aorist tense

The term "aorist" is derived from the Greek word ἀόριστος (*aóristos*), meaning "indefinite," and it is primarily used in Ancient Greek and other Indo-European languages.

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Definition

C1Linguistics

(technical, academic)A verb form that indicates an action as a single, complete event without specifying its duration.

Example

  • In Ancient Greek, the aorist tense is often used to narrate past events.
  • The aorist tense focuses on the action as a whole rather than its progression.

C1Ancient Greek

(historical)A verb tense used to describe past actions without specifying the exact time or duration.

Example

  • The aorist tense in Ancient Greek can describe actions that happened before the main narrative.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "aorist tense":

perfect tense