# Will you marry me?  Ancient Greek?



## spatten

Hi everyone.

My girlfriend is a classics major, and I thinking of proposing in the near future. I thought it would be fun to write it in ancient greek.

I've looked at the dictionaries - but am not familiar enough with cases and conjugation to translate.

Can anyone help me here?

Thanks,
S.


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## spatten

I've done a little digging in my own, and the best information I can arrive at so far is the following:


 hara gameisqai me

In which the first word is 'hara', used to indicate a question.  I only found this one place and am not sure of the validity.

The second word is from woodhouse's english-greek dictionary and appears to be a transitive verb in the dative case. (is that important for a verb?).   I could use help conjugating this.  

And the third word is the first person accustive form of the personal pronoun.  

Thanks again for any help,
S.


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## Cynastros

spatten said:


> hi everyone.
> 
> My girlfriend is a classics major, and i thinking of proposing in the near future. I thought it would be fun to write it in ancient greek.
> 
> I've looked at the dictionaries - but am not familiar enough with cases and conjugation to translate.
> 
> Can anyone help me here?
> 
> Thanks,
> s.


 


       Με κάθε επιφύλαξη προτείνω..

  Βούλοισθ’  έμ’ οίον μετ’ επίγαμος τ’ έλεσθε? [ή .. επί γάμοις  τ' έλοισθε ?] 
ΕΥΡΙΠΙΔΟΥ  ΤΡΩΙΑΔΕΣ 044 319  - 321  *εγώ δ’ επί   γάμοις **εμοίς* αναφλέγω πυρός φώς ες αυγάν, ες αίγλαν..


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## spatten

> Με κάθε επιφύλαξη προτείνω..
> 
> Βούλοισθ’ έμ’ οίον μετ’ επίγαμος τ’ έλεσθε? [ή .. επί γάμοις τ' έλοισθε ?]
> ΕΥΡΙΠΙΔΟΥ ΤΡΩΙΑΔΕΣ 044 319 - 321 *εγώ δ’ επί γάμοις **εμοίς* αναφλέγω πυρός φώς ες αυγάν, ες αίγλαν..


 
Thanks Cynastros!! If I understand what you've written here, you're suggesting Euripedes Trojan Women as a source.  

And this is the phrase that I should use:

Βούλοισθ’ έμ’ οίον μετ’ επίγαμος τ’ έλεσθε?

I've been able to piece together most of it - but can you tell me what 'έλεσθε' is in English?  I'm not sure of the infinitive, and can't find a meaning.

Thanks again,
Scott


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## Cynastros

spatten said:


> Thanks Cynastros!! If I understand what you've written here, you're suggesting Euripedes Trojan Women as a source.
> 
> And this is the phrase that I should use:
> 
> Βούλοισθ’ έμ’ οίον μετ’ επίγαμος τ’ έλεσθε?
> 
> I've been able to piece together most of it - but can you tell me what 'έλεσθε' is in English?  I'm not sure of the infinitive, and can't find a meaning.
> 
> Thanks again,
> Scott



 Will you marry me?  in  MODERN GREEK = Θα με παντρευτείς ?  


ειναι μια πρόχειρη και πλαστή πρόταση ελεύθερη, με ποιητικη διάθεση,  που  αποδίδεται  καπως  έτσι. ‘’θέλεις   να  με   διαλεξεις  για  γαμβρό ?''   το   έλοιμι  - ελοίμην -  έλον - ελόμην -  έλεστε , απο  το  ρήμα  αιρέω  =   λαμβάνω  =   receive ?     
  [ελετός, η , όν ,   ''όν δύναται τις να συλλάβη,΄΄= ο   ληπτός]
   I have got = έλαβα 
  Τον  Ευριπίδη , τον παρέθεσα όμως  για εκείνο το , ''επι  γάμοις’’


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## ireney

How about a simple " γαμήσεις μέ;" ?

Or, a more complicated one, "Ἆρα θέλεις ἐμοὶ γαμεῖσθαι;" (do you want to marry me?)


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## shawnee

ireney said:


> How about a simple " γαμήσεις μέ;" ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> spatten, should be warned not to go about expressing this in the modern context no doubt?


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## ireney

Ah yes, you are right. Spatten, and all the others reading this thread, do NOT, I repeat do NOT use this verb around modern Greeks who may not know its ancient Greek meaning since, in _modern _Greek, γαμάω/ώ means "I fuck" and, therefore, the expression shawnee quoted would mean  "would you fuck me?" (with an un-grammatical word order but nevertheless).


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## cougr

Thanks ireney, the above was a highly educational post.


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## Cynastros

ireney said:


> ah yes, you are right. Spatten, and all the others reading this thread, do not, i repeat do not use this verb around modern greeks who may not know its ancient greek meaning since, in _modern _greek, γαμάω/ώ means "i fuck" and, therefore, the expression shawnee quoted would mean  "would you fuck me?" (with an un-grammatical word order but nevertheless).


    Ο γάμος , σημασιολογικά έχει την έννοια του απόλυτου δεσμού στους αρχαίους χρόνους, είναι κάτι από το οποίο κανείς δεν μπορεί να  ξεφεύγει αλώβητος  . Υπάρχει , κατά τη γνώμη μου άμεση σχέση με , Γαμβρός , γαμψώνυχος [ο γύπας], γαμφηλήισι [λέοντος]κλπ.  Ο γαμβρός  έχει την κυριαρχία στη σχέση του γάμου, σήμερα ακούγεται κάπως διαφορετικά αλλά εξακολουθεί να κρατάει την ίδια σημασία , *Θα σε γαμήσω* = θα σου επιτεθώ , θα κυριαρχήσω επάνω σου.


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