PART II.

INFLECTION.

§ 32. 1. INFLECTION is a change in the form of a word, made to express its relation to other words. It includes the declension of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns, and the conjugation of verbs.

2. Every inflected word has a fundamental part, which is called the stem. To this are appended various

letters or syllables, called endings, to form cases, tenses, persons, numbers, &c.

NOTE. Most words contain a still more primitive element than the stem, which is called the root. Thus, the stem of the verb Tiμáw, honour, and that of the noun Tun, is Tiua-, that of ríσis, payment, recompense, is Tioi-, that of rimos, held in honour, is τιμιο, that of τίμημα (τιμήματος), valuation, is τιμηματ-; but all these stems are developed from one root, T-, which is seen pure in the verb τiw, honour. In río, therefore, the stem of the verb and the root are the same.

The stem itself may be modified and assume various forms in different parts of a noun or verb. Thus the same verbal stem may in different tenses appear as λπ-, λeɩπ-, and λо-; and the same nominal stem may appear as τιμα- and τιμη.

§ 33. 1. There are three numbers: the singular, the dual, and the plural. The singular denotes one object, the plural more than one. The dual may be used to denote two objects, but even here the plural is more common.

S.G.

2. There are three genders; the masculine, the feminine, and the neuter.

NOTE 1. The grammatical gender in Greek is very often different from the natural gender. Especially many names of things are masculine or feminine. A Greek noun is called masculine, feminine, or neuter, when it requires an adjective or article to take the form adapted to either of these genders. The gender is often indicated by prefixing the article; as (6) ȧvýp, man; (†) yvvń, woman; (TÒ) Tрâyμa, thing. (See § 78.)

NOTE 2. Nouns which may be either masculine or feminine are said to be of the common gender: as (ó, n) Oeós, God or Goddess.

NOTE 3. The gender must often be learned by observation. But names of males are generally masculine, and names of females feminine. Most names of rivers, winds, and months are masculine; and most names of countries, towns, trees, and islands are feminine. Most nouns denoting qualities or conditions are feminine; as ʼn åperŃ, virtue, Amis, hope. Diminutive nouns are generally neuter; as Taidíov, child.

3. There are five cases; the nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, and vocative.

The nominative and vocative plural are always alike. In neuters, the nominative, accusative, and vocative are alike in all numbers; and in the plural these cases end in ă. The nominative, accusative, and vocative dual are always alike; and the genitive and dative dual are always alike.

NOTE 1. The cases have in general the same meaning as the corresponding cases in Latin; as Nom. a man (as subject), Gen. of a man, Dat. to or for a man, Accus. a man (as object), Voc. O man. The chief functions of the Latin ablative are divided between the Greek genitive and dative. (See Remark before § 157.)

NOTE 2. All the cases except the nominative and vocative are called oblique cases.

NOUNS.

§ 34. There are three declensions of nouns, in which also all adjectives and participles are included.

FIRST DECLENSION.

§ 35. The nominative singular of feminines of the first declension ends in a or n; that of masculines

ends in as or ns.

NOTE. The stem of nouns of this declension ends originally in a, which is often modified to ŋ in the singular.

§ 36. The following table shows the terminations in all the cases of this declension. These consist of the final a (or n) of the stem united with the case-endings.

§ 37. 1. The nouns (ή) τιμή, honour, (ἡ) οἰκία, house, (ἡ) χώρα, land, (ἡ) Μοῦσα, Muse, (ὁ) πολίτης, citizen, (δ) ταμίας, steward, are thus declined:

The following show varieties of quantity and accent:— θάλασσα, sea, θαλάσσης, θαλάσσῃ, θάλασσαν ; Ρl. θάλασσαι, &c. γέφυρα, bridge, γεφύρας, γεφύρα, γέφυραν ; Ρ1. γέφυραι, &c. σκιά, shadow, σκιᾶς, σκιᾷ, σκιάν ; Pl. σκιαί, σκιῶν, σκιαῖς, &c. γνώμη, opinion, γνώμης, γνώνῃ, γνώμην ; Ρ1. γνῶμαι, γνωμῶν, &c. κριτής, judge, κριτοῦ, κριτῇ, κριτήν, κριτά; Ρ1. κριταί, κριτῶν, &c. 2. Nouns ending in a preceded by e, , or p, and a few

proper names, retain a throughout the singular,

and are declined like οἰκία or χώρα. Other nouns in a are declined like Μουσα.

NOTE 1. The nouns in ns which have ă in the vocative singular (like πολίτης) are chiefly those in της, national appellatives (like Πέρσης, a Persian, voc. Πέρσα), and compounds (like γεω-μέτρης, a geometer, voc. γεωμέτρα). Most other nouns in ηs have the vocative in η; as Κρονίδης, son of Kronos, Κρονίδη.

NOTE 2. The termination a of the nominative singular is always short when the genitive has ης. It is generally long when the genitive has as ; exceptions can always be seen by the accent (§ 22).

NOTE 3. Av of the accusative singular and a of the vocative singular agree in quantity with a of the nominative.

Contract Nouns of the First Declension.

§ 38. Most nouns in aa, ea, and eas, are contracted (§ 9). Μνάα, μνᾶ, mina, συκέα, συκῆ, fig-tree, and Ερμέας, 'Epuns, Hermes (Mercury), are thus declined :

§ 39. Homer has these peculiar forms :

Nom. Sing. Sometimes & for ης; as ἱππότα for ἱππότης, horseman. Gen. Sing. For ov, ão, εω, sometimes ω ; as ̓Ατρείδαο, ̓Ατρείδεω, βορέω. Gen. Plur. άων, έων (whence, by contraction, Attic ὧν); as ναυτάων, ναυτέων (Att. ναυτῶν). Dat. Plur. ησι, ῃς; as Μούσησι οι Μούσῃς (Μούσαις).

SECOND DECLENSION.

§ 40. The nominative singular of most nouns of the second declension ends in os or ov (gen. ov). Those in os are masculine, rarely feminine; those in ov are neuter.