Irregular nouns in modern Greek
Irregular nouns in Modern Greek are nouns that behave grammatically differently than the majority of modern Greek nouns in various ways .
Overview
In the narrower sense, nouns are meant that have peculiarities in the declension :
- Nouns that have individual stems and forms and therefore do not follow a common declination scheme in modern Greek (Ιδιόκλιτα Idióklita) . These are often words that were taken from the standard language and follow an ancient Greek declination scheme; these behave irregularly within the framework of a purely modern Greek grammar , but regularly according to ancient Greek standards.
- Heteroclitic nouns that follow different paradigms in their declension (Διπλόκλιτα Diplóklita / Ετερόκλιτα Eteróklita) .
- Nouns that have two parallel forms in the singular or plural (Διπλοκατάληκτα Diplokatálikta) .
In a broader sense, the following groups of nouns can also be called irregular:
- Undeclinable nouns (Άκλιτα Áklita)
- Defective nouns in which certain forms - mostly the genitive - do not exist (Ελλειπτικά ellipticá) . Some nouns only appear in the singular, others only in the plural.
Some words also belong to several of these groups at the same time, e.g. B. το ήμισυ ( to ímisi half), which both follows an individual declension and is defective and has no plural forms.
It must be noted that by learning the irregular declensions described in this article, there is still no 100% certainty about all forms, since even regularly declined nouns can differ in the accentuation of the genitive. Here only a knowledge of the origin (scholarship) of the word and experience help. Examples:
- το πρόσωπο ( to prósopo the face)> Gen. του προσώπου (emphasis shifts backwards). This category includes numerous learned words that were often taken over from ancient Greek in unchanged form.
- το σίδερο ( to sídhero the iron)> Gen. του σίδερου (emphasis doesn't shift). This category includes newer and compound words as well as personal names from everyday life.
use
Most nouns with irregular declination are used relatively seldom, especially in spoken language. A distinction must be made between words that are rarely used because of their style, as a synonymous vernacular word is usually used, and words that are rarely used for other reasons, for example because the subject matter they describe is not often the subject of the conversation .
However, some irregularly declined nouns are used very often because they do not have a full synonym to use in their place. They belong to the basic vocabulary of modern Greek:
- το βράδυ ( to vrádhi the evening)
- το γεγονός ( to jegonós the fact, the event)
- το κρέας ( to kréas the meat)
- ο μυς ( o mis the muscle)
- το σύμπαν ( to símban the universe)
- το φως ( to fos the light)
- among others
Despite their frequent use, these words follow irregular declension schemes, which means that even native Greek speakers are not always sure how to decline these words. With the word ο μυς (the muscle) even the lexicons do not agree on some forms. Such uncertain forms tend to be avoided in everyday life and are often only used in written texts. Most of these irregular nouns are therefore used predominantly in the nominative and in the accusative, especially when it is identical to the nominative. The genitive, which is unusual in many of these words, is rarely used in general.
For most of the heteroclitic, inclinable or defective nouns, the peculiarity of the declension has no effect on the frequency of use of the word.
Nouns with an individual declension scheme
In the following, the nouns that have an individual declination scheme in Modern Greek and are fairly common are listed first alphabetically, then sorted according to their endings. Very rarely used high-level words that have a vernacular counterpart from the same stem (η σφιγξ> η σφίγγα, ο βηξ> ο βήχας) are generally not taken into account here, even if they can occur in certain rare contexts. Some names - also not dealt with in detail here - exist both in ancient Greek and in modern Greek declination (ο Αριστοτέλης> Gen. του Αριστοτέλη or του Αριστοτέλους; ο éλéνων or ο Κλ is based on a contemporary Greek, for example, depending on whether the Greek is a Greek, for example Arέων or refer to the ancient philosopher. Parenthesized forms are very rare.
List of nouns with irregular declension
Note: Nouns that occur very rarely and exclusively in technical languages or in certain fixed phrases are provided with an asterisk *.
- Α: η αιδώς, ο αιτών, το άλας, ο αλέκτωρ *, η άλως *, το ανακοινωθέν, ο ανήρ *, ο αντίπους *, ο αστυς *, ροτυς *, ροτυς, ροτυς
- Β: η βάβω, το βεληνεκές, το βράδυ
- Γ: ο γείτων *, το γεγονός, ο γέλως *, το γόνυ *
- Δ: το δάκρυ, το δέλεαρ, το δέρας, ο διδάκτωρ, το δίχτυ (το δίκτυ), ο δόκτωρ, το δόρυ, η δρυς
- Ε: το έαρ *, το εκκρεμές, το ελεφαντοστούν, το ενδιαφέρον, ο έρως, το εσπεριδοειδές
- Η: το ήμισυ, το ημίφως, το ήπαρ, η ηχώ
- Ι: το ιδεώδες, η ισχύς, ο ιχθύς *
- Κ: το καθεστώς, το καθήκον, ο κλαυσίγελως *, το κρέας, ο κύων *
- Λ: ο λέων, το λυκόφως
- Μ: ο μάρτυς, το μέλλον, το μηδέν, ο μυς
- Ν: ο νους
- Ο: το ον, το όναρ *, το οξύ, το οστούν *, το ους *
- Π: ο παις, το παν, ο Παντοκράτωρ, ο παππούς, το παρελθόν, το παρόν, ο πατήρ, η πει θρ, που πλρς, .πλερς, .πλερς που, που πτρς,
- Σ: το σέβας, το σέλας, το σεληνόφως, το στάχυ, το στέαρ *, το στέαρ *, το συμβάν, το σύμπαν, το συμφέρων, ρο
- Τ: το τέρας
- Υ: το ύδωρ
- Φ: η φειδώ, το φρέαρ, το φωνήεν, το φως
Masculine
Irregular masculins do not follow the usual masculine declination schemes; i.e., in the nominative they do not end in ‑ος, ‑ός, ‑ας, ‑άς, ‑ης, ‑ής, ‑ες, ‑ές, ‑έας, but on ‑ήρ, ‑ωρ, ‑ους, ‑ούς, ‑Υς, ‑ύς, ‑ων, ‑ών, ‑ως.
- Masculine in ‑ήρ
The irregularly declined masculine in modern Greek on ‑ήρ all come from ancient Greek and are used in certain, rare contexts instead of their vernacular counterparts:
- ο ανήρ ( o anír the man), instead of: ο άντρας
- ο αστήρ ( o astír the star), instead of: το αστέρι
- ο πατήρ ( o patír the father [mostly monk], God the Father), instead of: ο πάτερ, ο πατέρας. Decl. Like ο αστήρ
- ο Σωτήρ ( o Sotír the Savior), instead of: ο σωτήρας
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο ανήρ | οι άνδρες |
| Genitive | του ανδρός | των ανδρών |
| accusative | τον άνδρα | τους άνδρες |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο αστήρ | οι αστέρες |
| Genitive | του αστέρος | των αστέρων |
| accusative | τον αστέρα | τους αστέρες |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο σωτήρ | οι σωτήρες |
| Genitive | του σωτήρος | των σωτήρων |
| accusative | τον σωτήρα | τους σωτήρες |
- Masculine in ‑ωρ
The irregularly declined masculine in Modern Greek on ‑ωρ are used in certain contexts instead of their vernacular counterparts:
- ο αλέκτωρ ( o aléktor the biblical cock that crows three times), instead of: ο πετεινός, ο κόκορας
- ο διδάκτωρ ( o dhidháktor the doctor [in the academic sense]), instead of: ο διδάκτορας
- ο δόκτωρ ( o dhóktor the doctor), instead of: ο δόκτορας
- ο Παντοκράτωρ ( o Pandokrátor the All- Ruler ), instead of: ο παντοκράτορας
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο διδάκτωρ | οι διδάκτορες |
| Genitive | του διδάκτορος | των διδακτόρων |
| accusative | τον διδάκτορα | τους διδάκτορες |
- Masculine in ‑ους
The irregularly declined masculines in Modern Greek on ‑ους are:
- ο νους ( o nus the mind)
-
ο πλους ( o plus the shipping) and some derivatives like
- ο απόπλους ( o apóplus the departure of the ship)
- ο περίπλους ( o períplus the cruise)
- Derivations from ο πους ( o pus the foot, verse foot):
- ο αντίπους ( o andípus the opposite pole; in the plural: the antipodes)
- ο Οιδίπους ( o Idhípus Oedipus)
- ο προπάππους ( o propápus the great-grandfather)
- These words follow different declination schemes:
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο νους | - |
| Genitive | του νου | - |
| accusative | το (ν) νου | - |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο πλους | πλόες |
| Genitive | του πλου | των πλόων |
| accusative | τον πλου | πλόες |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο προπάππους | (οι προπαππούδες) |
| Genitive | του προπάππου | (των προπαππούδων) |
| accusative | τον προπάππου | (τους προπαππούδες) |
| vocative | προπάππου! | προπαππούδες! |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο αντίπους | οι αντίποδες |
| Genitive | του αντίποδος | των αντιπόδων |
| accusative | τον αντίποδα | τους αντίποδες |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο Οιδίπους | - |
| Genitive | του Οιδίποδος | - |
| accusative | τον Οιδίποδα | - |
| vocative | Οιδίπου! | - |
- Masculine in ‑ούς
The irregularly declined masculines in Modern Greek in ‑ούς are:
- ο παππούς ( o papús the grandfather)
- Proper names like Ιησούς ( Iisús Jesus).
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο παππούς | οι παππούδες |
| Genitive | του παππού | των παπούδων |
| accusative | τον παππού | τους παππούδες |
| vocative | παππού! | παππούδες! |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο Ιησούς | (οι Ιησούδες) |
| Genitive | του Ιησού | (των Ιησούδων) |
| accusative | τον Ιησού | (τους Ιησούδες) |
| vocative | Ιησού! | (Ιησούδες!) |
- Masculine in ‑υς
The irregularly declined masculines in Modern Greek on ‑υς are:
- ο μάρτυς ( o mártis the witness), instead of: ο μάρτυρας
- ο μυς ( o mis the muscle)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο μάρτυς | οι μάρτυρες |
| Genitive | του μάρτυρος | των μαρτύρων |
| accusative | τον μάρτυρα | τους μάρτυρες |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο μυς | οι μύες / μυς |
| Genitive | του μυ / μυός | των μυών |
| accusative | το (ν) μυ | τους μύες / μυς |
- Masculine in ‑ύς
An irregularly declined masculine in Modern Greek on ‑ύς is:
- ο ιχθύς ( o ichthís the fish). This word is not in everyday use for fish (το ψάρι), but in some special uses such as z. B. the zodiac sign " Pisces ".
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο ιχθύς | οι ιχθύες |
| Genitive | του ιχθύος | των ιχθύων |
| accusative | τον ιχθύ | τους ιχθύς |
- Masculine on ‑ων
Irregularly declined masculines in Modern Greek on ‑ων are for example:
- ο γείτων ( o jíton the neighbor, the neighboring country)
- ο κύων ( o kíon the dog). Never used in the everyday sense for dog (ο σκύλος), but in fixed idioms and for the zodiac sign dog.
- ο λέων ( o léon the lion). Mostly not used in the everyday sense for Leo (το λιοντάρι), but in certain expressions and for the zodiac sign Leo .
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο γείτων | οι γείτονες |
| Genitive | του γείτονος | των γειτόνων |
| accusative | τον γείτονα | τους γείτονες |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | (ο κύων) | (οι κύνες) |
| Genitive | (του κυνός) | (των κυνών) |
| accusative | (τον κύνα) | (τους κύνας / κύνες) |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο λέων | οι λέοντες |
| Genitive | του λέοντος | των λεόντων |
| accusative | τον λέοντα | τους λέοντες |
- The list could be extended now many words, either in learned contexts of their vernacular counterparts instead on -ωνας (επιστήμων> επιστήμωνας, τέκτων> τέκτωνας) are used or where it is nominalized adjectives (ο ευγνώμων o evgnómon the Grateful) or Participles (ο άρχων o árchon the ruler) acts.
- Masculine on ‑ών
An irregularly declined masculine in Modern Greek on ‑ aufν is, for example:
- ο αιτών ( o etón the applicant)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο αιτών | οι αιτούντες |
| Genitive | του αιτούντος | των αιτούντων |
| accusative | τον αιτούντα | τους αιτούντες |
- The list could be expanded to include numerous words, which are substantiated adjectives (ο εκών o ekón the willing ) or participles (ο απών o apón the absent).
- Masculine in ‑ως
The irregularly declined masculine in modern Greek in ‑ως are not very common in the spoken language. Depending on the context and style, however, it is rarely possible to use these nouns, which usually have a vernacular equivalent:
- ο γέλως ( o jélos the laughter) instead of: το γέλιο
- ο κλαυσίγελως ( o klafsíjelos [laughter and crying at the same time]) instead of: ο κλαυσίγελος
- ο έρως ( o éros love, eros) instead of: ο έρωτας
- among others
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ο γέλως | οι γέλωτες |
| Genitive | του γέλωτος | των γελώτων |
| accusative | τον γέλωτα | τους γέλωτες |
- The word ο παις ( o pes the child) is used in certain contexts in the plural, but not in the singular:
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | (ο παις) | οι παίδες |
| Genitive | (του παιδός) | των παίδων |
| accusative | (τον παίδα) | τους παίδες |
| vocative | (παι!) | παίδες! |
- Some masculines in ‑ης / ‑ής also form the vocative according to the ancient Greek scheme. This is the case when addressing certain persons of respect:
- ο καθηγητής> Κύριε καθηγητά! Professor!
- ο συνταγματάρχης> Κύριε συνταγματάρχα! Colonel!
Feminine
Irregular feminines do not follow the usual feminine declension schemes; i.e., they do not end in the nominative with ‑η, ‑ή, ‑α, ‑ά, ‑ος, ‑ός, ‑έας, ‑ής, ‑ού, but with ‑υς, ‑ύς, ‑ω, ‑ώ, ‑Ως, ‑ώς. High-level language forms that do not differ semantically from the usual form and are only selected in rare cases for stylistic reasons (e.g. η πραγματικότης instead of η πραγματικότητα the truth ) are not taken into account here. Feminina in ‑ις, which all have a common vernacular equivalent (e.g. η πόλις / η πόλη the city ), are also not taken into account .
- Feminine in ‑υς
An irregularly declined feminine in modern Greek on ‑υς is:
- η δρυς ( i dhris the oak, the oak wood).
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η δρυς | οι δρύες |
| Genitive | της δρυός | των δρυών |
| accusative | τη (ν) δρυ (ν) | τις δρύς |
- Feminine in ‑ύς
An irregularly declined feminine in Modern Greek on ‑ύς is:
- η ισχύς ( i is-chís the validity)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η ισχύς | - |
| Genitive | της ισχύος | - |
| accusative | την ισχύ | - |
- Other nouns in this category such as B. η οφρύς ( i ofrýs the eyebrow, the wall) mostly have vernacular counterparts and are only used in texts of learned style or in technical languages.
- Feminine on ‑ω
The irregularly declined feminines in Modern Greek on ‑ω are:
- η βάβω ( i vávo the old woman)
- some feminine names like Βάσω Vásso .
- These words are not used in the plural. However, if you want z. B. to address several "Vassos", one can form a plural form using the diminutive suffix ‑ούλα: οι Βασούλες.
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η βάβω | (οι βάβες) |
| Genitive | της βάβως | (των βάβων) |
| accusative | τη βάβω | (τις βάβες) |
| vocative | βάβω! | (βάβες!) |
- Feminine on ‑ώ
The irregularly declined feminines in Modern Greek on ‑ώ are:
- η φειδώ ( i fidhó the thrift)
- η πειθώ ( i pithó the power of persuasion)
- η ηχώ ( i ichó the echo)
- some feminine names like Μυρτώ Mirtó .
- Η φειδώ, η πειθώ and η ηχώ are generally declined in the same way; the latter two have, in addition to the regular genitive form on ‑ούς, also a form ‑ώς. None of the three nouns form plural forms. If you want to address several "Myrtos", you can create a plural form using the diminutive suffix ‑ούλα: οι Μυρτούλες.
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η φειδώ | - |
| Genitive | της φειδούς | - |
| accusative | τη φειδώ | - |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η Μυρτώ | - |
| Genitive | της Μυρτώς | - |
| accusative | τη Μυρτώ | - |
- Feminine in ‑ως
The irregularly declined feminines in Modern Greek on ‑ως are:
- η άλως ( i álos the halo)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η άλως | - |
| Genitive | της άλω | - |
| accusative | την άλω | - |
- Feminine in ‑ώς
The irregularly declined feminines in Modern Greek in ‑ώς are:
- η αιδώς ( i edhós the feeling of shame)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η αιδώς | - |
| Genitive | της αιδούς | - |
| accusative | την αιδώ | - |
Neutra
Irregular neutrals do not follow the usual declination schemes of the neuter; That is, they do not end in the nominative with ‑ο, ‑ό, ‑ι, ‑ί, ‑μο, ‑μα, ‑ος, but with ‑λα, ‑ν, ‑ρ, ‑ς, ‑υ, ‑ύ and ‑Όι or ‑άι / ‑αΐ.
- Neuter on ‑λα
- The word το γάλα ( to gála the milk) is irregular.
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το γάλα | τα γάλατα |
| Genitive | του γάλακτος | των γαλάτων |
| accusative | το γάλα | τα γάλατα |
- Neutra on ‑ν
The irregularly declined neutrals in Modern Greek on ‑ν are:
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το σύμπαν | τα σύμπαντα |
| Genitive | του σύμπαντος | των συμπάντων |
| accusative | το σύμπαν | τα σύμπαντα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το παν | τα πάντα |
| Genitive | του παντός | των πάντων |
| accusative | το παν | τα πάντα |
- Neutra on ‑αν / ‑άν:
- το παν ( to pan everything)
- το σύμπαν ( to símban the universe)
- το συμβάν ( to simván the incident)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το μηδέν | - |
| Genitive | του μηδενός | - |
| accusative | το μηδέν | - |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το φωνήεν | τα φωνήεντα |
| Genitive | του φωνήεντος | των φωνηέντων |
| accusative | το φωνήεν | τα φωνήεντα |
- Neutra on ‑εν / ‑έν:
- το φωνήεν ( to foníen the vowel)
- το μηδέν ( to midhén the zero)
- This can also include the substantiated participle aorist passive, which follow the ancient Greek declination scheme, such as B.
- το ανακοινωθέν ( to anakinothén the notice)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το ενδιαφέρον | τα ενδιαφέροντα |
| Genitive | του ενδιαφέροντος | των ενδιαφερόντων |
| accusative | το ενδιαφέρον | τα ενδιαφέροντα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το ον | τα όντα |
| Genitive | του όντος | των όντων |
| accusative | το ον | τα όντα |
- Neutra on ‑ον / ‑όν:
- το ον ( to on the essence)
- το ενδιαφέρον ( to endhiaféron the interest)
- το καθήκον ( to kathíkon the duty)
- το μέλλον ( to méllon the future)
- το παρελθόν ( to parelthón the past)
- το παρόν ( to parón the present)
- το προϊόν ( to pro-ión the product)
- το συμφέρον ( to simféron the advantage, benefit)
- All nouns in this category follow the declination scheme of το ον if they are end stressed and το ενδιαφέρον if they are not end stressed. The two nouns το παρελθόν and το παρόν do not form plural forms.
- All other neutras on ‑ον or ‑όν (e.g. το πύον to pýon der Pýon ) are declined to ‑ο / ‑ό according to the usual scheme of the neuter.
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το ελεφαντοστούν | τα ελεφαντοστά |
| Genitive | του ελεφαντοστού | - |
| accusative | το ελεφαντοστούν | τα ελεφαντοστά |
- Neutra on ‑ούν:
- το οστούν ( to ostún the bone, the bones)
- το ελεφαντοστούν ( to elefandostún the ivory)
- In all other forms apart from the nominative and accusative singular, the more popular, fully declinable form το ελεφαντοστό is used.
- Neutra on ‑ρ
The irregularly declined neutrals in Modern Greek on ‑ρ are:
- το έαρ ( to éar the spring)
- το δέλεαρ ( to délear the bait)
- το ήπαρ ( to ípar the liver)
- το όναρ ( to ónar the dream)
- το στέαρ ( to stéar the animal fat ["stearin"])
- το ύδωρ ( to ídhor the water)
- το φρέαρ ( to fréar the fountain)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το έαρ | - |
| Genitive | του έαρος | - |
| accusative | το έαρ | - |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το δέλεαρ | (τα δελέατα) |
| Genitive | (του δελέατος) | (των δελεάτων) |
| accusative | το δέλεαρ | (τα δελέατα) |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το ήπαρ | τα ήπατα |
| Genitive | του ήπατος | των ηπάτων |
| accusative | το ήπαρ | τα ήπατα |
- Also το στέαρ, το ύδωρ, το φρέαρ form all other forms with ‑τ‑; το όναρ occurs, if at all, only in the nominative and accusative singular; the also very rare το στέαρ does not form plural forms.
- These nouns are mostly only used in certain written texts, special fixed expressions or in technical languages. However, they are all listed as lemmas in large lexicons of modern Greek . The spoken language uses η άνοιξη (το έαρ), το συκώτι (το ήπαρ), το όνειρο (το όναρ), το νερό (το ύδαρ), το έρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητάρητά ρητάρητο Το δέλεαρ (the bait) has the vernacular equivalent το δόλωμα, but is most likely also used productively and in spoken language by the neutras mentioned.
- Neutra on ‑ς
The irregularly declined neutras in Modern Greek on ‑ς are:
-
το φώς ( to fos the light) and numerous compounds such as
- το ημίφως ( to imífos the twilight)
- το λυκόφως ( to lykófos the twilight)
- το σεληνόφως ( to selinófos the moonlight)
- το άλας ( to álas the salt [mostly in the chemical sense]), Decl. like το κρέας
- το κρέας ( to kréas the meat)
- το πάγκρεας ( to pangreas the pancreas)
- το σέβας ( to sévas the respect)
- το τέρας ( to téras the monster), Dec. like το κρέας
- το πέρας ( to péras the end), Decl. like το κρέας
- το δέρας ( to dhéras the fleece, the animal skin), Decl. like το κρέας
- το σέλας ( to sélas the Northern Lights )
- το γεγονός ( to jegonós the event, the fact)
- το καθεστώς ( to kathestós the regime)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το φως | τα φώτα |
| Genitive | του φωτός | των φώτων |
| accusative | το φως | τα φώτα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το κρέας | τα κρέατα |
| Genitive | του κρέατος | των κρεάτων |
| accusative | το κρέας | τα κρέατα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το σέβας | τα σέβη |
| Genitive | - | - |
| accusative | το σέβας | τα σέβη |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το σέλας | - |
| Genitive | του σέλαος, του σέλατος | - |
| accusative | το σέλας | - |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το γεγονός | τα γεγονότα |
| Genitive | του γεγονότος | των γεγονότων |
| accusative | το γεγονός | τα γεγονότα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το καθεστώς | τα καθεστώτα |
| Genitive | του καθεστώτως | των καθεστώτων |
| accusative | το καθεστώς | τα καθεστώτα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το εκκρεμές | τα εκκρεμή |
| Genitive | του εκκρεμούς | των εκκρεμών |
| accusative | το εκκρεμές | τα εκκρεμή |
Another group is the neuter on ‑ες / ‑ές, which are all declined like the neuter on ‑ος:
- το βεληνεκές ( to velinekés the range)
- το εκκρεμές ( to ekremés the pendulum)
- το εσπεριδοειδές ( to esperidho-idhés the citrus fruit)
- το ιδεώδες ( to ideódhes the ideal)
- This group could be expanded to include numerous substantiated adjectives of the category
‑ές (especially ‑ειδές).
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το ους | τα ώτα |
| Genitive | του ωτός | των ώτων |
| accusative | το ους | τα ώτα |
Only used in fixed phrases:
- το ους ( to us the ear), instead of: το αυτί
- Neutra on ‑υ
The irregularly declined neutrals in Modern Greek on ‑υ are:
- το άστυ ( to ásti the city), instead of: η πόλη
- το γόνυ ( to góni the knee), instead of: το γόνατο
- το δόρυ ( to dhóri the spear)
- το ήμισυ ( to ímisi half)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το άστυ | (τα άστη, τα άστεα) |
| Genitive | του άστεως | (των άστεων) |
| accusative | το άστυ | (τα άστη, τα άστεα) |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το γόνυ | τα γόνατα |
| Genitive | - | - |
| accusative | το γόνυ | τα γόνατα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το δόρυ | τα δόρατα |
| Genitive | του δόρατος | των δοράτων |
| accusative | το δόρυ | τα δόρατα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το ήμισυ | - |
| Genitive | του ημίσεως | - |
| accusative | το ήμισυ | - |
In addition, four other neutras end in ‑υ; However, they are declined to ‑ι according to the usual declination scheme of the neuter, with the difference that υ is usually used instead of ι. Thus it is more a question of orthographically irregular, but not really morphologically irregular nouns:
- το βράδυ ( to vrádhi the evening)
- το δάκρυ ( to dhákri the tear)
- το δίχτυ, το δίκτυ ( to dhíchti, to dhíkti the network)
- το στάχυ ( to stáchi the straw)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το βράδυ | τα βράδια, (τα βράδυα) |
| Genitive | του βραδιού | των βραδιών |
| accusative | το βράδυ | τα βράδια, (τα βράδυα) |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το δάκρυ | τα δάκρυα |
| Genitive | του δακρύου, (του δάκρυου) | των δακρύων |
| accusative | το δάκρυ | τα δάκρυα |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το δίχτυ | τα δίχτυα |
| Genitive | του διχτυού | των διχτυών, (των δικτύων) |
| accusative | το δίχτυ | τα δίχτυα |
- Like το δίχτυ, Το στάχυ forms all forms with υ.
- Neutra on ‑ύ
The irregularly declined neuter in Modern Greek on ‑ύ is:
- το οξύ ( to oxí the acid)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το οξύ | τα οξέα |
| Genitive | του οξέος | των οξέων |
| accusative | το οξύ | τα οξέα |
- Neutra in ‑όι or ‑άι / ‑αΐ
These neutrals can also be described as irregular, as it were, when they show the γ lost in the nominative singular in the genitive and plural. These include, for example:
- το κομπολόι ( to kombolói the rosary)
- το μοιρολόι ( to mirolói the lament)
- το μπόι ( to bói the body size)
- το ρολόι ( to rolói the clock)
- το σόι ( to sói the kind, clan)
- το τσάι ( to tsái the tea)
- το φαΐ ( to fa-í the food)
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το σόι | τα σόγια |
| Genitive | του σογιού | των σογιών |
| accusative | το σόι | τα σόγια |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το τσάι | τα τσάγια |
| Genitive | του τσαγιού | των τσαγιών |
| accusative | το τσάι | τα τσάγια |
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το φαΐ | τα φαγιά |
| Genitive | του φαγιού | των φαγιών |
| accusative | το φαΐ | τα φαγιά |
Heteroclitic nouns
Heteroclitic nouns follow different declensions in singular and plural. This often goes hand in hand with semantic diversification .
| Nominative singular | regular plural | additional plural |
|---|---|---|
| η νιότη | - | τα νιάτα |
| ο βάτος | οι βάτοι | τα βάτα |
| ο βράχος | οι βράχοι | τα βράχια |
| ο δεσμός | οι δεσμοί | τα δεσμά |
| ο καπνός | οι καπνοί | τα καπνά |
| ο λαιμός | οι λαιμοί | τα λαιμά |
| ο λόγος | οι λόγοι | τα λόγια |
| ο ναύλος | οι ναύλοι | τα ναύλα |
| ο ουρανός | οι ουρανοί | τα ουράνια |
| ο φάκελος | οι φάκελοι | τα φάκελα |
| ο χρόνος | οι χρόνοι | τα χρόνια |
| ο (ξ) αδελφός | οι (ξ) αδελφοί | τα (ξ) αδέλφια |
Nouns with parallel forms of the same declension
Several nouns have two different forms in the singular and / or plural, which, however, in contrast to the heteroclitic nouns, have the same gender.
| first singular form | second singular form | first plural form | second plural form |
|---|---|---|---|
| ο γονιός | - | οι γονιοί | οι γονείς |
| ο καπετάνιος | - | οι καπετάνιοι | οι καπεταναίοι |
| ο νοικοκύρης | - | οι νοικοκύρηδες | οι νοικοκυραίοι |
| το στήθος | - | τα στήθη | τα στήθια |
| ο φούρναρης | - | οι φουρνάρηδες | οι φουρναραίοι |
| η ανεμώνα | η ανεμώνη | οι ανεμώνες | - |
| το δάκρυ | το δάκρυο | τα δάκρυα | - |
| η κάμαρα | η κάμαρη | οι κάμαρες | - |
| ο μάγειρας | ο μάγειρος | οι μάγειρες | οι μάγειροι |
| το χείλι | το χείλος | τα χείλια | τα χείλη |
Cases like ο γείτων - ο γείτονας can of course also be considered as parallel forms, in which one form is high-level language, the other is vernacular. In terms of linguistic history, the latter developed from the accusative form of the former; therefore the accusative form of the two is mostly identical (τον γείτονα).
Indeclinable nouns
In modern Greek there is a large number of nouns that cannot be declined, i.e. are morphologically unchangeable. These are mostly words that were adopted from other European languages and could not be adapted to the Greek declension system. Usually these words have a neutral gender:
- το τρακ ( to trak the stress)
- το ογκρατέν ( to ogratén the gratin [actually: the "au gratin" ])
- το οφσάιντ ( to ofsaíd the offside)
- το πούλμαν ( to púlman the coach)
- το φερμουάρ ( to fermuár the zipper)
- το πορτμπαγκάζ ( to portbagás the trunk)
- and much more
But there are also indeclinable nouns that can be masculine or feminine:
- ο σταρ ( o star the [male] star)
- η σταρ ( i star the [female] star)
- η πλαζ ( i plas the beach)
Some indeclinable nouns are of Greek origin:
- το διάβα ( to dhiáva the passage)
- το υπερπέραν ( to iperpéran the afterlife)
The letters of the alphabet (το βήτα) and numerous names are also indeclinable:
- το Πάσχα ( to Pás-cha Easter)
- ο Μωάμεθ ( o Moámeth Mohammed)
- το Γιβραλτάρ ( to Jivraltár Gibraltar)
While the inclinable noun itself is immutable, the corresponding article is declined depending on the syntactic requirements: το πούλμαν, του πούλμαν, τα πούλμαν, των πούλμαν
Even if one of these words happens to have an ending that corresponds to a common modern Greek declination scheme, it still remains immutable:
- το μαγιό, τα μαγιό ( to majó, ta majó the swimming trunks [n]), and not: * τα μαγιά
Defective nouns
Defective nouns do not have certain forms, mostly the genitive case. In addition, some words only form singular forms, others only form plural forms.
No genitive (neither singular nor plural) is formed by all words that are formed with the diminutive suffix ‑άκι. If you want to form the genitive of such a word, you have to fall back on the underlying noun without a diminutive suffix:
-
το αρνάκι > Gen.
του αρνακιού(του μικρού αρνιού) ( to arnáki the lamb)
However, this does not apply to words that "randomly" end in ‑άκι without the diminutive suffix:
- το σοκάκι > Gen. του σοκακιού ( to sokáki the alley)
No genitive plural, but all other forms, form numerous nouns, including the following:
- η ζάχαρη ( i sáchari the sugar)
- η πείνα ( i pína the hunger)
- η υπακοή ( i ipako-í the obedience)
- το μίσος ( to mísos the hatred)
- uva
The following words occur exclusively in the genitive :
- του θανατά ( tu thanatá of death, doomed to die )
- λογιών ( lojón "-erlei"; e.g. πολλών λογιών ρούχα many pieces of clothing )
Only singular forms form the following words, which can designate both countable and uncountable things:
- η ηχώ ( i ichó the echo)
- το ήμισυ ( to ímisi half)
- η κούραση ( i kúrasi the tiredness)
- το ποιόν ( to pión the kind)
- το παρόν ( to parón the present)
- το χάος ( to cháos the chaos)
- uva
Only singular forms often form words that denote something unique or collective:
- ανθρωπότητα ( i anthropótita humanity)
- η γη ( i ji the earth)
- η κόλαση ( i kólasi hell)
- η ειρήνη ( i iríni the peace)
- το οξυγόνο ( to oxigóno the oxygen)
However, in special cases, for example in poetry, it is quite possible to use plural forms of such a word. In one of his poems, the poet Kostas Karyotakis even used the word τα χάη (“the Chaosse”) - strictly speaking, “wrong” . Only in rare cases is it actually unclear whether a plural could even be implemented morphologically, e.g. B. at η γη "the earth" (οι γες? Οι γεις? Οι γαίες?).
The following word occurs only in the nominative and accusative singular :
- το πρωί ( to pro-í the morning)
Only plural forms make up the following words:
- τα δίδακτρα ( ta dhídhaktra the apprenticeship)
- τα νιάτα ( ta njáta the youth)
- τα σύγκαλα ( ta síngala [healthy state of mind; στα σύγκαλα = "at consolation"])
- uva
Remarks
- ↑ Information on the frequency or the context of certain words can be obtained, for example, by researching a text corpus. A (chargeable) modern Greek text corpus with over 46 million words is on the website Archived Copy ( Memento of the original from June 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. accessible.
- ↑ cf. the poem Στροφές (ΙΙ), verse 2, in the poetry collection Νηπενθή.
See also
Literature and Sources
- Hans Ruge: Grammar of Modern Greek . Phonology, form theory, syntax. Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-923728-19-0 .
- Αναστασιάδη-Συμεωνίδη, Άννα: Αντίστροφο Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής .
- Κλαίρης, Χρήστος; Μπαμπινιώτης, Γεώργιος: Γραμματική της Νέας Ελληνικής . Athens 2005.
- Μπαμπινιώτης, Γεώργιος: Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας . 1st edition, Athens 1998.
- Τριανταφυλλίδης, Μανόλης: Νεοελληνική Γραμματική . Athens 1941.
- [O. A.]: Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης, Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών σπουδών: Λεξικό τελλης Κοινής Νεελης Κοινής . 1st edition, Thessaloniki 1998.
- large text corpus for word research