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Adverbs

Adverbs in Greek function much as they in English; namely, they provide additional information about a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Most often, they indicate manner, time, intensity, quantity, or place. In this lesson, we discuss adverbs that are formed from adjectives.

 

Formation

The most common ending for an adverb is –ως. This ending corresponds almost exactly to the –ly ending in English. Adverbs do not decline.

To form this type of adverb, start with the GENITIVE PLURAL of the ADJECTIVE and substitute –ς for the final –ν (S 343). (Τhe adverb does not, in fact, derive from the genitive plural, but this method provides a convenient way to determine the form of the adverb.) The ACCENT remains as it was on the genitive plural.

For example:

Adjective	Genitive Plural	Adverb
ἀληθής ἀληθές	ἀληθῶν	ἀληθῶς
ἡδύς ἡδεῖα ἡδύ	ἡδέων	ἡδέως
κακός –ή –όν	κακῶν	κακῶς
ὅλος -η -ον	ὅλων	ὅλως

 

Vocabulary

Greek adverbs derived from adjectives are not normally listed in a vocabulary or lexicon, since they form regularly and have predictable meanings. If an adverb has a more specialized meaning or distinct form, however, it is listed. Note, for example, the following common adverbs:

ἄλλως otherwise

ἅπλως singly, in one way, simply

ἴσως equally, probably, perhaps

ὅμως likewise, equally

οὕτω, οὕτως in this way, thus

πάντως altogether, in all ways, at any rate

πάνυ altogether, entirely, certainly

τὸ πρῶτον first

πῶς in what way? how?

πως (enclitic) in any way

ὕστερον afterwards

ὧδε thus, in this way; here

ὡς as

ὥσπερ just as, as if

 

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Numbers

Cardinal Numbers

Ancient Greek normally writes out cardinal numbers. The numbers one, two, three and four decline, most in the 3rd declension. The numbers from 5 to 199 do not decline.

εἷς, μία, ἕν one
δύο two
τρεῖς, τρία three
τέτταρες, τέτταρα four

 

We have already learned how to inflect the number one. To review:

εἷς μία ἕν one (S 349; GPH p. 37)

	M	F	N
Nominative	εἷς	μία	ἕν
Genitive	ἑνός	μιᾶς	ἑνός
Dative	ἑνί	μιᾷ	ἑνί
Accusative	ἕνα	μίαν	ἕν

 

δύο two (S 349; GPH p. 37)

	M/F/N
Nominative	δύο
Genitive	δυοῖν
Dative	δυοῖν
Accusative	δύο

 

τρεῖς, τρία three (S 349; GPH p. 38)

	M/F	N
Nominative	τρεῖς	τρία
Genitive	τριῶν	τριῶν
Dative	τρισί	τρισί
Accusative	τρεῖς	τρία

 

τέτταρες, τέτταρα four (S 349; GPH p. 38)

	M/F	N
Nominative	τέτταρες	τέτταρα
Genitive	τεττάρων	τεττάρων
Dative	τέτταρσι	τέτταρσι
Accusative	τέτταρας	τέτταρα

 

The cardinal numbers 5-29 (S 347)

five: πέντε	fourteen: τέτταρες καὶ δέκα
six: ἕξ	fifteen: πεντεκαίδεκα
seven: ἑπτά	sixteen: ἑκκαίδεκα
eight: ὀκτώ	seventeen: ἑπτακαίδεκα
nine: ἐννέα	eighteen: ὀκτωκαίδεκα
ten: δέκα	nineteen: ἐννεακαίδεκα
eleven: ἕνδεκα	twenty: εἴκοσι
twelve: δώδεκα	twenty one: εἷς καὶ εἴκοσι
thirteen: τρεῖς καὶ δέκα	twenty two: δύο καὶ εἴκοσι κτλ

– κοντα indicates the tens (-ty)

thirty: τριάκοντα	seventy: ἑβδομήκοντα
forty: τετταράκοντα	eighty: ὀγδοήκοντα
fifty: πεντήκοντα	ninety: ἐνενήκοντα
sixty: ἑξήκοντα	one hundred: ἑκατόν

– κόσιοι indicates the hundreds. Note that the numbers two hundred and higher decline as 1st and 2nd declension adjectives.

two hundred: διακόσιοι –αι –α	thousand: χίλιοι –αι –α
three hundred: τριακόσιοι –αι –α	two thousand: δισχίλιοι –αι –α
four hundred: τετρακόσιοι –αι –α	three thousand: τρισχίλιοι –αι –α
five hundred: πεντακόσιοι –αι –α	ten thousand: μύριοι –αι –α
six hundred: ἑξακόσιοι –αι –α	twenty thousand: δισμύριοι –αι –α
seven hundred: ἑπτακόσιοι –αι –α	= δύο μυριάδες
eight hundred: ὀκτακόσιοι –αι –α	hundred thousand: δεκακισμύριοι –αι –α
nine hundred: ἐνακόσιοι –αι –α	hundred million: μυριάκις μύριοι –αι –α

 

Numeral Notation

In the Classical period, inscriptions show the following numerals. This system is called the ACROPHONIC, i.e., some of the numbers are represented by the first letter of the word for that number (S 348A). Note, for example, a version of the Π = πέντε; Δ = δέκα; Η, which in an earlier alphabet was the letter representing a rough breathing, represents ἑκατόν; Χ = χίλιοι; and Μ = μύριοι.

Note also the compound signs. In these cases, multiply the numbers that comprise the compound.

 

After the 2nd c. B.C., ALPHABETIC NUMERALS replace the acrophonic system (S 347).

 

 

 

Ordinal Numbers

Ancient Greek normally writes out ordinal numbers. Note that ordinals decline as regular 1st and 2nd declension adjectives (S 347).

first: πρῶτος –η –ον	twelfth: δωδέκατος –η –ον
second: δεύτερος –α –ον	thirteenth: τρίτος καὶ δέκατος κτλ
third: τρίτος –η –ον	twentieth: εἰκοστός –ή –όν
fourth: τέταρτος –η –ον	thirtieth: τριακοστός –ή –όν
fifth: πέμπτος –η –ον	fortieth: τετταρακοστός –ή –όν
sixth: ἕκτος –η –ον	fiftieth: πεντηκοστός –ή –όν
seventh: ἕβδομος –η –ον	sixtieth: ἑξηκοστός –ή –όν
eighth: ὄγδοος –α –ον	seventieth: ἑβδομηκοστός –ή –όν
ninth: ἔνατος –η –ον	eightieth: ὀγδοηκοστός –ή –όν
tenth: δέκατος –η –ον	ninetieth: ἐνενηκοστός –ή –όν
eleventh: ἐνδέκατος –η –ον	hundredth: ἑκατοστός –ή –όν

 

Number Adverbs

With the exception of ἅπαξ (once), δίς (twice), and τρίς (thrice), Greek normally adds –κις to a cardinal number to make numeral adverbs (S 347).

For example:

once: ἅπαξ
twice: δίς
thrice (three times): τρίς
four times: τετράκις
five times: πεντάκις
six times: ἑξάκις
ten times: δεκάκις

With number adverbs in hand, now we can do some math!

• ἑκκαίδεκα καὶ τέτταρά εἰσιν εἴκοσι
  • sixteen plus (and) four equals (are) twenty
• τὰ πεντάκις δέκα ἐστὶ πεντήκοντα
  • five times ten (or: ten five times) equals (is) fifty

 

– τὸ τέλος –

 

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