ἔραμαι

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uhlenbeck and others consider it cognate with Sanskrit रमते (rámate, “to calm down; to enjoy; to have sex with”), Lithuanian rimti (“calm down”), Gothic 𐍂𐌹𐌼𐌹𐍃 (rimis, “tranquility”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rem-; the Greek could then be from a different extension *h₁er-h₂- from the original root *h₁er-. Beekes leaves the etymology unknown, so he tentatively suggests a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

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

Verb

ἔρᾰμαι • (érămai)

(with genitive)
1. to love (usually of romantic/sexual love, usually of a man)
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 3.446
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 16.182
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 20.223
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 11.238
  - 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.8
  - 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 491
  - 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 697
2. (of things) to passionately desire, lust after
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.64
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 16.208
  - 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.96
  - 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 3.20
  - 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 11.50
  - 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Eumenides 852
  - 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 866
  - 1 CE – 100 CE, Aretaeus, De Curatione Acutorum Morborum 2.5
(with infinitive) to desire eagerly
- 6th century BC, Theognis of Megara, Elegies 1155
- 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Paean 6.58
- 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 4.92
- 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, Fragments 51
- 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 700
- 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 511

Inflection

Present: ἔρᾰμαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	ἔρᾰμαι	ἔρᾰσαι	ἔρᾰται	ἔρᾰσθον	ἔρᾰσθον	ἐρᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἔρᾰσθε	ἔρᾰνται
	subjunctive	ἐρῶμαι	ἐρῇ	ἐρῆται	ἐρῆσθον	ἐρῆσθον	ἐρώμεθᾰ	ἐρῆσθε	ἐρῶνται
	optative	ἐραίμην	ἔραιο	ἔραιτο	ἔραισθον	ἐραίσθην	ἐραίμεθᾰ	ἔραισθε	ἔραιντο
	imperative		ἔρᾰσο	ἐρᾰ́σθω	ἔρᾰσθον	ἐρᾰ́σθων		ἔρᾰσθε	ἐρᾰ́σθων
						middle/passive
infinitive						ἔρᾰσθαι
participle	m					ἐρᾰ́μενος
	f					ἐρᾰμένη
	n					ἐρᾰ́μενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἠρᾰ́μην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	ἠρᾰ́μην	ἤρᾰσο	ἤρᾰτο	ἤρᾰσθον	ἠρᾰ́σθην	ἠρᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἤρᾰσθε	ἤρᾰντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: ἐρασθήσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
passive	indicative	ἐρασθήσομαι	ἐρασθήσῃ	ἐρασθήσεται	ἐρασθήσεσθον	ἐρασθήσεσθον	ἐρασθησόμεθᾰ	ἐρασθήσεσθε	ἐρασθήσονται
passive	optative	ἐρασθησοίμην	ἐρασθήσοιο	ἐρασθήσοιτο	ἐρασθήσοισθον	ἐρασθησοίσθην	ἐρασθησοίμεθᾰ	ἐρασθήσοισθε	ἐρασθήσοιντο
							passive
infinitive							ἐρασθήσεσθαι
participle	m						ἐρασθησόμενος
	f						ἐρασθησομένη
	n						ἐρασθησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἠράσθην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
passive	indicative	ἠράσθην	ἠράσθης	ἠράσθη	ἠράσθητον	ἠρασθήτην	ἠράσθημεν	ἠράσθητε	ἠράσθησᾰν
	subjunctive	ἐρασθῶ	ἐρασθῇς	ἐρασθῇ	ἐρασθῆτον	ἐρασθῆτον	ἐρασθῶμεν	ἐρασθῆτε	ἐρασθῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἐρασθείην	ἐρασθείης	ἐρασθείη	ἐρασθεῖτον / ἐρασθείητον	ἐρασθείτην / ἐρασθειήτην	ἐρασθεῖμεν / ἐρασθείημεν	ἐρασθεῖτε / ἐρασθείητε	ἐρασθεῖεν / ἐρασθείησᾰν
	imperative		ἐράσθητῐ	ἐρασθήτω	ἐράσθητον	ἐρασθήτων		ἐράσθητε	ἐρασθέντων
							passive
infinitive							ἐρασθῆναι
participle	m						ἐρασθείς
	f						ἐρασθεῖσᾰ
	n						ἐρασθέν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἠρασᾰ́μην (poetic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἠρασᾰ́μην	ἠράσω	ἠράσᾰτο	ἠράσᾰσθον	ἠρασᾰ́σθην	ἠρασᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἠράσᾰσθε	ἠράσᾰντο
	subjunctive	ἐράσωμαι	ἐράσηαι	ἐράσηται	ἐράσησθον	ἐράσησθον	ἐρασώμεθᾰ	ἐράσησθε	ἐράσωνται
	optative	ἐρασαίμην	ἐράσαιο	ἐράσαιτο	ἐράσαισθον	ἐρασαίσθην	ἐρασαίμεθᾰ	ἐράσαισθε	ἐράσαιντο
	imperative		?	ἐρασᾰ́σθω	ἐράσᾰσθον	ἐρασᾰ́σθων		ἐράσᾰσθε	ἐρασᾰ́σθων
					middle
infinitive					ἐράσᾰσθαι
participle	m				ἐρασᾰ́μενος
	f				ἐρασᾰμένη
	n				ἐρασᾰ́μενον
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.

Perfect: ἤρασμαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	ἤρασμαι	ἤρασαι	ἤρασται	ἤρασθον	ἤρασθον	ἠράσμεθᾰ	ἤρασθε	ἠράσᾰται
	subjunctive	ἠρασμένος ὦ	ἠρασμένος ᾖς	ἠρασμένος ᾖ	ἠρασμένω ἦτον	ἠρασμένω ἦτον	ἠρασμένοι ὦμεν	ἠρασμένοι ἦτε	ἠρασμένοι ὦσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἠρασμένος εἴην	ἠρασμένος εἴης	ἠρασμένος εἴη	ἠρασμένω εἴητον / εἶτον	ἠρασμένω εἰήτην / εἴτην	ἠρασμένοι εἴημεν / εἶμεν	ἠρασμένοι εἴητε / εἶτε	ἠρασμένοι εἴησᾰν / εἶεν
	imperative		ἤρασο	ἠράσθω	ἤρασθον	ἠράσθων		ἤρασθε	ἠράσθων
						middle/passive
infinitive						ἠρᾶσθαι
participle	m					ἠρασμένος
	f					ἠρασμένη
	n					ἠρασμένον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ἀνέραμαι (anéramai)
ἀντέραμαι (antéramai)
διέραμαι (diéramai)
ὑπερέραμαι (huperéramai)

Related terms

ἀνέραστος (anérastos)
ἔρασις (érasis)
ἐράσμιος (erásmios)
ἐραστεύω (erasteúō)
ἐραστής (erastḗs)
ἐραστικός (erastikós)
ἐραστός (erastós)
ἐράστρια (erástria)
ἐρατός (eratós)
Ἐρατώ (Eratṓ)
ἐράω (eráō)
ἔρως (érōs)

References

“ἔραμαι”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ἔραμαι”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“ἔραμαι”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
ἔραμαι in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
ἔραμαι in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
“ἔραμαι”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἔραμαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 449
Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1898–1899) “rámate”, in Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der altindischen Sprache (in German), Amsterdam: Johannes Müller, page 245