Lesson 6 | Declensions of nouns

 

First declension

1. Incongruous   

In the first declension, only masculine and feminine nouns are declensioned; masculine nouns ending in -ας (-as) or-ης (-es), and feminine nouns ending in -α (-a) or -η (-e).

a. Examples of masculine                                                                                       

Singular

(θ. ταμια-) tamias = treasurer	(θ. Ἀτρειδα-) Atreídis=  Atreides (son/ descendant of Atreus : Agamemnon, Menelaus, Orestis)	(θ. βουλευτα-) vouleftís = parliamentarian (elected member of the parliament)
ὀν.    N. ὁ        ταμίας	Ἀτρείδης	βουλευτὴς
γεν.   G. τοὗ   ταμίου	Ἀτρείδου	βουλευτοῦ
δοτ.   D. τῷ     ταμίᾳ	Ἀτρείδῃ	βουλευτῇ
αἰτ.    A.τὸν     ταμίαν	Ἀτρείδην	βουλευτὴν
κλητ. V. ὦ       ταμία	Ἀτρείδη	βουλευτὰ

 

Plural

ὀν.     N.  οἱ       ταμίαι	Ἀτρεῖδαι	βουλευταὶ
γεν.   G. τῶν     ταμιῶν	Ἀτρειδῶν	βουλευτῶν
δοτ.   D. τοῖς    ταμίαις	Ἀτρείδαις	βουλευταῖς
αἰτ.    A. τοὺς   ταμίας	Ἀτρείδας	βουλευτὰς
κλητ. V. ὦ         ταμίαι	Ἀτρεῖδαι	βουλευταὶ

 

b. Examples of feminine

Singular

(θ. μαχαιρα-) máchaira = knife	(θ. φρουρα-)  frourá = guard	(θ. μουσα-) moúsa = muse
ὀν.    N. ἡ μάχαιρα	φρουρὰ	μοῦσα
γεν.   G. τῆς μαχαίρας	φρουρᾶς	μούσης
δοτ.   D. τῇ μαχαίρᾳ	φρουρᾷ	μούσῃ
αἰτ.    A. τὴν μάχαιραν	φρουρὰν	μοῦσαν
κλητ. V. ὦ μάχαιρα	φρουρὰ	μοῦσα

 

Plural

ὀν.     N.  αἱ μάχαιραι	φρουραὶ	μοῦσαι
γεν.   G. τῶν μαχαιρῶν	φρουρῶν	μουσῶν
δοτ.   D. ταῖς μαχαίραις	φρουραῖς	μούσαις
αἰτ.    A. τὰς μαχαίρας	φρουρὰς	μούσας
κλητ. V. ὦ μάχαιραι	φρουραὶ	μοῦσαι

 

                                              Singular                                            Plural

(θ. νυμφα-) nymfi = nymph	(θ. τιμα-) timí = honor
ὀν.     ἡ νύμφη	τιμὴ	αἱ νύμφαι	τιμαὶ
γεν.   τῆς νύμφης	τιμῆς	τῶν νυμφῶν	τιμῶν
δοτ.   τῆ νύμφῃ	τιμῆ	ταῖς νύμφαις	τιμαῖς
αἰτ.    τὴν νύμφην	τιμὴν	τὰς νύμφας	τιμὰς
κλητ.  ὦ νύμφη	τιμὴ	ὦ νύμφαι	τιμαὶ

 

Total Or Phenomenal Endings Of Nouns Of The First Declension

Singular	Plural	Dual
Masculine                 Feminine	Masculine Feminine	Masculine Feminine
no.  -ᾱς -ης         -ᾱ      -ᾰ                -η	-αι	-ᾱ
gen. -ου -ου       -ᾱς    -ᾱς or -ης     -ης	-ων	-αιν
dative -ᾳ -ῃ       - ᾳ      -ᾳ or -ῃ        -ῃ	-αις	-αιν
acc. -ᾱν -ην        -ᾱν    -ᾰν               -ην	-ᾱς	-ᾱ
voc. -ᾱ -η (ή-ᾰ)   -ᾱ     -ᾰ                 -η	-αι	-ᾱ

 

Observations

In the first declension nouns:

1) the endings of the plural (and the dual) of the masculine and the feminine are the same;

2) the α in the ending -ας (in any case) is always long: ὁ Αἰνειᾱς, τῆς χωρᾱς, τοὺς στρατιώτᾱς (the ending a of the dual is also long: τὼ Ἀτρείδᾱ).

3) the genitive plural is stressed in the final syllable and takes circumflex: τῶν νεανιῶν, τῶν θαλασσῶν.  But οἱ ἐτησίαι (= meltemia;), τῶν ἐτησίων.

From the first declension masculines in -ης  that form the vocative of the singular in -ᾱ and not in -η:

a) the national ones: ὦ Πέρσᾰ, ὦ Σκύθᾰ.

b) those ending in -θης and the compounds (with a second conjunctive verb) in -άρχης,

-μέτρης, -πώλης, -τρίβης, -ώνης etc.: ὦ στρατιῶτα, ὦ γυμνασιάρχα, ὦ βιβλιοπῶλα, ὦ παιδοτρίβα, ὦ τελῶνα.

In the first declension feminines ending in -a:

1) if before the ending α there is a consonant (except for r), then this α  is called impure, it is normally short and in the genitive and dative singular it changes to η: ἡ μοῦσα, τῆς μούσης, τῇ μούσῃ etc. - ἡ μᾶζα, τῆς μάζης, τῇ μάζῃ etc.

2) if before the ending α there is a vowel or r (ρ), then this α is called pure, it is normally long and is preserved in all cases of the singular: ἡ πολιτεία, τῆς πολιτείας, τῇ πολιτείας, τῇ πολιτείαᾳ etc. - ἡ ὥρα, τῆς ωρας, τῇ ὥρᾳ etc.

3) the α of the ending in the accusative and vocative singular is long or short, depending on what it is in nominative: (ἡ πολιτείᾱ) τὴν πολιτείᾱν, ὦ πολιτείᾱ - (ἡ μοῦσᾰ) τὴν μοῦσᾰν, ὦ μοῦσᾰ.