Additional Common Adjectives: πᾶς, μέγας, πολύς, ἡδύς, ἀληθής, and -ᾱς, -ᾱσα, -αν
© 2021 Philip S. Peek, CC BY 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0264.32
Adjectives
Remember that Greek and English adjectives have the same function, though the Greek adjective has endings and the English adjective does not. Adjectives in both languages are words that describe nouns. In the phrase the happy and sad blues, the, happy, and sad describe the noun blues. The Greek adjective has endings because the endings enable it to agree in gender, case, and number with the noun it modifies.
Additional Common Adjectives
Review the below paradigms carefully and note that you have already memorized the majority of the endings. Remember that the letter nu in parentheses is a nu-movable. It may be added to the ending when the following word begins with a vowel or at the end of clauses or verses. Otherwise, it is left off.
πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν all, each, every, whole |
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- Τhe adjectives ἅπᾱς, ἅπᾱσα, ἅπᾱν all, each, every, whole and σύμπᾱς, σύμπᾱσα, σύμπᾱν all, whole, entire decline like πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν.
- The stem for the masculine and neuter, παντ-, differs from the stem, πασ-, for the feminine.
- The letter nu in the masculine and neuter dative plural is a nu-movable. It may be added to the ending when the following word begins with a vowel or at the end of clauses or verses. Otherwise, it is left off.
Singular
M
F
N
N
μέγας
μεγάλη
μέγα
A
μέγαν
μεγάλην
μέγα
G
μεγάλου
μεγάλης
μεγάλου
D
μεγάλῳ
μεγάλῃ
μεγάλῳ
V
μεγάλε
μεγάλη
μέγα
Plural
M
F
N
N
μεγάλοι
μεγάλαι
μεγάλα
A
μεγάλους
μεγάλᾱς
μεγάλα
G
μεγάλων
μεγάλων
μεγάλων
D
μεγάλοις
μεγάλαις
μεγάλοις
V
μεγάλοι
μεγάλαι
μεγάλα
Singular
M
F
N
N
μέγας
μεγάλη
μέγα
G
μεγάλου
μεγάλης
μεγάλου
D
μεγάλῳ
μεγάλῃ
μεγάλῳ
A
μέγαν
μεγάλην
μέγα
V
μεγάλε
μεγάλη
μέγα
Plural
M
F
N
N
μεγάλοι
μεγάλαι
μεγάλα
G
μεγάλων
μεγάλων
μεγάλων
D
μεγάλοις
μεγάλαις
μεγάλοις
A
μεγάλους
μεγάλᾱς
μεγάλα
V
μεγάλοι
μεγάλαι
μεγάλα
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- πολύ is often found in the accusative as an accusative of respect. It translates well into English as the adverb very.
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- The Adjective εὐθύς, εὐθεῖα, εὐθύ straight, direct declines like ἡδύς, ἡδεῖα, ἡδύ sweet.
- The letter nu in the masculine and neuter dative plural is a nu-movable. It may be added to the ending when the following word begins with a vowel or at the end of clauses or verses. Otherwise, it is left off.
Singular
M/F
N
N
ἀληθής
ἀληθές
A
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
ἀληθές
G
ἀληθέος, ἀληθοῦς
ἀληθέος, ἀληθοῦς
D
ἀληθεῖ
ἀληθεῖ
V
ἀληθές
ἀληθές
Plural
M/F
N
N
ἀληθέες, ἀληθεῖς
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
A
ἀληθεῖς
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
G
ἀληθέων, ἀληθῶν
ἀληθέων, ἀληθῶν
D
ἀληθέσι (ν)
ἀληθέσι (ν)
V
ἀληθέες, ἀληθεῖς
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
Singular
M/F
N
N
ἀληθής
ἀληθές
G
ἀληθέος, ἀληθοῦς
ἀληθέος, ἀληθοῦς
D
ἀληθεῖ
ἀληθεῖ
A
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
ἀληθές
V
ἀληθές
ἀληθές
Plural
M/F
N
N
ἀληθέες, ἀληθεῖς
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
G
ἀληθέων, ἀληθῶν
ἀληθέων, ἀληθῶν
D
ἀληθέσι (ν)
ἀληθέσι (ν)
A
ἀληθεῖς
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
V
ἀληθέες, ἀληθεῖς
ἀληθέα, ἀληθῆ
- The adjectives ψευδής, ψευδές false and ἀκριβής, ἀκριβές exact, accurate, precise decline like ἀληθής, ἀληθές.
- In the dative singular the intervocalic sigma dropped out (εσι) and the vowels contracted to form -εῖ.
- The letter nu in the masculine/feminine and neuter dative plural is a nu-movable. It may be added to the ending when the following word begins with a vowel or at the end of clauses or verses. Otherwise, it is left off.
Mixed Declension Adjectives
As is the case with -ων, -ουσα, -ον (Module 20), the masculine and neuter genders decline like nouns of sets 9 and 10. The feminine declines like short-alpha nouns of set 3.
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- After removing the past indicative augment, add these endings to the third principal parts of first aorist ω-verbs.
- Note that technically these forms are participles, which are defined as verbal adjectives. For now, treat these forms like any other adjective, making sure that you know what noun the participle agrees with in gender, case, and number; or supplying a noun based on the participle’s gender and number; or supplying a noun from context for the participle to modify. In part I of the 21st-Century series, aorist participles are glossed like so, ἄρξᾱς, ἄρξαντος ὁ ruling, having ruled.
- The letter nu in the masculine and neuter dative plural is a nu-movable. It may be added to the ending when the following word begins with a vowel or at the end of clauses or verses. Otherwise, it is left off.
- Τhe endings for the second aorist participle are the same as those for the present and future participles. To refresh your memory, see Module 20. These endings are also similar to the participle of εἰμί, ὤν, οὖσα, ὄν without the breathings: λιπών, λιποῦσα, λιπόν leaving, having left. Note the fixed accent. Participles will be explained fully in Part II of the 21st-Century series.
Practice Translating Additional Adjectives. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key, making sure that you understand why each word translates as it does. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.
- πάντα ῥύει; οὐδὲν ἀσφαλές.
- ἡδὺ φαγέειν, πίνειν, γελάειν.
- πολλὰ λέγειν ἀλλὰ οὐ πολὺς χρόνος.
- μέγα βιβλίον τὸ ἴσον τῷ μεγάλῳ κακῷ.
- ὁ ποταμὸς εἰς θάλατταν ῥύει εὐθύ.
- ἔφη πολλοὺς μισήσειν τοῦτον, ὃς κακὰ ἀεὶ λαλέειν ἐθέλει.
- τοῖς ἀχρημάτοις κλέπτειν ἀναγκαίως ἔχει πολύ.
- ἐπεὶ τῆς ἡμέρᾱς ὀψὲ ἦν, οἶνος ἡμῖν καὶ λόγος πολύς.
- ὥστε χρόνος τὰ κρυπτὰ πάντα πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἄγει.
- γέλως ἄκαιρος πᾶσι βροτοῖς φέρει δεινὸν κακόν.
Vocabulary
*ἄγω, ἄξω, ἤγαγον do, drive, lead; χάριν ἄγω I give thanks |
*ἵσος, ἴση, ἴσον equal, similar + dative |
ἄκαιρος, ἄκαιρον inopportune, untimely |
*κακός, κακή, κακόν bad, evil, cowardly |
ἀναγκαίως necessarily, with necessity |
κρυπτός, κρυπτή, κρυπτόν hidden, secret |
ἀχρήματος, ἀχρήματον without money, poor |
λαλέω talk, chat, prattle, babble, speak nonsense |
βιβλίον, βιβλίου τό book |
*λόγος, λόγου ὁ word, speech, reason |
βροτός, βροτοῦ ὁ mortal |
μισέω, μισήσω, ἐμίσησα hate |
γελάω, γελάσομαι, ἐγέλασα laugh |
οἶνος, οἴνου ὁ wine |
γέλως, γέλωτος ὁ laughter |
ὀψέ late + gen. |
*δεινός, δεινή, δεινόν awesome, fearsome, terrible |
πίνω drink |
*ἐθέλω (θέλω), ἐθελήσω, ἐθέλησα wish, be willing |
*ποταμός, ποτάμου ὁ river |
*ἔφη he, she, it said |
ῥύω flow |
*ἡμέρᾱ, ἡμέρᾱς ἡ day |
φαγέω eat |
*ἦν he, she, it was |
*φέρω, οἴσω, ἤνεγκα or ἤνεγκον bring, bear, carry; endure |
*θάλασσα (θάλαττα), θαλάσσης ἡ sea |
φῶς, φωτός τό light |
*χρόνος, χρόνου ὁ time |
- The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.
Homer
Homer, Ὅμηρος, lived about 750 BCE. He is conventionally credited with the composition of the epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Iliad centers on the character of Akhilleus and the Trojan War, both dating to about 1100 BCE. The Odyssey concerns Odysseus and his attempt to return home at the end of the ten-year Trojan War. In the poems Homer speaks of his own modern day (c. 750 BCE) and refers to it regularly. When telling the stories of Akhilleus and Odysseus, he refers to these events as existing in ancient times. Of the many accounts of Homer’s life, the most common is that he was a blind bard from Ionia—blindness being associated with excellence in the poetic craft.
The Homeric Question asks who authored the epics. One view holds that Homer did and exalts him and the genius of his work. At the other extreme, scholars question Homer’s existence, do not believe that one person authored both epics, and believe the poems are the result of layers of different poems combined through the years into a single faulty and incomplete whole. Some scholars, who conclude that Homer authored both epics, accept the argument that the epics are the result of layering but argue that they form a beautifully complete whole. In his own day and for many centuries later, scholars and lay people considered Homer’s poetic ability so good that many poets shied away from writing epic poetry.
This textbook offers a small selection from the Odyssey where Penelope and her husband in disguise, Odysseus, interrogate each other, verbally sparring as the reader wonders if Penelope has seen through her husband’s disguise and who is testing whom.
Practice Translating. Translate the sentences below, which have been adapted from Homer’s Odyssey (Ὀδύσσεια). Remember the meanings and functions of the cases presented in Module 7. Use your memory to identify endings and their functions. If you forget an ending or a function, consult the Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Pronoun Chart in Appendix VIII and the Case and Function Chart in Appendix I. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key, making sure that you understand why each word translates as it does. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.
Πηνελόπεια: ἀλλὰ δεῖ σοι τὸν ὄνειρον ὑποκρίνασθαι καὶ ἀκοῦσαι. χῆνές μοι κατὰ οἶκον εἴκοσι πυρὸν ἔδουσιν ἐξ ὕδατος, καί τούτοις ἰαίνομαι εἰσορόουσα. ἦλθε δʼ ἐξ ὄρεος μέγας αἰετὸς ἀγκυλοχείλης καὶ πᾶσι αὐχένας κατἦξε καὶ ἔκτανεν. οἱ μὲν χέονται ἀθρόοι ἐν μεγάροις· ὁ δʼ ἐς αἰθέρα δῖαν ἀέρθη. αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ ἔκλαιον καὶ ἐκώκυον ἔν περ ὀνείρῳ. ἀμφὶ δʼ ἔμʼ ἠγερέθοντο εὐπλοκαμῖδες Ἀχαιαί, οἴκτρα τε ὀλοφύρομαι ὅτι μοι αἰετὸς ἔκτανε χῆνας. ὁ δ’ ἂψ ἐλθὼν ἄρʼ ἕζεται ἐπὶ μελάθρῳ· φωνῇ δὲ βροτείᾳ κατερητύει φώνησέν τε· |
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αἰετός: δεῖ σοὶ θαρσέειν, Ἰκαρίου κούρη τηλεκλειτοῦ· οὐκ ὄναρ, ἀλλʼ ὕπαρ ἐσθλόν, ὅ τοι τετελεσμένον ἔσται. χῆνες μὲν μνηστῆρες· ἐγὼ δέ τοι αἰετὸς ὄρνις ἦν πάρος, νῦν αὖτε τεὸς πόσις ἥκω, ὃς πᾶσι μνηστήρεσσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐφήσω. |
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Πηνελόπεια: αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ μελιηδὴς ὕπνος ἀνῆκε. ἐγὼ δὲ χῆνας ἐν μεγάροις ἐπάπτηνα καὶ νόησα. οἱ δὲ πυρὸν ἐρέπτονται παρὰ πύελον, ἧχι πάρος περ. |
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Ὀδυσσεύς ξεῖνος: οὔ πως ἔστιν ὑποκρίνασθαι ὄνειρον ἄλλῃ, ἐπεὶ ἦ ῥὰ αὐτὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς εἶπε ὅπως τελέει. μνηστήρεσσιν δὲ φαίνεται ὄλεθρος πᾶσι μάλ’, οὐδέ τις θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξει. |
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Πηνελόπεια: ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν ὄνειροι ἀμήχανοι ἀκριτόμυθοι γίγνοντ’, οὐδέ τι πάντα τελέεται ἀνθρώποις. |
Adverbs and Verbs
ἀείρω, ἀρέω, ἤειρα, ἧρκα, ἧρμαι, ἀέρθην lift, heave, raise up; (pass.) be suspended, hang |
ἧχι where |
*ἀκούω, ἀκούσομαι, ἤκουσα hear, hear of or about, listen, heed + gen. or acc. of thing or gen. of person |
θαρσέω, θαρσήσω, ἐθάρσησα take courage, dare |
ἀλύσκω, ἀλύξω, ἤλυξα flee from, shun, avoid, forsake |
ἰαίνω heat, relax; warm, cheer |
ἀμφί about, for the sake of + gen; about, around + dat.; about, around (motion often implied) + acc. |
κατάγνυμι, -ἄξω, -ἤξα break, shatter |
ἀνίημι, ἀνήσω, ἀνῆκα send up or forth; let go; abate; loose; allow + inf.; dissolve |
κατερητύω hold back, detain; check |
αὐτάρ but, besides, moreover |
κλαίω, κλαιήσω or κλᾱήσω, ἔκλαυσα weep, lament, wail |
αὖτε furthermore, again |
κτείνω, κτενέω, ἔκτεινα or ἔκτανον kill, slay, slaughter |
ἄψ back |
κωκύω, κωκύσω, ἐκώκυσα cry, wail |
*γίγνομαι, γενήσομαι, ἐγενόμην be, be born |
*λέγω, λέξω or ἐρέω, ἔλεξα or εἶπον say, tell, speak |
*δεῖ it is necessary + ‘x’ in gen. or dat. or acc. + inf., δεῖ ἐλθεῖν it is necessary to come |
μάλα very |
ἔδω eat |
νοέω, νοήσω, ἐνόησα or ἔνωσα perceive by the eyes, observe, notice; think, deem; intend + inf. |
ἕζομαι seat, sit |
παπταίνω, ------, ἐπάπτηνα watch, gaze |
*εἰμί, ἔσομαι be, be possible |
πάρος before, formerly |
ἐρέπτομαι feed on |
πως somehow, someway |
*ἔρχομαι, ἐλεύσομαι, ἦλθον come, go |
τελέω, τελέω or τελέσω, ἐτέλεσα fulfill, accomplish, bring to an end; pay (taxes); |
ἐφίημι, -ἥσω, -ἧκα send on or against; let go, yield; (mid.) command; (mid.) aim at, long for + gen.; (mid.) allow + inf. |
τοι you know, mark you, surely, in truth |
ἦ in truth, verily |
ὑποκρίνομαι reply, answer; interpret |
ἠγερέθομαι gather, assemble |
*φαίνω, φανέω, ἔφηνα show, reveal; (pass.) come to light, appear |
*ἥκω, ἥξω have come, be present |
φωνέω speak, utter |
ἦν he, she, it was |
χέω, χέω, ἔχεα, κέχυκα, κέχυμαι, ἐχύθην pour; (pass.) be heaped up |
Adjectives, Nouns, and Pronouns
ἀγκυλοχείλης, ἀγκυλοχείλεος ὁ with hooked beak |
μέλαθρον, μελάθρου τό roof beam, roof |
ἀεικής, ἀεικές pitiful, mean; strange |
μελιηδής, μελιηδές honey-sweet |
ἀθρόος, ἀθρόα, ἀθρόον in crowds, heaps |
μνηστήρ, μνηστῆρος ὁ (epic dat. pl. μνηστήρεσσιν) suitor |
αἰετός, αἰετοῦ ὁ eagle |
ξεῖνος (ξένος), ξείνου (ξένου) ὁ stranger; guest-friend |
αἰθήρ, αἰθέρος ὁ ἡ ether, sky, air, heaven |
οἶκος, οἴκου ὁ house, palace |
ἀκριτόμυθος, ἀκριτόμυθον babbling incoherently, difficult to interpret; reckless |
οἶκτρος, οἴκτρα, οἶκτρον pitiable, lamentable; wailing |
*ἄλλος, ἄλλη, ἄλλο another, other |
ὄλεθρος, ὀλέθρου ὁ ruin, death |
ἀμήχανος, ἀμήχανον without resource, helpless, impossible; inexplicable |
ὄναρ, ὀνείρου τό dream |
*ἄνθρωπος, ἀνθρώπου ἡ ὁ human, person |
ὄνειρος, ὀνείρου ὁ dream |
Ἀχαιός, Ἀχαιά, Ἀχαιόν Greek, Akhaian |
ὄρνις, ὄρνιθος ὁ ἡ bird, bird of omen |
αὐχήν, αὐχένος ὁ throat, neck |
ὄρος, ὄρεος (-ους) τό mountain |
βρότειος, βρότειον (-ος, -α, -ον) mortal |
πόσις, πόσεως ὁ husband |
δῖος, δῖα, δῖον divine, noble |
πότμος, πότμου ὁ fate, destiny, lot |
εἴκοσι (ν) twenty |
πύελος, πυέλου ἡ feeding-trough; bathing-tub |
εἰσορόουσα, εἰσοροούσης ἡ looking upon |
πυρός, πυροῦ ὁ wheat |
ἐλθών, ἐλθόντος ὁ coming, going; having come, having gone |
τεός, τεή, τεόν your |
ἐσθλός, ἐσθλή, ἐσθλόν noble, fine, good |
τετελεσμένος, τετελεσμένη, τετελεσμένον accomplished, completed |
εὐπλοκαμίς, εὐπλοκαμῖδος fair-tressed, with comely hair |
τηλεκλειτός, τηλεκλειτόν far-famed |
θάνατος, θανάτου ὁ death |
ὕδωρ, ὕδατος τό water; pond |
Ἰκάρίος, Ἰκαρίου ὁ Ikarios |
ὕπαρ, ὕπαρος τό waking vision |
κήρ, κῆρος ἡ doom, death, fate |
ὕπνος, ὕπνου ὁ sleep |
κούρη (κόρη), κούρης ἡ daughter, girl |
φωνή, φωνῆς ἡ sound; voice; tone |
μέγαρον, μεγάρου τό great hall |
χήν, χηνός ὁ ἡ goose |
- The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.
Practice Parsing Greek Sentences. Parse each word of the sentences found below. For nouns and pronouns, give their case and function. For verbs, give their person, number, tense, mood, and voice. For adverbs and conjunctions, identify them. For prepositional phrases, give the preposition and the preposition’s object. For adjectives, tell what noun they agree with in gender, number, and case.
τί νομίζεις τὴν δημοκρατίαν πoλλῷ ἡδίονα τυραννίδος;
ὁ δ’ ἂψ ἐλθὼν ἄρʼ ἕζεται ἐπὶ μελάθρῳ· φωνῇ δὲ βροτείᾳ κατερητύει φώνησέν τε·
Check your answers with those in the Answer Key.
Module 26 Top 250 Vocabulary to be Memorized. Like learning the alphabet and endings, memorizing vocabulary is essential to acquiring language. The better you memorize the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary words the greater mastery of the language you will have.
Adjectives and Nouns
δίκαιος, δικαίᾱ, δίκαιον just
ὀλίγος, ὀλίγη, ὀλίγον few, little, small
πάθος, πάθεος (πάθους) τό suffering; experience; passion; emotion
πλεῖστος, πλείστη, πλεῖστον most, greatest, largest
φύσις, φύσιος (φύσηος, φύσεως) ἡ nature
Verbs
δέω, δεήσω, ἐδέησα, δεδέηκα, δεδέημαι, ἐδεήθην want, lack, miss, stand in need of, want + gen.; long or wish for + gen.; ask for ‘x’ in gen. or acc. from ‘y’ in gen., τοῦτο (or τούτου) ὑμῶν δέομαι I ask you for this
ἵστημι, στήσω, ἔστησα (trans.) or ἔστην (intrans.), ἕστηκα (intrans.), ἕσταμαι, ἐστάθην stand, make stand, place
καθίστημι (trans.) appoint, establish, put into a state; (intrans.) be established, be appointed, enter into a state
κεῖμαι, κείσομαι, ------, ------, ------, ------ lie
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κεῖμαι conjugates like so, |
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Infinitive: κεῖσθαι |