Initial vowel shortening and lengthening rules for alpha and iota before various consonants (σ, ζ, ξ, ψ, τ, ζ, δ, etc.) with Homeric and dialectal examples.
σημειούμεθα τὸ ἀμῶ ῥῆμα ἐκτεινόμενον «εἰς ὥρας ἀμῷεν» (ι 135), ᾧ ἀκόλουθα ῥηματικά «οἱ δ´ ὥστ´ ἀμητῆρες» (Λ 67), καὶ «ὀλίγος δ´ ἀμητὸς ἔην». «ἀμητὸς δ´ ὀλίγιστος» (Ι 223). τὸ δὲ ἁμέρα, ἆμος, ἆμαρ διαλέκτῳ κατὰ τροπὴν ἐγένετο. * Ἡ 'αρ' συλλαβὴ ἄρχουσα ἀσυνάλειπτος οὖσα, ἐπιφερομένου συμφώνου μὴ τοῦ 'δ', συστέλλεσθαι θέλει, ἄρβηλος, ἄρκευθος, ἀρκῶ, ἄρκιον, ἄρτος, ἄρχων, ἀργής, Ἄργυννος. τὸ ἀργός ἐκτεινόμενον ἐκ τοῦ ἀεργός συναληλιμμένον· τὸ δὲ 'δ' ἐφυλαξάμην, ἐπεὶ τὸ μὲν ἄρδις συστέλλεται, τὸ δὲ ἄρδω ἐκτείνεται «τὸν νοῦν ἵν´ ἄρδω καὶ λέγω τι δεξιόν» (Aristoph. Eqq. 96, 114). καὶ τὸ ἄρδην δὲ ἐκτείνουσιν. * Τὸ 'α' ἐπιφερομένου τοῦ 'σ', ᾧ ὑποτέτακται ἄφωνον, συστέλλεσθαι θέλει, ἄσθμα, ἀσπίς, ἄστυ, Ἀσκληπιός, ἀσχάλλω, ἄσβολος, ἀσκός. οὕτως ἄρα ὀφείλει καὶ τὸ ἀσκήσας καὶ ἀσκηθείς. * Τὸ 'α' ἔχον ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ συλλαβῇ τὸ 'ξ' ἢ 'ψ' μὴ ἐν ῥηματικῇ κλίσει φιλεῖ συστέλλεσθαι, ἄξων, ἀξίνη, ἁψίς, ἅψεα, Ἄψυρτος, ἀψευδής. τὸ δὲ «ἆξον δὴ ἔγχος Διομήδεος» (Ζ 306), καὶ τὸ κρᾶξον ἐκτεταμένον ἔχουσι τὸ 'α', διὸ ἔφην μὴ ἐν ῥηματικῇ κλίσει. * Τὸ 'α' πρὸ τοῦ 'ζ' ἐν ὀνόμασι συστέλλεται, γάζα, χάλαζα, ἀζηχές, μαζός· σεσημειωμένου τοῦ μᾶζα καὶ Ἀμαζών καὶ ἀλαζών. Τὸ 'ι' κατ´ ἀρχὴν πρὸ τοῦ 'τ' συστέλλεται, ἴτυς, ἰταμός, Ἰταλός, Ἰταμών, ἰτέα. τὸ γὰρ «Ἴτωνά τε» (Β 696) καὶ «ἰτέαι» (κ 510), ποιητικά. τὸ δὲ Ἰτυμονεύς (Λ 671) ἐκτέταται, ὀφείλει δὲ συστέλλεσθαι, διὰ τὸ 'υ'. καὶ τὸ ἴτριον· ἐκτέταται. * Τὸ 'ι' ἐπιφερομένου ἑνὸς συμφώνου ἁπλοῦ, ὅπερ ἔχει ὑποτασσόμενον 'ι' ἢ 'υ', φιλεῖ ἐκτείνεσθαι ὑπεσταλμένων τῶν κατὰ κλίσιν, ἶβις, Ἴβυκος, ἰδίω, ἰθύς, Ἶρις, Ἴλιον, ἰνίον, ἶφι, Ἰτυμονεύς. τὸ δὲ ἴτυς συστέλλει τὸ 'ι'. τὸ δὲ ἴθι κλίσις ῥηματική. * Τὸ 'ι' κατ´ ἀρχὴν ἐπιφερομένων δύο συμφώνων μὴ κατὰ κλίσιν συστέλλεσθαι θέλει, ἴσχω, ἱστός, ἴκτινος, Ἴσμαρος, ἴφθιμος. ἐφυλαξάμην δὲ κατὰ κλίσιν διὰ τὸ ἵστανον καὶ ἵστην. σεσημείωται τὸ ἴκριον * Τὸ 'ι' κατ´ ἀρχὴν ἔχον τὴν δευτέραν συλλαβὴν ἀρχομένην ἀπὸ
We note the verb ἀμῶ as lengthened: «εἰς ὥρας ἀμῷεν» (ι 135), to which correspond the verbal forms «οἱ δ´ ὥστ´ ἀμητῆρες» (Λ 67) and «ὀλίγος δ´ ἀμητὸς ἔην». «ἀμητὸς δ´ ὀλίγιστος» (Ι 223). But ἁμέρα, ἆμος, ἆμαρ came to be, in dialect, by a change.
The syllable ἀρ- at the beginning, being without synaloepha, when a consonant follows other than δ, tends to be shortened: ἄρβηλος, ἄρκευθος, ἀρκῶ, ἄρκιον, ἄρτος, ἄρχων, ἀργής, Ἄργυννος. But ἀργός is lengthened, having been contracted from ἀεργός; and I made an exception for δ, since ἄρδις is shortened, but ἄρδω is lengthened: «τὸν νοῦν ἵν´ ἄρδω καὶ λέγω τι δεξιόν» (Aristoph. Eqq. 96, 114). And they lengthen ἄρδην as well.
The α, when σ follows, to which a mute is subordinated, tends to be shortened: ἄσθμα, ἀσπίς, ἄστυ, Ἀσκληπιός, ἀσχάλλω, ἄσβολος, ἀσκός. Thus, then, ἀσκήσας and ἀσκηθείς ought to be so as well.
The α, having ξ or ψ in the second syllable, not in verbal inflection, is accustomed to be shortened: ἄξων, ἀξίνη, ἁψίς, ἅψεα, Ἄψυρτος, ἀψευδής. But in «ἆξον δὴ ἔγχος Διομήδεος» (Ζ 306), and in κρᾶξον, they have α lengthened; therefore I said “not in verbal inflection.”
The α before ζ in nouns is shortened: γάζα, χάλαζα, ἀζηχές, μαζός; with μᾶζα and Ἀμαζών and ἀλαζών marked as exceptions.
The ι at the beginning before τ is shortened: ἴτυς, ἰταμός, Ἰταλός, Ἰταμών, ἰτέα. For «Ἴτωνά τε» (Β 696) and «ἰτέαι» (κ 510) are poetic. But Ἰτυμονεύς (Λ 671) is lengthened, though it ought to be shortened because of υ. And ἴτριον too: it is lengthened.
The ι, when a single simple consonant follows, which has subordinated to it ι or υ, is accustomed to be lengthened—excepting those in inflection: ἶβις, Ἴβυκος, ἰδίω, ἰθύς, Ἶρις, Ἴλιον, ἰνίον, ἶφι, Ἰτυμονεύς. But ἴτυς shortens the ι; and ἴθι is verbal inflection.
The ι at the beginning, when two consonants follow, not in inflection, tends to be shortened: ἴσχω, ἱστός, ἴκτινος, Ἴσμαρος, ἴφθιμος. But I made an exception for cases of inflection because of ἵστανον and ἵστην. ἴκριον is marked as an exception.
The ι at the beginning, having the second syllable beginning with…