Article published In: Studies in Language
Vol. 4:1 (1980) ► pp.105–117
The Personal Endings of the Greek Verb
An Exploration in the Subjectivity and the Non-Arbitrariness of a Paradigm
Published online: 1 January 1980
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.4.1.06pan
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.4.1.06pan
The notion of arbitrariness of the linguistic sign should not pervade the whole of language study. Language as social interaction involves most naturally, person, number, time and other categories, which often find linguistic expression. The four dimensions of the personal endings of the Greek verb (person, number, tense and voice) can be abstracted from the paradigm and explained as a natural, non-arbitrary result of the subjective centering of language around the speaker.
