δεῖ

See also: δει

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Impersonal forms of δέω (déō, “to bind”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /dêː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈdi/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈði/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈði/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈði/

Verb

δεῖ • (deî)

(with personal accusative and infinitive) it behoves one to, it is necessary to, one must
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.337
- 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Olympian Ode 6.48
- 343 BCE, Demosthenes, On the False Embassy 235
- c. 445 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 556
- 428 BCE, Euripides, Hippolytus
- c. 370 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 3.4.35
- 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7.20
- 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, 1 8
- 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 570
1. (with impersonal accusative and infinitive)
  - 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, 5 26
  - 460 BCE – 430 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.161
  - 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus Rex 825
2. (when used in absolute an infinitive may be supplied)
  - 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1442
  - Philetaerus Comicus, Ἀταλ. 1
(with impersonal genitive) there is need of, there is wanting
- 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 870
- 470 BCE, Aeschylus, The Suppliants 407
1. (with a personal dative)
  - 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 848
  - 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 565
  - 431 BCE – 404 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.71
2. (with personal accusative)
  - 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 86
  - c. 440 BCE, Euripides, Rhesus 837
3. (nominative, rare)
  - 423 BCE, Euripides, The Suppliants 594
  - 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Collected Works 142.43
(neuter participle, absolute use) it being needful, fitting
- 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 355D
- 361 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Midias 90
- 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 989
- 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, 3 65
- 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Fabius Maximus 9
- 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 2.37.5

Conjugation

Present: δέει / δεῖ (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative			δέει, δεῖ
	subjunctive			δέῃ, δῇ
	optative			δέοι
	imperative			δέον ἔστω
		active
infinitive		δέειν, δεῖν
participle	m
	f
	n	δέον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἔδεε(ν) / ἔδει (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative			ἔδεε(ν), ἔδει
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: δεήσει (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative			δεήσει
active	optative			δεήσοι
		active
infinitive		δεήσειν
participle	m
	f
	n	δεῆσον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἐδέησε(ν) (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative			ἐδέησε(ν)
	subjunctive			δεήσῃ
	optative			δεήσειε(ν)
	imperative			δεῆσαν ἔστω
		active
infinitive		δεῆσαι
participle	m
	f
	n	δεῆσαν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Perfect: δεδέηκε(ν) (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative			δεδέηκε(ν)
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

Further reading