Hi - I’m trying to get my head around the various declensions, and have found what looks like a useful chart:
However, I can’t see what the difference is between set 2 and set 4. Is this an error? The website it comes from is Ancient Greek I - First Declension Short Alpha Nouns
The most significant difference between sets 2 and 4 is the quantity of the alpha in the nom. and acc. singular (short unless marked long). But the chart appears to be wrong, for the endings given in set 4 do not follow ε, ι, or ρ. E.g. μοῦσα has the set 4 endings, with short alpha.
But these things are best learnt with sample words, along with the distinction between “pure” and “impure” alpha.
Ah, thank you. I’m a long way from worrying about accents on alphas. If I deleted set 4, would it be a safe chart to follow…?
I’d use this instead, if you want a safe chart.
Are you sure in respect of μουσα? According to LSJ and Smyth μουσα has the set 3.
It’s not so much a matter of the accents as of the quantity of the alpha. Any given α will be either long or short. The same goes for any given ι or υ. But it is a good idea to learn the accents along with the words.
bedwere’s advice is good: follow those charts. And Jean corrects me on μοῦσα: I meant μοῖρα.
I think the chart is right. Set 4 consists of feminine nouns with short α in the nominative singular preceded by ε, ι, or ρ, such as γέφυρα, which keep ᾱ in the genitive and the dative. Μοῦσα belongs in Set 3, feminine nouns with short α in the nominative singular but η in the genitive and dative. Oops. Cross-posted with mwh.
The Germans can leave the sets 2, 4, 6 out, using for the sets 1,3,5 the so called “Eier”-rule (ειρ > is spoken as the word “Eier” (Eggs): All “Eier” keep the “a”. even better in my opinion the other rule: “Arie”-rule “(< αριε, Arie = Aria - from the Opera-Aria): A stays after ριε.
Thank you all. I remain a bit confused. I’m only half way through the Taylor Greek to GCSE course so very much a beginner. Our teacher hasn’t suggested yet that we worry much about accents, other than those for smooth and rough breathings, and the iota subscript. I think she’s concerned (with some justification) that we will be overloaded if we start trying to use the other accents, although she does always use them in her written Greek. I was trying to create a sort of algorithm for identifying the declension. So far I’d got to:
If the noun in the nominative singular ends in η α ης ας it’s first declension; if it ends in ος ον it’s 2nd declension and if the genitive singular ends in ος it’s 3rd declension.
Then with the 1st declension nouns I was going to record that you just remove the genitive ending and decline as set 5, unless the stem ends ε ι ρ in which case you decline as set 6.
And then I kind of ground to a halt. Will try and digest all your helpful comments and revisit!
Your rule for the first declension works. But the chart doesn’t reflect several classes of second and third declension nouns. In particular, some masculine 3rd decl. nouns have nom. -ευς, gen. -εως; 3rd decl. fem. nouns with nom. -ις, gen. -εως; and 3rd decl. neut. nouns with nom. -ος, gen. -ους. These are important classes of nouns (and there may be other classes not represented in the chart that I’m not remembering offhand). But don’t worry about these noun classes yet; you will come to them eventually. For now, my point in mentioning them is just to make you aware that the chart is incomplete.
Thank you. I’ll stop trying to over-simplify….Ancient Greek just doesn’t work like that!
