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Adjectives: Other Declension Families

We have already discussed the most common declension grouping for adjectives: Three-Ending 1st and 2nd Declension Adjectives (2-1-2). In this chapter, we cover the three other declension families:

• Two-Ending 2nd Declension Adjectives (2-2)
• Two-Ending 3rd Declension Adjectives (3-3)
• Three-Ending 1st and 3rd Declension Adjectives (3-1-3)

 

Two-Ending Adjectives: 2nd Declension (2-2)

A handful of adjectives, usually compounds, use 2nd DECLENSION endings for ALL GENDERS. For these adjectives:

• Both the MASCULINE and FEMININE forms share the SAME ENDINGS as 2nd DECLENSION MASCULINE nouns.
• The NEUTER form shares the same endings as 2nd DECLENSION NEUTER nouns.

ἄδικος -ον unjust (S 289; GPH p. 24)

Singular

	M/F	N
Nominative	ἄδικος	ἄδικον
Genitive	ἀδίκου	ἀδίκου
Dative	ἀδίκῳ	ἀδίκῳ
Accusative	ἄδικον	ἄδικον

Plural

	M/F	N
Nominative	ἄδικοι	ἄδικα
Genitive	ἀδίκων	ἀδίκων
Dative	ἀδίκοις	ἀδίκοις
Accusative	ἀδίκους	ἄδικα

 

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Two-Ending Adjectives: 3rd Declension (3-3)

Another small group of adjectives uses 3rd DECLENSION endings for ALL GENDERS. For these adjectives:

• Both the MASCULINE and FEMININE forms share the SAME ENDINGS as 3rd DECLENSION MASCULINE/FEMININE nouns.
• The NEUTER form uses the same endings as a 3rd DECLENSION NEUTER nouns.

These adjectives tend to fall into one of two groups:

• Adjectives ending in –ης –ες. These adjectives have a stem ending in –εσ.
• Adjectives ending in –ων –ον. These adjectives have a stem ending in –ον.

 

1. Adjectives in –ης –ες.

ἀληθής -ές (stem: ἀληθέσ-) true (S 292; GPH p. 26)

Singular

	M/F	N
Nominative	ἀληθής	ἀληθές
Genitive	ἀληθοῦς	ἀληθοῦς
Dative	ἀληθεῖ	ἀληθεῖ
Accusative	ἀληθῆ	ἀληθές

Plural

	M/F	N
Nominative	ἀληθεῖς	ἀληθῆ
Genitive	ἀληθῶν	ἀληθῶν
Dative	ἀληθέσι	ἀληθέσι
Accusative	ἀληθεῖς	ἀληθῆ

The contractions that produce the inflection of –ης –ες adjectives are similar to nouns in –εσ that we have already studied, e.g. Σωκράτης, -ους (stem: Σωκράτεσ-) and ἔτος -ους (stem: ἔτεσ-). The main differences are:

• For the NEUTER of 3-3 adjectives, –ες does not become –ος in the nominative and accusative singular.
• The MASCULINE/FEMININE accusative plural is identical to the nominative plural: –έσες → –εῖς.

That said, adjectives of this type are fairly rare. The only other common adjective inflected like ἀληθής -ές is σαφής -ές clear.

 

2. Adjectives ending in –ων –ον.

βελτίων -ον (stem: βέλτιον-) better (S 293; GPH p. 11)

Singular

	M/F	N
Nominative	βελτίων	βέλτιον
Genitive	βελτίονος	βελτίονος
Dative	βελτίονι	βελτίονι
Accusative	βελτίονα	βέλτιον

Plural

	M/F	N
Nominative	βελτίονες	βελτίονα
Genitive	βελτιόνων	βελτιόνων
Dative	βελτίοσι	βελτίοσι
Accusative	βελτίονας	βελτίονα

Notice that the inflection of –ων –ον adjectives is similar to nouns ending in –ον that we have already studied, e.g. δαίμων -ονος. Note that:

• In the MASCULINE/FEMININE nominative singular, –ονς becomes –ων due to the loss of the sigma, and subsequent compensatory lengthening.
• In the dative plural of all genders, the –ν of –ονσι has dropped out, leaving only –οσι.

 

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Three-Ending Adjectives: 1st and 3rd Declension (3-1-3)

The final group of adjectives uses 3rd DECLENSION endings for MASCULINE and NEUTER, but 1st DECLENSION endings for FEMININE.

Note, however, that when modifying a FEMININE noun, they use SHORT –ᾰ– in the NOMINATIVE and ACCUSATIVE SINGULAR. This change must be remembered, since it affects the ACCENT of these adjectives. These adjectives tend to fall into one of two groups:

• Adjectives ending in –ς –σα –ν. These adjectives have a stem ending in –ντ.
• Adjectives ending in –ύς –εῖα –ύ. These adjectives have a stem ending in –ε.

 

1. Adjectives in  –ς –σα –ν.

While a handful of adjectives have their stem ending in –ντ, we have already encountered the most common one: πᾶς πᾶσα πᾶν all, every, whole (S 299; GPH p. 30). No others appear in our vocabulary lists.

Singular:

	M	F	N
Nominative	πᾶς	πᾶσα	πᾶν
Genitive	παντός	πάσης	παντός
Dative	παντί	πάσῃ	παντί
Accusative	πάντα	πᾶσαν	πᾶν

Plural:

	M	F	N
Nominative	πάντες	πᾶσαι	πάντα
Genitive	πάντων	πασῶν	πάντων
Dative	πᾶσι	πάσαις	πᾶσι
Accusative	πάντας	πάσας	πάντα

 

2. Adjectives in –ύς –εῖα –ύ.

As you study this inflection pattern, note the following:

• Remember that if the stem of the adjective ends in –ε, –ι or –ρ, the singular forms change the –η– to –ᾱ-. For 3-1-3 adjectives, however, the change affects only the GENITIVE and DATIVE SINGULAR. The nominative and accusative singular already have short –ᾰ-.
• In the nominative and accusative singular of the masculine and neuter, the stem ends in –υ.
• The masculine accusative singular ending is –ν.
• The masculine nominative and accusative plural are identical: ἡδεῖς.
• Not all of the expected contractions occur: see, e.g., ἡδέος, ἡδέων, and ἡδέα.
• All adjectives of this declension family share the same persistent accent.

ἡδύς -εῖα -ύ (stem: ἡδέ-) sweet (S 297; GPH p. 32)

Singular:

	M	F	N
Nominative	ἡδύς	ἡδεῖα	ἡδύ
Genitive	ἡδέος	ἡδείας	ἡδέος
Dative	ἡδεῖ	ἡδείᾳ	ἡδεῖ
Accusative	ἡδύν	ἡδεῖαν	ἡδύ

Plural:

	M	F	N
Nominative	ἡδεῖς	ἡδεῖαι	ἡδέα
Genitive	ἡδέων	ἡδειῶν	ἡδέων
Dative	ἡδέσι	ἡδείαις	ἡδέσι
Accusative	ἡδεῖς	ἡδείας	ἡδέα

 

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Bringing It All Together

In the following charts you can see that you have now learned the endings of most nouns, adjectives, and pronouns that you will encounter in Greek. (To download this chart, click here: Greek Nouns Adj Pronouns Master List.)

– τὸ τέλος –

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