Aoristos

Aoristos, or αόριστος in Greek, is a term used in Greek grammar with two related meanings. As an adjective, it means "indefinite" or "unspecified," describing words or phrases that do not designate a specific time or definite state. In a more technical sense, aoristos names the aorist, a key tense or aspect in Greek verb systems, traditionally associated with the idea of a completed, single event.

In classical Greek grammar, the aorist expresses an action viewed as a whole, without reference to its duration or to its relation to the present. It is often described as aorist or imperfective of time, emphasizing the event itself rather than its circumstances. The aorist exists in three voices: active, middle, and passive. Aorist forms are used to narrate past events, often in a narrative sequence, and they contrast with the imperfect and pluperfect, which convey ongoing past action or past state.

In Modern Greek, the term αόριστος is used to denote the simple past tense. It encompasses a set of verb forms that convey completed past actions and is distinguished from other past tenses such as the imperfect. Although the surface forms differ from Classical Greek, the underlying concept of a completed past event remains central.

Etymology-wise, αόριστος comes from the privative prefix a- plus οριστός, meaning "defined" or "determined," thereby yielding the sense "not defined" or "indefinite."

See also: Greek grammar, aorist tense, Greek mood and aspect, αόριστος in Modern Greek.