2. Nouns of the 1st declension

Question 1

1. Most first declension nouns have nominative singular forms that end in η or ᾱ (the ᾱ ending occurs when the stem ends in ε, ι, or ρ). Because of the long ultima there are only three accent patterns. BUT remember the “genitive plural rule”: for a noun of the first declension (only) the genitive plural form is always perispomenon (the accent is a circumflex on the ultima).

Decline δίκη (“justice”) in the singular. The iota is short.

Answer 1

. δίκη, δίκην, δίκης, δίκῃ

Question 2

2. Decline δίκη in the plural. (Remember the “genitive plural rule”)

Answer 2

. δίκαι, δίκᾱς, δικῶν, δίκαις

Question 3

3. The penult of an “eta noun” can also be long. Decline νῑ́κη (“victory”) in the singular.

Answer 3

. νῑ́κη, νῑκην, νῑ́κης, νῑ́κῃ

Question 4

4. decline νῑ́κη in the plural. Remember that final -αι (not -αις) is short. And remember the “genitive plural” rule.

Answer 4

. νῖκαι, νῑ́κᾱς, νῑκῶν, νῑ́καις

Question 5

5. Eta nouns can also be oxytone (the accent can be an acute on the ultima). Remember the “genitive / dative” rule, which applies to all oxytones in the 1st and 2nd declension. Decline βοή in the singular.

Answer 5

. βοή, βοήν, βοῆς, βοῇ

Question 6

6. In the plural the accent on the genitive form is determined by both “the genitive plural rule” and the “genitive / dative” rule. Decline βοή in the plural.

Answer 6

. βοαί, βοᾱ́ς, βοῶν, βοαῖς

Question 7

7. As already noted, first declension nouns with stems ending in ε, ι, or ρ can be “long-alpha nouns.”

Decline ἀπορίᾱ (“perplexity”) in the singular.

(note: long alphas are not marked in normal Greek texts; they are given here because they are worth remembering. They are not given when a vowel has a circumlex or an iota subscript, since those vowels can only be long.)

Answer 7

. ἀπορίᾱ, ἀπορίᾱ, ἀπορίᾱς, ἀπορίᾳ

Question 8

8. Decline ἀπορία in the plural. The endings of all first declension nouns (though not the accents) are the same as those used for δίκη etc. Remember “the genitive plural” rule (for nouns of the first declension).

Answer 8

. ἀπορίαι, ἀπορίᾱς, ἀποριῶν, ἀπορίαις

Question 9

9. The accent can be an acute on a short penult. Decline φιλίᾱ (“friendship”) in the singular.

Answer 9

. φιλίᾱ, φιλίᾱν, φιλίᾱς, φιλίᾳ

Question 10

10. Decline φιλίᾱ in the plural.

Answer 10

. φιλίαι, φιλίᾱς, φιλιῶν, φιλίαις

Question 11

11. The accent can also be an acute on a long penult. Decline χώρᾱ (“land, territory”) in the singular.

Answer 11

. χώρᾱ, χώρᾱν, χώρᾱς, χώρᾳ

Question 12

12. Decline χώρᾱ in the plural. Remember that final -αι is short.

Answer 12

. χῶραι, χώρᾱς, χωρῶν, χώραις

Question 13

13 Decline ἀγορᾱ́ in the singular. Remember “the genitive / plural” rule.

Answer 13

. ἀγορᾱ́, ἀγορᾱ́ν, ἀγορᾶς, ἀγορᾷ (nb. macrons / long marks are not given when there is a circumflex, because a circumflex MUST be on a long syllable).

Question 14

14 Decline ἀγορᾱ́ in the plural. Remember “the genitive plural” rule and the “genitive / dative” rule.

Answer 14

. ἀγοραἰ, ἀγορᾱ́ς, ἀγορῶν, ἀγοραῖς

Question 15

15. A relatively small number of first declension nouns have nominative singular and accusative singular endings with alphas that are SHORT. Unless the stems end with ε, ι, or ρ the singular endings have η in the genitive and dative singulars.

Decline θάλαττα in the singular.

(Note that the accent on θάλαττα tells us that the α must be short).

Answer 15

. θάλαττα, θάλατταν, θαλάττης, θαλάττῃ

Question 16

16. Decline θάλαττα in plural. The accents are on antepenult, penult, and ultima.

Answer 16

. θάλατται, θαλάττᾱς, θαλαττῶν, θαλάτταις

Question 17

17. Decline δόξα (“opinion; reputation”) in the singular.

(Note that for these words you can only see if the alpha is short by looking it up in the lexicon; short alpha nouns are marked as short; long alpha nouns are not marked)

Answer 17

. δόξα, δόξαν, δόξης, δόξῃ

Question 18

18. Decline δόξα in the plural. Remember the “genitive plural” rule.

Answer 18

. δόξαι, δόξας, δοξῶν, δόξαις

Question 19

19. Short alpha nouns can also have an accented long penult in the nominative singular. Decline μοῦσα (“muse”) in the singular.

Answer 19

. μοῦσα, μοῦσαν, μούσης, μούσῃ

Question 20

20. Decline μοῦσα in the plural. (short alpha nouns are never oxtyone, I think, so we’re done with this kind of noun).

Answer 20

. μοῦσαι, μούσᾱς, μουσῶν, μούσαις

Question 21

21. Short alpha nouns with stems ending with ε, ι, and ρ have long alphas rather than etas in the genitive and dative singular. Decline γέφυρα (“bridge”).

Answer 21

. γέφυρα, γέφυραν, γεφύρᾱς, γεγύρᾳ

Question 22

22. Decline γέφυρα in the plural. Remember the “genitive plural” rule.

Answer 22

. γέφυραι, γεφύρᾱς, γεφυρῶν, γεφύραις

Question 23

23. Decline ἡμέρα (“day”) in the singular.

Answer 23

. ἡμέρα, ἡμέραν, ἡμέρᾱς, ἡμέρᾳ

Question 24

24. Decline ἡμέρα in the plural.

Answer 24

. ἡμέραι, ἡμέρᾱς, ἡμερῶν, ἡμέραις

Question 25

25. Decline μοῖρα (“fate”) in the singular. Note that in this case the alpha MUST be short, and will change to reflect different endings.

Answer 25

. μοῖρα, μοῖραν, μοίρᾱς, μοίρᾳ

Question 26

26. Decline μοῖρα in the plural.

Answer 26

. μοῖραι, μοίρᾱς, μοιρῶν, μοίραις

Question 27

27. some first declension nouns are MASCULINE, and have a nominative singular ending in -ης or (after ε, ι, ρ) -ᾱς. Their other endings are the same as for 1st declension feminine words except in the genitive singular and the vocative singular. These words also have vocative forms in the singular Decline Πέρσης, ὁ (“Persian”) in the singular.

Answer 27

Πέρσης, Πέρσην, Πέρσου, Πέρσῃ, Πέρσα

Question 28

28. Decline Πέρσης in the plural. The “genitive plural” rule still applies.

Answer 28

. Πέρσαι, Πέρσᾱς, Περσῶν, Πέρσαις

Question 29

29. Decline πολῑ́της, ὁ (“citizen”) in the singular.

Answer 29

. πολῑ́της, πολῑ́την, πολῑ́του, πολῑ́τῃ, πολῖτα

Question 30

30. Decline πολῑ́της in the plural.

Answer 30

. πολῖται, πολῑ́τᾱς, πολῑτῶν, πολῑ́ταις

Question 31

31. Decline ποιητής, ὁ (“poet”) in the singular. (Remember the “genitive / dative” rule).

Answer 31

. ποιητής, ποιητήν, ποιητοῦ, ποιητῇ, ποιητά

Question 32

32. Decline ποιητής in the plural.

Answer 32

. ποιηταί, ποιητᾱ́ς , ποιητῶν, ποιηταῖς

Question 33

33. Decline νεᾱνίᾱς, ὁ (“young man”) in the singular.

Answer 33

. νεᾱνίαι, νεᾱνίᾱς, νεᾱνιῶν, νεᾱνίαι