Middle Voice
Subject acts on or for itself
The middle voice indicates the subject acts upon itself, for its own benefit,
or is somehow personally involved in the action.
Types of middle meaning:
• Reflexive: "I wash myself" (λούομαι)
• Self-interest: "I acquire for myself"
• Reciprocal: "They fight each other"
• Deponent verbs: middle form but active meaning (ἔρχομαι - I go)
Middle and passive share the same forms in present, imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect.
Only in future and aorist do they have distinct forms.
Middle endings: -ομαι, -ῃ/-ει, -εται, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -ονται
Examples from Texts
Here are some words showing the middle voice in actual Greek texts:
ἐκδήσω
ἐκδέω
bind so as to hang from, fasten to
verb
singular
aorist
middle
indicative
σταλήσεται
σταλάω
let drop, let fall
verb
singular
aorist
middle
subjunctive
καταποντίσῃ
καταποντίζω
throw into the sea, plunge
verb
singular
aorist
middle
subjunctive
μεταθεμένη
μετατίθημι
place among
participle
nominative
feminine
singular
aorist
middle
σύρωμαι
σύρω
draw, drag, trail along
verb
singular
aorist
middle
subjunctive
οἰκειώσομαι
οἰκειόω
make <foreign lang="greek">οἰκεῖος</foreign>
verb
singular
aorist
middle
subjunctive
εἰσηγουμένῳ
εἰσηγέομαι
lead in
participle
dative
masculine
singular
present
middle
ἀπονισσόμεθ'
ἀπονίζω
wash off
verb
plural
aorist
middle
subjunctive