I’ve been trying to get better at memorizing word accentuation from reading (which I am terrible at). In addition to getting better at distinguishing accent in pronunciation, I have been trying to get better at fitting individual words into the big picture as far as accent goes.
Probert’s Short Guide turns out to be a bit disappointing for this, as her rules (especially chapter 5, where they really matter) are eclectic rather than systematic.
Chandler has a short version of his colossal manual on Greek Accentuation, called “The Elements of Greek Accentuation”, which does wind up being very systematic, attempting to provide a rule for everything.
Simply memorizing Chandler’s rules directly would mostly be an exercise in memorizing the exceptions (which seems completely backwards if the hope is to internalize them). Probert’s rules in chapter 5 are even less suited to memorization, and have the same issue of exceptions.
Besides, I am very adverse to memorizing words out of context.
So I’ve created these notes for the first declension, based on Chandler. It’s a decision tree for the first declension. Whenever I come across a first declension noun or adjective that I don’t know the accent for, I can place the word as either “normal” or “exceptional”, and hopefully recall the accent better going forward. Also, I imagine that the rules will become internalized fairly quickly, at which time I can review the list of exceptions more profitably.
First declension
Compounds:
Long final syllable:
Disyllabic oxytone final component:
With a preposition: Retains the accent of the final component
Without a preposition: Paroxytone
Not a disyllabic oxytone final component: Retains the accent of the final component
Short final syllable: Retract the accent
Quantity of final α:
Doric α=η: long
Genitive ends in ης: short
Genitive in ας: long (with exceptions)
-εια in adjectives from ης: short
fem. adjectives like εὐπατέρεια: short
fem. in -εια from masc. in -ευς: short
fem. in -τρια: short
-υια: short (with exceptions)
-οια with more than two syllables: short (with exceptions)
-ρα:
-ιρα and simple words of more than two syllables with naturally long penultimate: short (with exceptions)
-ωρα, -δρα, -τρα, -θρα: long (with exceptions)
Others: long (with exceptions)
Simple words:
Words in -ας and -ης:
-ας: paroxytone (exceptions)
-ης:
Disyllable: paroxytone (with exceptions)
-ης with short penultimate: paroxytone (with exceptions)
-ιτης (-αιτης, -ειτης, -οιτης): paroxytone
From verbs in -ντης and -κτης: oxytone (with exceptions)
From verbs in -ᾱτης, -ητης, ῡτης, -ωτης: oxytone (with exceptions)
More than two syllables in -ευτης and -στης: oxytone (with exceptions)
All others in -ης: paroxytone (with exceptions)
Words in -α and -η:
-α from -ης: Retain the accent of the -ης form (with exceptions)
-Monosyllables: perispome
-Words of more than two syllables retract the accent (with exceptions in long -α/-η; see below)
Retrahent terminations:
-αα -αη
-βα -βη (with exceptions)
-εα (with exceptions, sometimes contracted to ῆ, usually fem. adj.)
-ζα
-θα -θη (with exceptions)
-αια (with exceptions)
-ια (with exceptions) [-αια, -εια, -οια, -οιη, -θια]
-κα -κη, except words of more than two syllables in -ωκη, -ῐκη
-λα -λη, except -ωλη, -ολη, -λη preceded by a diphthong
-ημη, -ῡμη, -ωμη: paroxytone (with exceptions)
-να -νη except for abstract words in -ονη (with exceptions)
-ξα -ξη
-οα -οη (with exceptions)
-πα -πη except -οπη and -ωπη (with exceptions)
-ρα -ρη except for -ορα (with exceptions)
-σα -ση except -ουσσα=οεσσα and ωσσα
-τα -τη except -ετη, -οτη, -κτη, -ορτη, -ουττα (with exceptions)
-υα -υη (with exceptions)
-ιφη, -ηφη, -λφη, -ρφη (with exceptions)
-ιχη, or consonant before χη (with exceptions)
-ψα -ψη
-ωα
Oxytone terminations:
-γα -γη
-δη (with exceptions)
-ωκη and -ῐκη with more than two syllables
-ωλη, -ολη, -λη preceded by a diphthong (with exceptions)
-μα -μη (with exceptions)
-ονη abstract words (with exceptions)
-οπη and -ωπη (with exceptions)
-ορα
-ετη, -οτη, -κτη, -ορτη (with exceptions)
-φα -φη except -ιφη, -ηφη, -λφη, -ρφη (with exceptions)
-χα -χη
-ωη
Properisome terminations:
-ουσσα=οεσσα and ωσσα
-ουττα
-Feminine adjectives used elliptically as substantives: retain adjectival accent
Oblique cases:
Accent follows nominative singular as far as general rules permit.
Genitive plural is perispome, unless it is an adjective identical in form to a corresponding masculine adjective where it will take the same accent as the masculine.
Genitives in -εω are proparoxytone
Genitives in -ιω and -ειω are paroxytone
Genitives in -αο from barytone common genitives are proparoxytone
Genitives in -αο from perispomes are properispome
Genitive and dative from oxytone nominatives are perispome
Perispome nominative singular are perispome throughout when they remain unresolved
It also sounds like a lot of work. Let me suggest, that with as much Greek as you’ve read, you’ve already absorbed more of the rules on accents than you think, even if you can’t always verbalize what that rule might be in a particular context. As a supplement, get a hold of unaccented Greek texts (knowing you, that should be no problem particularly with your computer skills). Read through them and provide the accents. Then check your work, and refer to these reference texts as you have questions.