FIRST DECLENSION (STEMS IN α_）
[*] 211. Stems in
α_ are masculine or feminine. The feminine nominative singular ends in
-α_, -α^, or
-η; the masculine nominative singular adds
-ς to the stem, and thus ends in
-α_ς or
-ης.
[*] 212. Table of the union of the case endings (when there are any) with the final vowel of the stem.
Observe the shortening of the stem in vocative singular and plural, in nominative and dative plural, and genitive and dative dual.
[*] 213.
Accent.—For special rule of accent in the genitive plural, see
208. The genitive plural is always perispomenon since
-ῶν is contracted from
-έ-ων derived from original (and Hom.)
-ά_-ων (
51). Final
-αι is treated as short (
169).
a. The form of the gen. pl. is taken from the pronominal adjective, i.e. (Hom.)
θεά_ων goddesses follows the analogy of (Hom.)
τά_ων (332 D.) for
τα_- (
ς）
ων, cf. Lat.
istā-rum deā-rum.
[*] 214. The dialects show various forms.
[*] 214 D. 1. For
η, Doric and Aeolic have original
α_; thus,
νί_κα_, ϝί_κα_ς, ϝί_κᾳ, νί_κα_ν; πολί_τα_ς, κριτά_ς, Ἀτρείδα_ς.
2. Ionic has
η for the
α_ of Attic even after
ε, ι, and
ρ; thus,
γενεή, οἰκίη, ἀγορή, μοίρης, μοίρῃ (nom.
μοῖρα^),
νεηνίης. Thus,
ἀγορή, -ῆς, -ῇ, -ήν; νεηνίης, -ου, -ῃ, -ην. But Hom. has
θεά_ goddess,
Ἑρμεία_ς Hermes.
3. The dialects admit
-α^ in the nom. sing. less often than does Attic. Thus, Ionic
πρύμνη stern,
κνί_ση savour (Att.
πρύμνα, κνῖσα), Dor.
τόλμα_ daring. Ionic has
η for
α^ in the abstracts in
-είη, -οίη (
ἀληθείη truth,
εὐνοίη good-will). Hom. has
νύμφα^ oh maiden from
νύμφη.
4.
Nom. sing. masc.—Hom. has
-τα for
-της in
ἱππότα horseman,
ἱππηλάτα driver of horses,
νεφεληγερέτα cloud-collector,
κυ_ανοχαῖτα dark-haired; and, with recessive accent,
μητίετα counsellor. So in the adj.
εὐρύοπα far-sounding. Cp. Lat.
poeta,
scriba.
5.
Gen. sing. masc.—(a)
-α_ο, the original form from
α_-（
ι）
ο, is used by Hom. (
Ἀτρείδα_ο). It contracts in Aeolic and Doric to
-α_ (
Ἀτρείδα_).
(b)
-εω, from
ηο (=
α_ο) by 34, is also used by Hom., who makes it a single syllable by synizesis (
60), as in
Ἀτρείδεω. Hdt. has
-εω, as
πολί_τεω (163 a).
(c)
-ω in Hom. after a vowel,
Βορέω (nom.
Βορέης).
6.
Accus. sing. masc.—In proper names Hdt. often has
-εα borrowed from
ς stems (
264), as
Μιλτιάδεα for
Μιλτιάδη-ν.
7.
Dual.—Hom. has the nom. dual of masculines only. In the gen. and dat. Hom. has
-αιν and also
-αιιν.
8.
Gen. plur.—(a)
-ά_ων, the original form, occurs in Hom. (
μουσά_ων, ἀγορά_ων). In Aeolic and Doric
-ά_ων contracts to (b)
-ᾶν (
ἀγορᾶν). The Doric
-ᾶν is found also in the choral songs of the drama (
πετρᾶν rocks). (c)
-έων, the Ionic form, appears in Homer, who usually makes it a single syllable by synizesis (
60) as in
βουλέωνν, from
βουλή plan.
-έων is from
-ήων, Ionic for
-ά_ων. (d)
-ῶν in Hom. generally after vowels (
κλισιῶν, from
κλισίη hut).
9.
Dat. plur.:
-ῃσι（
ν),
-ῃς, generally before vowels, and (rarely)
-αις in Hom. Ionic has
-ῃσι, Aeolic
-αισι（
ν),
-αις, Doric
-αις.
10.
Accus. plur.:
-ανς, -α^ς, α_ς in various Doric dialects,
-αις in Aeolic.
[*] 215.
Dative Plural.—The ending
-αισι（
ν) occurs in Attic poetry (
δίκαισι from
δίκη right,
δεσπόταισι from
δεσπότης lord).
a. Attic inscriptions to 420 B. C. have
-ῃσι (written
-ηισι),
-ησι, and (after
ε, ι, ρ)
-ᾳσι (written
-αισι) and
-α_σι. Thus,
δραχμῇσι and
δραχμῆσι drachmas,
ταμίᾳσι and
ταμία_σι stewards.
-ησι and
-α_σι are properly endings of the locative case (
341).
[*] 216. I. FEMININES
ὥρα_ season,
ἡμέρα_ day,
σκιά_ shadow,
μάχη battle,
τέχνη art,
γνώμη judgment,
τι_μή honor,
ἀρετή virtue,
μοῦσα muse,
πρῶρα prow,
ἅμαξα wagon,
δόξα opinion.
[*] 217. RULES.—
a. If the nominative singular ends in
alpha preceded by a vowel (
σκιά_ shadow) or
ρ (
μοῖρα),
alpha is kept throughout the singular.
b. If the nominative singular ends in
alpha preceded by a consonant not
ρ,
alpha is changed to
η in the genitive and dative singular.
c. If the nominative singular ends in
η, η is kept in all the cases of the singular.
d. When the genitive singular has
-ης, final
α of the nominative singular is
always short; when the genitive singular has
-α_ς, the final
α is
generally long.
Feminines fall into two classes:
[*] 218. (I) Feminines with
α_ or
η in all the cases of the singular.
After
ε, ι, or
ρ, α_ appears in all the cases of the singular, as in
γενεά_ race,
οἰκία_ house,
χώρα_ land. Otherwise,
η throughout the singular, as
νί_κη victory.
a. After
ο, we find both
α_ and
η, as
στοά_ porch,
βοή shout,
ἀκοή hearing,
ὁͅοή current,
ῥόα_ pomegranate. After
ρ we have
η in
κόρη girl,
δέρη neck (
31).
[*] 219. (II) Feminines with
α^ in the nominative, accusative, and vocative singular. The quantity of the vowel is generally shown by the accent (
163,
164).
In this class are included:
1. Substantives having
ς (
ξ, ψ, ττ, or
σς),
ζ, λλ, or
αιν before the final
α show
α^ in nom., accus., and voc. sing., and
η in gen. and dat. sing. Thus,
μοῦσα muse,
μούσης, μούσῃ, ἅμαξα wagon,
τράπεζα table,
γλῶττα tongue,
ῥίζα root,
ἅμιλλα contest,
λέαινα lioness. Others are
τόλμα daring,
δίαιτα mode of life,
ἄκανθα thorn,
μυῖα fly.
2. Substantives in
α^ in nom., accus., and voc. sing., and
α_ in gen. and dat. sing.
a. Substantives in
-εια and
-τρια denoting females, as
βασίλεια queen (but
βασιλεία_ kingdom),
ψάλτρια female harper; so the fem. of adj. in
-υς, as
γλυκύς, γλυκεῖα sweet.
b. Abstracts in
-εια and
-οια from adjectives in
-ης and
-οος, as
ἀλήθεια truth (from
ἀληθής true),
εὔνοια good will (from
εὔνους, εὔνοος kind,
290).
c. Most substantives in
-ρα after a diphthong or
υ_, as
μοῖρα fate,
γέφυ_ρα bridge.
[*] 220. Exceptions to 219, 1:
κόρση temple (later
κόρρη),
ἕρση dew; to 2 b: in Attic poetry,
ἀληθεία_, εὐνοία_, ἀγνοία_ ignorance, which owe their
α_ to the influence of the genitive and dative
ἀληθεία_ς, ἀληθείᾳ, etc.
[*] 221. Most, if not all, of the substantives in
α^ are formed by the addition of the suffix
[ιγλιδε]α or
ια (
20); thus,
γλῶττα from
γλωχ-[ιγλιδε]α (cp.
γλωχῖν-ες points),
γέφυ_ρα from
γεφυρ-[ιγλιδε]α, δότειρα giver from
δοτερ-[ιγλιδε]α (and so
φέρουσα bearing from
φεροντ[ιγλιδε]α),
μοῖρα from
μορ-[ιγλιδε]α, ψάλτρ-ια.
[*] 222. II. MASCULINES
ταμία_ς steward,
Αἰνεία_ς Aeneas,—
ναύτης sailor,
τοξότης bowman,
στρατιώτης soldier,
δεσπότης ruler,—
μαθητής pupil,
ποιητής poet—
Πέρσης Persian.
[*] 223.
Accent.—The vocative of
δεσπότης lord is
δέσποτα.
[*] 224.
α_ and
η.—In the final syllable of the singular
α_ appears after
ε, ι, and
ρ; otherwise we find
η. Cp.
218.
a. Exceptions are compounds in
-μέτρης:
γεω-μέτρης measurer of land.
[*] 225.
Genitive singular.—The form in
-ου is borrowed from the genitive singular of the second declension. A few words in
-α_ς, generally names of persons not Greeks, have
-α_, the Doric genitive (214 D. 5):
Ἀννίβα_ς Hannibal, gen.
Ἀννίβα_.
[*] 226.
Vocative singular.—Masculines in
-α_ς have the vocative in
-α_ (
νεα_νία_); those in
-της have
-α^ (
πολῖτα), all others in
-ης have
-η (
Ἀτρείδη, Κρονίδη son of Kronos) except names of nations and compounds:
Πέρσα^ Persian,
Σκύθα^ Scythian,
γεω-μέτρα^ (nom.
γεω-μέτρης measurer of land),
παιδο-τρίβα^ gymnastic master.
CONTRACTS (FEMININES AND MASCULINES)
[*] 227. Contracts in
α_ or
η from
εα_ or
αα_ have the circumflex in all the cases: nominative feminine
-ᾶ, -ῆ, masculine
-ᾶς, -ῆς.
[*] 227 D. Hdt. has
μνέαι, μνεῶν, μνέα_ς, γῆ and
γεῶν, Ἑρμῆς, Βορῆς. Hom. has
Αθηναίη, γῆ (and
γαῖα),
συ_κέη, Ἑρμεία_ς 214 D. 2,
Βορέης.
The dual and plural of
Ἑρμῆς mean
statues of Hermes.
Other examples:
ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ Athena (from
Ἀθηνα (
ι）
α_-),
γῆ earth (
γεα_- or
γαα_-) with no plural in Attic,
ἡ γαλῆ weasel (
γαλεα_-),
ἡ ἀδελφιδῆ niece (
ἀδελφιδεα_-),
ὁ Ἀπελλῆς Apelles (
Ἀπελλεα_-).
