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4.2:  First declension and nouns

 

The first declension includes, as we have seen, stems ending in -η  and in -α. You will also remember that, while the genitive -ου identifies all nouns of the second declension, in the first declension there are two possible genitives:

The Genitive of the second declension ends in -ου

The Genitive of the first declension may end in  -ης  or  -ας.

 

I display here the two subgroups of first declension nouns side by side.  With both I use the feminine form of the article. 

For a complete chart of the article, click here.

 ἡ κόρ-η, κόρ-ης = the girl                                                                                     ἡ χαρά, χαρᾶς = joy

 

 

singular

COMPARISON

Note that the endings are the same.

In the SINGULAR they are applied to the stem vowel,   -η   or    -α

singular

nom

   ἡ κόρη

    ἡ χαρά

     gen

   τῆς κόρης

    τῆς χαρᾶς

     dat

   τῇ κόρῃ

    τῇ χαρᾷ

     acc

   τὴν κόρην

    τὴν χαράν

     voc

   ὦ κόρη

     ὦ χαρά

  

 

plural

COMPARISON

Note that the endings are the same.

In the PLURAL both models take   

in all the cases.

plural

nom

   αἱ κόραι

   αἱ χαραί

     gen

   τῶν κορῶν

   τῶν  χαρῶν

     dat

   ταῖς κόραις

   ταῖς  χαραῖς

     acc

   τὰς κόρας

   τὰς  χαράς

     voc

   ὦ κόραι

   ὦ  χαραί