# φυλάω/φυλάγω



## BrendaP

φυλάω/φυλάγω  Can someone please tell me the difference between these two words for "save, keep, hold, guard"?  Or  are they interchangeable?


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## tropicalia

Hi, Brenda.
It's the same verbm as φυλάσσω (as in ancient Greek) >φυλάγω>φυλάω. It loose its intervocalical -g- by a phonetic phenomenon that I don't know how it's said in English


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## BrendaP

So, losing the γ, it becomes φυλάω...at least, in speech, and that's the only verb I need to focus on?  Am I understanding that right? Would I come across φυλάγω in writing?


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## tropicalia

I don't know actually if you can use it on writing. It has the past form with -g-: φύλαγα (its paratatikós), but I suppose you can find also other forms of the verb. Personally I have hear always the form φυλάω (in Greece I mean).


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## BrendaP

Thanks so much for your help, tropicalia!


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## tropicalia

.......


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## Perseas

BrendaP said:


> Would I come across φυλάγω in writing?


"Φυλάγω" in writing? No, not today, or this would be a very rare case. However, in the imperfect tense (φύλα*γ*α) , as tropicalia said, and in the passive present (φυλά*γ*ομαι) and imperfect (φυλα*γ*όμουν) we keep *γ*.


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## BrendaP

Thanks for the extra information, Perseas.  Much appreciated!


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## elena 1

Also in the imperative form we usually say it with –γ- :
  «Θεέ μου φύλαγέ τον!»
  «Φύλαγε τα ρούχα σου, να ‘χεις τα μισά», but : «Όποιος φυλάει τα ρούχα του, έχει τα μισά».


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## elena 1

(this is better)  «Θεέ μου, φύλαγέ τον!»


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## BrendaP

Thanks for that elena.  I would have been saying "Θεέ μου, φύλαξέ τον!"


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## Δημήτρης

I'll just add that the intervocalic gamma-_dropping_ (that's the word you were looking for, tropicalia?) for φυλάγω is completed in my dialect, so the passive is φυλάουμαι, the imperfect εφύλαα and the imperative φύλαε.


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## polymilas

Φύλαξέ το ως κόρη οφθαλμού.
Φυλάω Θερμοπύλες.
φυλακές, φύλακες.
Το βυζαντινό:φυλακή γυναικός.


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