Question about contract nouns

Greek Learning Greek
1

I’m now here, regarding nouns.

http://daedalus.umkc.edu/FirstGreekBook/JWW_FGB30.html

My problem here is that the description of the contract nouns is…so sparse that I don’t understand it.

What makes a contract noun one in the first place? And are they edited with in the same way as the whole part about contractions?

2

Contract nouns and adjectives are those whose stem ends in a vowel, which contracts with the initial vowels of the endings in accordance with the rules of contraction that apply generally, for example, ε + ο > ου. The same rules apply to contract verbs.

3

Are you using the book alongside the tutorial?
It basically says what Hylander has just explained to you.

https://archive.org/stream/firstgreek96west00whituoft#page/72/mode/2up

4

Are these the only general rules of contraction, or did I miss more that applies to noun, adjective and verb?

  1. Observe that
    (1) α + ο, ου, or ω = ω; α + ε = ᾱ; α + ει = ᾳ.

  2. Observe that

  3. ε + ω = ω; ε + ο or ου = ου; ε + ε or ει = ει.

  4. Observe also that

  5. ο + ω = ω; ο + ο, ε, or ου = ου; ο + ει = οι.

5

Smyth #59 has a table of them.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0007%3Apart%3D1%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D1

6

ε + ο > ου is not the only rule. That’s why I wrote “for example”.

And the commonly cited rules are those of Attic Greek of the classical period and later.

7

Ok, another question about contract nouns, in regards to their declension, as shown in this excerpt from Lesson 20 of “First Greek Book”

νοῦς, ὁ, MIND
Nominative Singular (νόος) νοῦς
Genitive Singular (νόου) νοῦ
Dative Singular (νόῳ) νῷ
Accusative Singular (νόον) νοῦν
Vocative Singular (νόε) νοῦ
Nominative Accusative and Vocative Dual (νόω) νώ
Genitive and Dative Dual (νόοιν) νοῖν
Nominative and Vocative Plural (νόοι) νοῖ
Genitive Plural (νόων) νῶν
Dative Plural (νόοις) νοῖς
Accusative Plural (νόους) νοῦς

Am I correct in assuming that what is happening here is that I’m supposed to decline the noun first, and then contract the result? And that the declension is that of the Consonant Declension?

8

The declension is actually 2nd declension (notice the -ος, -ου, -ῳ, -ον). But yes, it is contracted. In Attic speech, you would have νοῦς, νοῦ, νῷ,…

The uncontracted forms will appear in literature outside of Attic.

9

But am I supposed to decline the noun first before contracting? Or contract before declining?

10

Start with νο-. Add the endings:

–ος
-ου
-ῳ
-ον
-ε

That gives you:

νό-ος
νό-ου
νό-ῳ
νό-ον
νό-ε

Now contract:

Nom. νοῦς
Gen. νοῦ
Dat. νῷ
Acc. νοῦν
Voc. νοῦ

And similarly for the plural. Timothée will probably have some suggestions for the above (I’m probably not being etymologically accurate, though it works fine for a mnemonic).

11

Ah. So it is decline before contract. Now I am sure.

Thanks jeidsath.