aorist

American  

[ey-uh-rist] / ˈeɪ ə rɪst /

noun

1. a verb tense, as in Classical Greek, expressing action or, in the indicative mood, past action, without further limitation or implication.

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adjective

1. of or in this tense.

aorist British  

/ ˈeɪərɪst, ˈɛərɪst /

noun

1. grammar a tense of the verb in classical Greek and in certain other inflected languages, indicating past action without reference to whether the action involved was momentary or continuous Compare perfect imperfect

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Other Word Forms

• aoristic
  adjective
• aoristically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of aorist

1575–85; < Greek aóristos unlimited, equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + ( h ) oristós limited ( *horid- (base of horízein to bound, limit; see horizon) + -tos adj. suffix)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aorist

One form alone was available to express those modifications which are indicated by the imperfect, perfect, pluperfect, and aorist tenses of the classical languages.

From Story of Creation as Told By Theology and By Science by Ackland, T. S. (Thomas Suter)

Jam pridem mortuus est means, he died long ago, as an aorist; jam diu mortuus est, he has already long been in his grave as a perfect.

From Döderlein's Hand-book of Latin Synonymes by Döderlein, Ludwig

In the following pair of quotations, vixi, the aorist form, is translated I have lived, while tetigit, the perfect form, is translated he touched.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

The aorist form has, besides its own, the sense of the perfect.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

It will be evident that under this rule the perfect and first aorist subjunctive should always take a short vowel; and this accordingly is the case, with very few exceptions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6 "Home, Daniel" to "Hortensius, Quintus" by Various