Chapter IV: Declensions

1. There are three numbers; singular, dual, and plural. In late Greek the dual is less frequent and except the numeral δύο, does not occur in the New Testament. Bt. 74; Gl. 57; Gn. 155; H.A. 123.

2. The five cases are the nominative, genitive (equals of, or a possessive), dative (equals to, for, with), accusative (equals English objective), vocative (as in direct address). Bt 74; Gl. 59; Gn. 160; H.A. 123.

3 The o– declension (stems end in —o—). Sing. Dual Plural (rare in late Greek) Mas. Neut. Mas. and Neut. Mas. Neut. Nom. —ος —ον —ω —οι —ᾰ Gen. —ου —ου —οιν —ων —ων Dat. —ῳ —ῳ —οιν —οις —οις Acc. —ον —ον —ω —ους —ᾰ Voc. —ε —ον —ω —οι —ᾰ (or same as Nom.)

(1) Masculine nouns (and a few feminines) end in –ος in Nom. Sing.: Neuters end in –ον.

(2) The stem of an —o— noun may be found by dropping the case-ending and adding the stem vowel —o—. Bt. 76; Gl. 62; Gn. 192; H.A. 133.

Examples

Determine stem in each of the following words and affix the above case-ending. Note changes in the accent and the reasons therefor. ἄρτος, στόλος, λόγος, υἱός, ἄνθρωπος, ἱερόν; σοφός, σοφόν; αὐτός, οὔτος.

Translate and construe:

1. λέγει (says) αὐτῷ ὁ Φίλιππος. 2. ἐν τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου ἱερῷ. 3. καλεῖται (is called) οὗτος ὁ τόπος βίος. 4. περίβολος ἦν (was), ἐν αὐτῷ ἒχων (having, = with) ἑτέρους περιβόλους δύο. 5. οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί.

4. The a– declension (stems end in —a—). Sing. Dual Plural Fem. Mas. Fem. and Mas. Mas. and Mas. Nom. —α, —η —ας, —ης —ᾱ —αι Gen. —ᾱς, —ης —ου, —ου —αιν —ῶν Dat. —ᾳ, —ῃ —ᾳ, —ῃ —αιν —αις Acc. —αν, —ην —αν, —ην —ᾱ —ᾱς Voc. —α, —η —α, —α —ᾱ —αι

(1) Feminine nouns in the Nom. Sing. end in –ᾰ, –ᾱ, or –η; mas. nouns, in –ας or –ης.

(2) In the gen. sing., mas. nouns end in –ου.

(3) Except in the genitive, final –α in the sing. is short when not preceded by ε, ι, or ρ, otherwise long.

(4) If in the mas. the –ος is preceded by ε, ι, or ρ, (note 3), the fem. sing. nom. ends in –ᾱ, otherwise in –η. Bt. 76; Gl. 66; Gn. 171; H.A. 132-3.

Examples—as in 1

μοῦσα, οἰκία, χώρα, τιμή; ὁπλίτης, ταμίας; αὐτή, αὔτη; ἡ ὁδός.

Translate and construe:

1. ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν. 2. καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν (is) ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Ἰωάννου. 3. τὸ δὲ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ μαρτυρία. 4. ὁ στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς. 5. ἠ πύλη τοῦ πρώτου περιβόλου. 6. Τύχη ἔστι δὲ οὐ μόνον τυφλή, ᾶλλὰ καὶ κωφή. 7. Πλάνος καὶ Ἄγνοια.

5. The Consonant declension (stems end in a consonant). With these are grouped in the grammar (3rd declension) nouns with stems in ι, υ, or a diphthong.

Sing. Dual Plural
(rare in
late Greek)
Mas. and Fem. Neut. Fem., Mas.,
and Neut. Mas. and Fem. Neut.
Nom. —ς, or – – —ε —ες —ᾰ
Gen. —ος —ος —οιν —ων —ων
Dat. —ι —ι —οιν —σι —σι
Acc. —ν, or —ᾰ – —ε —νς or —ᾰς —ᾰ
Voc. —ς, or — – —ε —ες —ᾰ

(1) Necessary here is the table of mutes and their forms when combined with –s. (I, 3, 1.)

(2) All three genders occur in this declension.

(3) In gen. plural of monosyllabic nouns (as in —α— nouns) the accent is —ῶν: in datives dual and plural of tones we have —αῖν, —οῖν, —αῖς, and —οῖς. Bt. 76; Gl. 98; Gn. 225; H.A. 132-3.

Examples—as in 1

θήρ (stem θερ–), σῶμα (–τος), πίναξ (–κος), σάλπιγξ (–γγος), λαίλαψ (–πος), φλέψ (–βός), θρίξ (τριχός).

Translate and construe:

1. ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν. 2. ἡ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος ἐστίν (is). 3. καὶ ὁ λόγος σάρξ ἐγένετο (become). 4. ἦν πίναξ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ναοῦ. 5. ἡ Ἀφροσύνη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις Σφίγξ ἐστιν. 6. οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν.

6. These case-endings hold for all (except indeclinables which undergo no changes) substantives, adjectives (including the definite article), pronouns, and participles (see verbs). E. g.:

Relative Pronouns Definite Article Sing. Mas. Fem. Neut. Mas. Fem. Neut. Nom. ὅς ἥ ὅ ὁ ἡ τό Gen. οὗ ἧς οὗ τοῦ τῆς τοῦ Dat. ᾧ ᾗ ᾧ τῷ τῇ τῷ Acc. ὅν ἥν ὅ τόν τήν τό etc. etc. Bt. 144-9; Gl. 214; Gn. 421; H.A. 272-5.

The personal pronouns, as in other languages, are more irregular, the several parts being traceable to different stems.

First Person, I Second Person, Thou Sing. Plural Sing. Plural Nom. ἐγώ ἡ-μεῖς σύ ὑ-μεῖς Gen. ἐ-μοῦ ἡ-μῶν σοῦ ὑ-μῶν Dat. ἐ-μοί ἡ-μῖν σοί ὑ-μῖν Acc. ἐ-μέ ἡ-μᾶς σέ ὑ-μἀς Bt. 139; Gl. 194; Gn. 389; H.A. 261.

Translate and construe:

1. ὁ προφήτης εἶ (art). 2. σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις (hast) καὶ ἐγὼ ἔργα. 3. ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος (one crying) ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.