10.10 It is common for the final vowel of a conjunction to be ELIDED before a word that begins with a vowel. This process is called ELISION. Note, for example, the elisions in the second sentence of each of the following pairs of sentences.
- εἴτε τὰ χρήματα οὐ δίδομεν, εἴτε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα οὐ δίδοτε.
- εἴτ’ οὐ δίδομεν τὰ χρήματα, εἴτ’ οὐ δίδοτε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα.
- Either we don’t give the money or you don’t give the property.
- οὐκ ἀποδίδοτε, ἄρα χρήματα οὐ δίδομεν.
- οὐκ ἀποδίδοτε, ἄρ’ οὐ δίδομεν χρήματα.
- You do not give (it) back, so/therefore we do not give money.
- ὅτε χρήματα ἀποδίδοτε, ὑπάρχοντα δίδομεν.
- ὅτ’ ἀποδίδοτε χρήματα, ὑπάρχοντα δίδομεν.
- When you give money back, we give property.
NOTE: ὅτι never elides, so ὅτ’ always = ὅτε.