίστᾰμαι (Ionic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἐπίστᾰμαι	ἐπίστεαι	ἐπίστᾰται	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπιστᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐπίστᾰσθε	ἐπίστᾰνται
	subjunctive	ἐπιστέωμαι	ἐπιστῇ	ἐπιστῆται	ἐπιστῆσθον	ἐπιστῆσθον	ἐπιστώμεθᾰ	ἐπιστῆσθε	ἐπιστῶνται
	optative	ἐπισταίμην	ἐπίσταιο	ἐπίσταιτο	ἐπίσταισθον	ἐπισταίσθην	ἐπισταίμεθᾰ	ἐπίσταισθε	ἐπισταίᾰτο
	imperative		ἐπίσταο, ἐπίστω	ἐπιστᾰ́σθω	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπιστᾰ́σθων		ἐπίστᾰσθε	ἐπιστᾰ́σθων

infinitive						ἐπίστᾰσθαι
participle	m					ἐπιστᾰ́μενος
	f					ἐπιστᾰμένη
	n					ἐπιστᾰ́μενον
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἠπιστᾰ́μην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἠπιστᾰ́μην	ἠπῐ́στω, ἠπῐ́στᾰσο	ἠπίστᾰτο	ἠπίστᾰσθον	ἠπιστᾰ́σθην	ἠπιστᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἠπίστᾰσθε	ἠπίστᾰντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἠπιστᾰ́μην (Ionic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἠπιστᾰ́μην	ἠπῐ́στᾰο	ἠπίστᾰτο	ἠπίστᾰσθον	ἠπιστᾰ́σθην	ἠπιστᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἠπίστᾰσθε	ἠπιστέατο
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἐπιστᾰ́μην (Ionic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἐπιστᾰ́μην	ἐπίστᾰσο	ἐπίστᾰτο	ἐπίστᾰσθον	ἐπιστᾰ́σθην	ἐπιστᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐπίστᾰσθε	ἐπιστέατο
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: ἐπιστήσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἐπιστήσομαι	ἐπιστήσῃ, ἐπιστήσει	ἐπιστήσεται	ἐπιστήσεσθον	ἐπιστήσεσθον	ἐπιστησόμεθᾰ	ἐπιστήσεσθε	ἐπιστήσονται
middle	optative	ἐπιστησοίμην	ἐπιστήσοιο	ἐπιστήσοιτο	ἐπιστήσοισθον	ἐπιστησοίσθην	ἐπιστησοίμεθᾰ	ἐπιστήσοισθε	ἐπιστήσοιντο
					middle
infinitive					ἐπιστήσεσθαι
participle	m				ἐπιστησόμενος
	f				ἐπιστησομένη
	n				ἐπιστησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἠπιστήθην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
passive	indicative	ἠπιστήθην	ἠπιστήθης	ἠπιστήθη	ἠπιστήθητον	ἠπιστηθήτην	ἠπιστήθημεν	ἠπιστήθητε	ἠπιστήθησᾰν
	subjunctive	ἐπιστηθῶ	ἐπιστηθῇς	ἐπιστηθῇ	ἐπιστηθῆτον	ἐπιστηθῆτον	ἐπιστηθῶμεν	ἐπιστηθῆτε	ἐπιστηθῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἐπιστηθείην	ἐπιστηθείης	ἐπιστηθείη	ἐπιστηθεῖτον, ἐπιστηθείητον	ἐπιστηθείτην, ἐπιστηθειήτην	ἐπιστηθεῖμεν, ἐπιστηθείημεν	ἐπιστηθεῖτε, ἐπιστηθείητε	ἐπιστηθεῖεν, ἐπιστηθείησᾰν
	imperative		ἐπιστήθητῐ	ἐπιστηθήτω	ἐπιστήθητον	ἐπιστηθήτων		ἐπιστήθητε	ἐπιστηθέντων
							passive
infinitive							ἐπιστηθῆναι
participle	m						ἐπιστηθείς
	f						ἐπιστηθεῖσᾰ
	n						ἐπιστηθέν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ἐξεπίσταμαι (exepístamai)
ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē)
ἐπιστημονάρχης (epistēmonárkhēs)
ἐπιστημονίζω (epistēmonízō)
ἐπιστημονικός (epistēmonikós)
ἐπίστημος (epístēmos)
ἐπιστημοσύνη (epistēmosúnē)
ἐπιστήμων (epistḗmōn)
ἐπιστητός (epistētós)
συνεπίσταμαι (sunepístamai)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἐπίσταμαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 445