1.25: First Declension Short Alpha Nouns

Module 21

© 2021 Philip S. Peek, CC BY 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0264.25

Nouns

Nouns in Greek are defined just like nouns are in English; but the way they create meaning is different. As in English, Greek nouns (ὀνόματα) refer to people, places, things, and ideas. Greek nouns have endings. English nouns can change form when they show possession as in Jada’s book, where the ’s is added as a suffix and indicates that the book belongs to Jada. English nouns also change form when expressing the plural: two suns, three oxen, four mice. The endings on Greek nouns, as we have seen previously, create the same meanings that English does through form change, word order, and the use of prepositional phrases.

First Declension Short Alpha Nouns in –α, –ης and –α, –ᾱς

These nouns are feminine in gender. In the Attic dialect, nouns whose stem ends in -ε, -ι, or -ρ take the short alpha -α, -ᾱς endings. Memorize these endings, know how to obtain the stem, and know how to decline the nouns. As you learn new ending sets, look at the similarities and differences each has when compared to those endings you have already memorized.

Declining First Declension Short Alpha Nouns –α, –ης and –α, –ᾱς

To decline first declension nouns ending in -α, -ης and -α, -ᾱς, first get the stem by removing the genitive singular ending -ης or -ᾱς. What remains is the stem. To the stem add the following endings:

Feminine   Set 3   S Pl N -α -αι A -αν -ᾱς G -ης -ῶν D -ῃ -αις V -α -αι	Feminine   Set 4 (*stem ends in -ε, -ι, -ρ)   S Pl N -α* -αι A -αν -ᾱς G -ᾱς -ῶν D -ᾱͅ -αις V -α -αι
Feminine   Set 3   S Pl N -α -αι G -ης -ῶν D -ῃ -αις A -αν -ᾱς V -α -αι	Feminine   Set 4 (*stem ends in -ε, -ι, -ρ)   S Pl N -α* -αι G -ᾱς -ῶν D -ᾱͅ -αις A -αν -ᾱς V -α -αι
θάλαττα, θαλάττης and πεῖρα, πείρᾱς
S Pl N θάλαττα θάλατται A θάλατταν θαλάττᾱς G θαλάττης θαλαττῶν D θαλάττῃ θαλάτταις V θάλαττα θάλατται	S Pl N πεῖρα πεῖραι A πεῖραν πείρᾱς G πείρᾱς πειρῶν D πείρᾱͅ πείραις V πεῖρα πεῖραι
S Pl N θάλαττα θάλατται G θαλάττης θαλαττῶν D θαλάττῃ θαλάτταις A θάλατταν θαλάττᾱς V θάλαττα θάλατται	S Pl N πεῖρα πεῖραι G πείρᾱς πειρῶν D πείρᾱͅ πείραις A πεῖραν πείρᾱς V πεῖρα πεῖραι

1. The alpha of the nominative singular, accusative singular, and vocative singular is short.
2. The accent shifts to the ultima in the genitive plural.
3. Use the -α, -ᾱς endings when the stem ends in -ε, -ι, -ρ.
4. Remember that final -αι and -οι are short for purposes of accentuation except in the optative, a mood learned in Part II of the 21st-Century series.
5. If the nominative has an acute accent on the ultima, it changes to a circumflex in the genitive and dative, singular and plural.

First Declension Nouns in –ης, –ου and –ᾱς, –ου

These nouns are masculine in gender. In the Attic dialect, endings from the -ᾱς, -ου declension are found only in nouns whose stem ends in -ε, -ι, or -ρ. Memorize these endings, know how to obtain the stem, and know how to decline the nouns. As you learn new ending sets, look at the similarities and differences each has when compared to those endings you have already memorized.

Declining First Declension Masculine Nouns in –ης, –ου and –ᾱς, –ου

To decline first declension nouns ending in -ης, -ου and -ᾱς, -ου, first remove the genitive singular ending -ου. What remains is the stem. To the stem add the following endings:

Masculine   Set 5   S Pl N -ης -αι A -ην -ᾱς G -ου -ῶν D -ῃ -αις V -α, -η* -αι	Masculine   Set 6 (use when stem ends in -ε, -ι, -ρ)   S Pl N -ᾱς -αι A -ᾱν -ᾱς G -ου -ῶν D -ᾱͅ -αις V -ᾱ -αι
*For the vocative singular, use -α unless otherwise noted.
Masculine   Set 5   S Pl N -ης -αι G -ου -ῶν D -ῃ -αις A -ην -ᾱς V -α, -η* -αι	Masculine   Set 6 (use when stem ends in -ε, -ι, -ρ)   S Pl N -ᾱς -αι G -ου -ῶν D -ᾱͅ -αις A -ᾱν -ᾱς V -ᾱ -αι
*For the vocative singular, use -α unless otherwise noted.
στρατιώτης, στρατιώτου and νεανίᾱς, νεανίου
S Pl N στρατιώτης στρατιῶται A στρατιώτην στρατιώτᾱς G στρατιώτου στρατιωτῶν D στρατιώτῃ στρατιώταις V στρατιῶτα στρατιῶται	S Pl N νεανίᾱς νεανίαι A νεανίᾱν νεανίᾱς G νεανίου νεανιῶν D νεανίᾱͅ νεανίαις V νεανίᾱ νεανίαι
S Pl N στρατιώτης στρατιῶται G στρατιώτου στρατιωτῶν D στρατιώτῃ στρατιώταις A στρατιώτην στρατιώτᾱς V στρατιῶτα στρατιῶται	S Pl N νεανίᾱς νεανίαι G νεανίου νεανιῶν D νεανίᾱͅ νεανίαις A νεανίᾱν νεανίᾱς V νεανίᾱ νεανίαι

1. Some nouns with nominatives ending with -ης, have the vocative singular ending -η instead of -α.
2. The accent shifts to the ultima in the genitive plural.
3. Use the -ᾱς -ου endings when the stem ends in -ε, -ι, -ρ.
4. Remember that final -αι and -οι count as short for purposes of accentuation except in the optative, a mood learned in Part II of the 21st-Century series.
5. If the nominative singular has an acute accent on the ultima, it changes to a circumflex in the genitive and dative, singular and plural.

Noun Identification

You now know ten sets of endings for nouns:

For the nouns below, take note of what set of endings each noun takes.

χρῆμα, χρήματος τό thing, matter, affair ; (pl.) money	set 10
πολίτης (πολιήτης), πολίτου ὁ citizen, freeman	set 5
ἡμέρᾱ, ἡμέρᾱς ἡ day	set 2
θάλαττα, θαλάττης ἡ sea	set 3
παῖς, παιδός ἡ ὁ child	set 9
χώρᾱ, χώρᾱς ἡ land, country	set 2
θεός, θεοῦ ἡ ὁ god, goddess	set 7
πεῖρα, πείρᾱς ἡ trial, attempt	set 4
ἔργον, ἔργου τό work, deed, task; building	set 8
πρᾶγμα, πράγματος τό matter, thing, affair; problem	set 10
νεανίᾱς, νεανίου ὁ youth, young man	set 6
ἀρχή, ἀρχῆς ἡ rule, command; beginning	set 1
στρατιώτης, στρατιώτου ὁ soldier	set 5
ὅπλον, ὅπλου τό weapon	set 8
δόξα, δόξης ἡ expectation, notion, opinion; reputation	set 3
λόγος, λόγου ὁ word, speech, story; reason, account	set 7
γραῦς, γραός ἡ old woman	set 9

Practice Declining Nouns. Decline these nouns with the article (answers are in the Answer Key): μοῦσα, μούσης ἡ muse and ποιητής, ποιητοῦ ὁ poet.

As you write out the forms, note the similarities and differences with the endings you have already memorized. Writing out the forms helps you to process this new information.

Practice Translating. Translate the sentences below, which have been adapted from Euripides’ Medea (Μήδεια). Remember the meanings and functions of the cases presented in Module 7. Use your memory to identify endings and their functions. If you forget an ending or a function, consult the Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Pronoun Chart in Appendix VIII and the Case and Function Chart in Appendix I. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key, making sure that you understand why each word translates as it does. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.

	Ἰάσων: οὐ κρινοῦμαι τῶνδέ σοι τὰ πλείονα. ἀλλ’, εἴ τι βούλῃ παισὶν ἢ σαυτῇ, φυγῆς προσωφέλημα, χρημάτων ἐμῶν λαβεῖν πλείονα, ταῦτα σχήσεις. ἕτοιμος ἀφθόνῳ διδόναι χειρὶ ξένοις τε πέμπειν σύμβολα. οἱ δὲ δράσουσί σ’ εὖ. καὶ ταῦτα μὴ θέλουσα, μωρανεῖς. λήγουσα δ’ ὀργῆς, κερδανεῖς ἀμείνονα.
5	Μήδεια: οὐ βούλομαι ξένοις τοῖς σοῖς χρᾶσθαι οὔτε τι δέχεσθαι. κελεύω μὴ ἡμῖν διδόναι. κακοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δῶρ’ ὄνησιν οὐκ ἔχει.
	Ἰάσων: ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐγὼ μὲν δαίμονας μαρτύρομαι ὡς πάνθ’ ὑπουργεῖν σοί τε καὶ τέκνοις θέλω. σοὶ δ’ οὐκ ἀρέσκει τὰ ἀγαθά. ἀλλ’ αὐθαδίᾳ φίλους ἀπωθῇ· τοιγὰρ ἀλγυνῇ πλέον.
10	Μήδεια: ὥρα σοὶ χωρεῖν· πόθῳ γὰρ τῆς νεοδμήτου κόρης σπουδάζεις χρονίζειν δωμάτων ἐξώπιος; δοκεῖ σοὶ νυμφεύειν· ἴσως γάρ τοιοῦτον θρηνήσῃ γάμον.

Adverbs and Verbs

ἀλγύνω, ἀλγυνέω pain, grieve, distress; (fut. mid. and pass.) suffer pain, be distressed	κερδαίνω, κερδανέω gain, derive profit
ἀπωθέω, ἀπεώσω thrust away, push back	κρίνω, κρινέω judge, decide, pick out, choose, separate
ἀρέσκω, ἀρέσω please + dat.; make good, make amends	λαβεῖν to take
*βούλομαι, βουλήσομαι want, prefer; wish, be willing	μαρτύρομαι, μαρτυρέομαι invoke, call to witness
γαμέω, γαμέω or γαμήσω, marry; (mid.) give in marriage, marry (a man)	μωραίνω, μωρανέω be silly, be foolish
δέχομαι, δέξομαι receive; meet; encounter; accept; undertake + inf.	νυμφεύω, νυμφεύσω betroth, marry; give in marriage
*δίδωμι give; δίκην δίδωμι I pay the penalty; δίδωμι χάριν I give thanks	*πέμπω, πέμψω send
*δοκέω, δόξω seem, think; seem best, think best + inf.	πλέον more
δράω, δράσω do, accomplish, act	σπουδάζω, σπουδάσω be serious, be earnest; be eager + inf.
*ἔχω, ἕξω or σχήσω have, hold; be able + inf.; καλῶς ἔχειν to be well	τοιγάρ therefore, accordingly
*θέλω, θελήσω wish, be willing	ὑπουργέω, ὑπουργήσω render service, help, assist + dat.
θρηνέω, θρηνήσω sing a dirge, wail; bewail	*χράομαι, χρήσομαι use, employ, experience + dat.
ἴσως perhaps	χρονίζω spend time; tarry, linger
*κελεύω, κελεύσω bid, order, command	χωρέω, χωρήσω make room for; retire; advance

Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns

*ἀγαθός, ἀγαθή, ἀγαθόν good, noble	ὄνησις, ὀνήσεως ἡ use, profit, advantage; good luck
ἀμείνονα, ἀμεινόνων τά better	ὀργή, ὀργῆς ἡ mood; anger, wrath
*ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός ὁ man, husband	*παῖς, παιδός ἡ ὁ child
αὐθαδία, αὐθαδίας ἡ willfulness, stubbornness	*πάντα, πάντων τά all, each, whole
ἄφθονος, ἄφθονον without envy; plentiful	πλείονα, πλειόνων τά more
γάμος, γάμου ὁ wedding, marriage	πόθος, πόθου ὁ yearning for + gen.
δαίμων, δαίμονος ὁ deity; fortune; destiny	προσωφέλημα, προσωφελήματος τό help, aid
δῶμα, δώματος τό houses	σαυτή, σαυτῆς ἡ yourself
δῶρον, δώρου τό gift	*σός, σή, σόν your
ἐξώπιος, ἐξώπιον out of sight of	σύμβολον, συμβόλου τό signs, tokens, codes
ἕτοιμος, ἑτοίμη, ἕτοιμον ready, at hand; able + inf.	τέκνον, τέκνου τό child
*θέλουσα, θελούσης ἡ wishing, being willing	*τοιοῦτος, τοιαύτη, τοιοῦτο of such a kind or sort
*κακός, κακή, κακόν bad, evil, cowardly	*φίλος, φίλου ὁ friend
κόρη, κόρης ἡ girl; daughter	φυγή, φυγῆς ἡ flight, escape, exile
λήγουσα, ληγούσης ἡ staying, abating; stopping, ceasing from + gen.	*χείρ, χειρός ἡ (dat pl. χερσίν) hand; force, army
νεόδμητος, νεόδμητον newly tamed; new-wedded	*χρῆμα, χρήματος τό thing; (pl.) goods, money, property
ξένος (ξεῖνος), ξένου (ξείνου) ὁ stranger; guest-friend	ὥρα, ὥρας ἡ season, period, time

1. The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.

Practice Parsing Greek Sentences. Parse each word of the sentence found below. For nouns and pronouns, give case and function. For verbs, give person, number, tense, mood, and voice. For adverbs and conjunctions, identify them. For prepositional phrases, give the preposition and the preposition’s object. For adjectives, specify the noun they agree with in gender, number, and case.

πόθῳ γὰρ τῆς νεοδμήτου κόρης σπουδάζεις χρονίζειν δωμάτων ἐξώπιος;

Check your answers with those in the Answer Key.

History

History begins with Herodotos. Though influenced by epic, travelogues, medical treatises, and other intellectual writings, Herodotos and his Histories are discontinuous. They represent a distinct break with the past in their creation of a new genre intent on explaining what happened in the fighting between the Greeks and the barbarians and on preserving other items of interest, including customs, fauna, flora, great works, sexual mores, and religious beliefs. Thoukydides continued Herodotos’ novel approach, writing a contemporary history of the Peloponnesian Wars, which he called an objective presentation of what really happened and a κτῆμα ἐς αἰεί, possession for all time. Xenophon then picked up where Thoukydides left off, starting his Hellenika in 411 BCE and ending in 362 BCE. Our fascination with histories, myths, and stories of all sorts continues today as we seek to understand the present and predict the future through our study of the past.

Module 21 Top 250 Vocabulary to be Memorized. Like learning the alphabet and endings, memorizing vocabulary is essential to acquiring language. The better you memorize the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary words, the greater mastery of the language you will have.

Nouns and Adjectives

ἀγαθός, ἀγαθή, ἀγαθόν good, noble

δόξα, δόξης ἡ expectation, notion, opinion; reputation

θάλασσα (θάλαττα), θαλάσσης ἡ sea

μόνος, μόνη, μόνον only, sole, alone, solitary; one

πολέμιος, πολεμίᾱ, πολέμιον hostile

πρότερος, προτέρᾱ, πρότερον prior, before, sooner

πρῶτος, πρώτη, πρῶτον first, for the present, just now

σός, σή, σόν your

φίλος, φίλη, φίλον friendly, kind, well-disposed + dat.; (n.) friend

Etymology Corner XXI by Dr. E. Del Chrol

Technical Terms 17, Parts of Speech

Verbs, cont. The word finis in Latin means end, so finite verbs are doubly appropriate in English. On a small level, the verb has an ending on it (a finis). On a broader level, the endings limit the action of a verb to a person and number doing it and making the action finite. When a verb has no limitations of person and number, i.e., no endings, it is an infinitive. Infinitives are translated in English with to, and you can remember that from the famous saying of Buzz Lightyear who became a grammarian after the Toy Story series: “To = infinitive! And beyond!”

What to Study and Do 21. Before moving on to the next module, make sure that you have memorized the short-alpha noun endings and can decline these nouns from memory. Also make sure that you understand that each noun takes one ending set. Finally make sure that you understand how to read the chart on noun endings.

Learning Tip 21: Learn from Mistakes and Successes. Look for the errors behind your mistakes but beware of rearview-mirror hindsight biases. Own your failures and your mistakes. The most common error is to learn too little from your mistakes, though the opposite is also possible. Also evaluate your successes—were you just lucky or did you reason things out correctly? Consider this culinary example. You cook a dish that does not taste as good as you wish. Consider the ingredients you used, how you cooked it, and how you spiced it. Find your error and look to correct it. If your spicing is off, try using more or less salt and balancing your flavors with acid. Learning to do anything consistently well requires an understanding of what works and what does not