H. W. Smyth

Greek Grammar (First Edition)

Part 2, §§291-299


Previous Page Contents Next Page

77


adjectives of the consonant declension


291. Such adjectives as belong only to the consonant declension have two endings. Most such adjectives have stems in ες (nominative -ης and -ες) and ον (nominative -ων and -ον). Under ον stems fall comparative adjectives, as βελτί¯ων, βέλτῑον better.

a. There are some compounds with other stems: M. F. ἀπάτωρ, N. ἄπατορ fatherless, G. ἀπάτορος; ἄπολις ἄπολι without a country, ἀπόλιδος; αὐτοκράτωρ αὐτοκράτορ independent, αὐτοκράτορος; ἄρρην (older ἄρσην) ἄρρεν male, ἄρρενος; εὔχαρις εὔχαρι agreeable, εὐχάριτος; εὔελπις εὔελπι hopeful, εὐέλπιδος.  For the acc. of stems in ιτ and ιδ see 247. Neut. εὔχαρι and εὔελπι for εὐχαριτ, εὐελπιδ (133).

292. ἀληθής (ἀληθεσ-) true, εὔ-ελπις (εὐελπιδ-) hopeful are thus declined:

singular

Masc. and Fem.

Neut.

Masc. and Fem.

Neut.

Nom.

ἀληθής

ἀληθές

εὔελπις

εὔελπι

Gen.

(ἀληθέ-ος)

ἀληθοῦς

εὐέλπιδ-ος

Dat.

(ἀληθέ-ι)

ἀληθεῖ

εὐέλπιδ-ι

Acc.

(ἀληθέ-α) ἀληθῆ

ἀληθές

εὔελπιν

εὔελπι

Voc.

ἀληθές

ἀληθές

εὔελπι

dual

N. A. V.

(ἀληθέ-ε)

ἀληθεῖ

εὐέλπιδ-ε

G. D.

(ἀληθέ-οιν)

ἀληθοῖν

εὐελπίδ-οιν

plural

N. V.

(ἀληθέ-ες) ἀληθεῖς

(ἀληθέ-α) ἀληθῆ

εὐέλπιδ-ες

εὐέλπιδ-α

Gen.

(ἀληθέ-ων)

ἀληθῶν

εὐελπίδ-ων

Dat.

(ἀληθέσ-σι 107)

ἀληθέσι(ν)

εὐέλπισι(ν)

Acc.

ἀληθεῖς

(ἀληθέ-α) ἀληθῆ

εὐέλπιδ-ας

εὐέλπιδ-α

a. ἄληθες means indeed! Like ἀληθής are declined σαφής clear, εὐτυχής lucky, εὐγενής high-born, ἀσθενής weak, ἐγκρατής self-restrained, πλήρης full.


78

b. The accusative pl. ἀληθεῖς has the form of the nominative.

c. Compound adjectives in -ης not accented on the last syllable show recessive accent even in the contracted forms. Thusφιλαλήθης lover of truth, neut. φιλάληθες, αὐτάρκης self-sufficient, neut. αὔταρκες, gen. pl. αὐτάρκων, not αὐταρκῶν.

N. – Except in neuter words in -ῶδες, -ῶλες, -ῶρες, and -ῆρες, as εὐῶδες sweetsmelling, ποδῆρες reaching to the feet. But τριήρων, not τριηρῶν, from τριήρης, 264.

d. εε(σ)α becomes εᾱ, not εη (56):  εὐκλεᾶ, ἐνδεᾶ for εὐκλεέα, ἐνδεέα from εὐκλεής glorious, ἐνδεής needy (G. εὐκλεοῦς, ἐνδεοῦς). But ιε(σ)α and υε(σ)α yield ιᾱ or ιη, υᾱ or υη. Thus, ὑγιᾶ or ὑγιῆ (ὑγιής healthy), εὐφυᾶ or εὐφυῆ (εὐφυής comely), cp. 56, 31, 2. The forms in -ῆ are due to the analogy of such forms as ἐμφερῆ (ἐμφερής resembling),

293. Stems in ον:  εὐδαίμων happy, βελτί¯ων better:

singular

Masc. and Fem.

Neut.

Masc. and Fem

Neut.

Nom.

εὐδαίμων

εὔδαιμον

βελτί¯ων

βέλτῑον

Gen.

εὐδαίμον-ος

βελτί¯ον-ος

Dat.

εὐδαίμον-ι

βελτί̄ον-ι

Acc.

εὐδαίμον-α

εὔδαιμον

βελτί¯ον-α or βελτί¯ω

βέλτῑον

Voc.

εὔδαιμον

εὔδαιμον

βέλτί¯ον

βέλτῑον

dual

N. A. V.

εὐδαίμον-ε

βελτί¯ον-ε

G. D.

εὐδαιμόν-οιν

βελτῑόν-οιν

plural

N. V.

εὐδαίμον-ες

εὐδαίμον-α

{

βελτί¯ον-ες

βελτί¯ον-α

βελτί̄ους

βελτί¯ω

Gen.

εὐδαιμόν-ων

βελτῑόν-ων

Dat.

εὐδαίμοσι(ν)

βελτί̄οσι(ν)

Acc.

εὐδαίμον-ας

εὐδαίμον-α

{

βελτί¯ον-ας

βελτί¯ον-α

βελτί¯ους

βελτί¯ω

a. Like εὐδαίμων are declined μνήμων μνῆμον mindful, ἀγνώμων, ἄγνωμον unfeeling, ἄφρων ἄφρον senseless, πέπων πέπον ripe, σώφρων σῶφρον prudent.

b. Like βελτί¯ων are declined μείζων μεῖζον greater, κακί̄ων κάκῑον baser, ἐλά̄ττων ἔλᾱττον less.

c. The neuter nominative and accusative have recessive accent.

d. Comparatives are formed from stems in ον and in ος; cp. Lat. meliōris for meliōs-is. ος appears in βελτί¯ω for βελτῑο(σ)-α, acc. sing. masc. fem. and nom. acc. neut. pl., and in βελτί¯ους for βελτῑο(σ)-ες, nom. pl. masc. fem. The accusative plural borrows the nominative form. Cp. 251 b. The shorter forms were more frequent in everyday speech than in literature.


consonant and vowel declension combined


294. Adjectives of the consonant declension having a separate form for the feminine inflect the feminine like a substantive of the first declension ending in -ᾰ (216).

295. The feminine is made from the stem of the masculine (and neuter) by adding the suffix -ι ̯α (yα), which is combined with the preceding syllable in different ways. The genitive plural feminine is always perispomenon (cp. 208).  For the feminine dual, see 287 b.

296. Stems in υ (-υς, -εια, -υ). – The masculine and neuter have the inflection of πῆχυς and ἄστυ, except that the genitive singular masculine and neuter ends in -ος (not -ως) and -εα in the neuter plural remains uncontracted.

297. ἡδύς sweet is thus declined:

singular

Masc. Fem. Neut.
Nom. ἡδύ-ς ἡδεῖα ἡδύ
Gen. ἡδέ-ος ἡδείᾱς ἡδέ-ος
Dat. (ἡδέϊ) ἡδεῖ ἡδείᾳ (ἡδέϊ) ἡδεῖ
Acc. ἡδύ-ν ἡδεῖα-ν ἡδύ
Voc. ἡδύ ἡδεῖα ἡδύ

dual

N. A. V. ἡδέ-ε ἡδείᾱ ἡδέ-ε
G. D. ἡδέ-οιν ἡδεί-αιν ἡδέ-οιν

plural

N. V. (ἡδέες) ἡδεῖς ἡδεῖαι ἡδέ-α
Gen. ἡδέ-ων ἡδειῶν ἡδέ-ων
Dat. ἡδέ-σι(ν) ἡδείαις ἡδέ-σι(ν)
Acc. ἡδεῖς ἡδείᾱς ἡδέ-α

So βαθύς deep, γλυκύς sweet, εὐρύς broad, ὀξύς sharp, ταχύς swift.

a. In ἡδεῖα -ι ̯α has been added to ἡδεϜ- = ἡδει ̯-, a stronger form of the stem ἡδυ- (cp. 270). The nominative masculine ἡδεῖς is used for the accusative.

b. The adjectives of this declension are oxytone, except ἥμισυς half, θῆλυς female, and some compounds, as δίπηχυς of two cubits.

298. Stems in ν (-ᾱς, -αινα, -αν; -ην, -εινα, -εν).  μέλᾱς black, τέρην tender are declined as follows:


80

singular

Nom. μέλᾱς μέλαινα μέλαν τέρην τέρεινα τέρεν
Gen. μέλαν-ος μελαίνης μέλαν-ος τέρεν-ος τερείνης τέρεν-ος
Dat. μέλαν-ι μελαίνῃ μέλαν-ι τέρεν-ι τερείνῃ τέρεν-ι
Acc. μέλαν-α μέλαινα-ν μέλαν τέρεν-α τέρεινα-ν τέρεν
Voc. μέλαν μέλαινα μέλαν τέρεν τέρεινα τέρεν

dual

N. A. V. μέλαν-ε μελαίνᾱ μέλαν-ε τέρεν-ε τερείνᾱ τέρεν-ε
G. D. μελάν-οιν μελαίναιν μελάν-οιν τερέν-οιν τερείναιν τερέν-οιν

plural

N. V. μέλαν-ες μέλαιναι μέλαν-α τέρεν-ες τέρειναι τέρεν-α
Gen. μελάν-ων μελαινῶν μελάν-ων τερέν-ων τερεινῶν τερέν-ων
Dat. μέλασι(ν) μελαίναις μέλασι(ν) τέρεσι(ν) τερείναις τέρεσι(ν)
Acc. μέλαν-ας μελαίνᾱς μέλαν-α τέρεν-ας τερείνᾱς τέρεν-α

Like μέλᾱς is declined one adjective:  τάλᾱς, τάλαινα, τάλαν wretched.

a. μέλᾱς is for μελαν-ς by 37, 96. With the exception of μέλᾱς and τάλᾱς, adjective stems in ν reject ς in the nom. sing. μέλασι for μελαν-σι 96 a, 250 N. The feminine forms μέλαινα and τέρεινα come from μελαν-ι ̯α, τερεν-ι ̯α by 111. The vocatives μέλαν and τέρεν are rare, the nominative being used instead.

299. Stems in ντ occur in a few adjectives and in many participles (301). χαρίεις graceful and πᾶς all are declined thus:

singular

Nom.

χαρίεις

χαρίεσσα

χαρίεν

πᾶς

πᾶσα

πᾶν

Gen.

χαρίεντ-ος

χαριέσσης

χαρίεντ-ος

παντ-ός

πά̄σης

παντ-ός

Dat.

χαρίεντ-ι

χαριέσσῃ

χαρίεντ-ι

παντ-ί

πά̄σῃ

παντ-ί

Acc.

χαρίεντ-α

χαρίεσσα-ν

χαρίεν

πάντ-α

πᾶσα-ν

πᾶν

Voc.

χαρίεν

χαρίεσσα

χαρίεν

πᾶς

πᾶσα

πᾶν

dual

N. A. V.

χαρίεντ-ε

χαριέσσᾱ

χαρίεντ-ε

G. D.

χαριέντ-οιν

χαριέσσαιν

χαριέντ-οιν

plural

N. V.

χαρίεντ-ες

χαρίεσσαι

χαρίεντ-α

πάντ-ες

πᾶσαι

πάντ-α

Gen.

χαριέντ-ων

χαριεσσῶν

χαριέντ-ων

πάντ-ων

πᾱσῶν

πάντ-ων

Dat.

χαρίεσι(ν)

χαριέσσαις

χαρίεσι(ν)

πᾶσι(ν)

πά̄σαις

πᾶσι(ν)

Acc.

χαρίεντ-ας

χαριέσσᾱς

χαρίεντ-α

πάντ-ας

πά̄σᾱς

πάντ-α


81

Like χαρίεις are inflected πτερόεις winged, φωνήεις voiced, δακρυόεις tearful. Adjectives in -όεις and -ήεις are generally poetical or Ionic.  φωνήεντα meaning vowels is always open.

a. χαρίεις, πᾶς are derived from χαριεντ-ς, παντ-ς by 100; χαρίεν from χαριεντ- by 133. The of πᾶν (for πᾰν(τ)-) is irregular and borrowed from πᾶς.  Compounds have ᾰ:  ἅπαν, σύμπαν.

b. From χαριετ- is derived χαρίεσσα with σσ, not ττ, by 114 aχαριετ- is a weak form of the stem χαριεντ-; it appears also in χαρίεσι for χαριετ-σι (98). Participles in -εις (307) form the feminine from the strong stem -εντ + ι ̯α.  πᾶσα stands for παντσα out of παντ-ι ̯α (113 a). πάντων, πᾶσι are accented contrary to 252; but παντός, παντί, πᾱσῶν are regular.

c. Adjectives in -όεις contract, as μελιτοῦς, μελιτοῦττα, μελιτοῦν, G. μελιτοῦντος, μελιτούττης, etc. (μελιτόεις honied). πτερόεις has πτεροῦντα, πτεροῦσσα.  So in names of places:  Ἀργεννοῦσσαι Argennusae for -όεσσαι; Ῥαμνοῦς, -οῦντος, for Ῥαμνόεις, -όεντος.

Previous Page Contents Next Page