Introduction
Morphology
Similar to nouns, adjective also decline for case and number. However, they also decline for gender.
First-and-Second-Declension Adjectives
The first group of adjectives is are called first and second declension adjectives because they use the same endings as nouns belonging to the first and second declensions. There are a few subgroups here depending on exactly which set of endings adjectives take.
Adjectives in -ος, -ᾱ / -η, -ον use the regular second-declension endings in the masculine and neuter and they use the feminine first-declension endings for the feminine. As with nouns, a long -ᾱ- in the singular is retained only after ε, ι and ρ and changes to -η- otherwise.
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | -ος | -ᾱ / -η | -ον | -ω | -ᾱ | -ω | -οι | -αι | -ᾰ |
| Genitive | -ου | -ᾱς / -ης | -ου | -οιν | -αιν | -οιν | -ων | ||
| Dative | -ῳ | -ᾳ / -ῃ | -ῳ | -οις | -αις | -οις | |||
| Accusative | -ον | -ᾱν / -ην | =Nom | -ω | -ᾱ | =Nom | -ους | -ᾱς | =Nom |
| Vocative | ε | =Nom | =Nom | = Nominative | = Nominative | ||||
Example: Adjectives in -ος, -ᾱ / -η, -ον
δῐ́καιος, -ᾱ, -ον Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative δῐ́καιος δῐκαίᾱ δῐ́καιον δῐκαίω δῐκαίᾱ δῐκαίω δῐ́καιοι δῐ́καιαι δῐ́καιᾰ Genitive δῐκαίου δῐκαίᾱς δῐκαίου δῐκαίοιν δῐκαίαιν δῐκαίοιν δῐκαίων δῐκαίων δῐκαίων Dative δῐκαίῳ δῐκαίᾳ δῐκαίῳ δῐκαίοιν δῐκαίαιν δῐκαίοιν δῐκαίοις δῐκαίαις δῐκαίοις Accusative δῐ́καιον δῐκαίᾱν δῐ́καιον δῐκαίω δῐκαίᾱ δῐκαίω δῐκαίους δῐκαίᾱς δῐ́καιᾰ Vocative δῐ́καιε δῐκαίᾱ δῐ́καιον δῐκαίω δῐκαίᾱ δῐκαίω δῐ́καιοι δῐ́καιαι δῐ́καιᾰ
δεινός, -η, -ον Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative δεινός δεινή δεινόν δεινώ δεινᾱ́ δεινώ δεινοί δειναί δεινᾰ́ Genitive δεινοῦ δεινῆς δεινοῦ δεινοῖν δειναῖν δεινοῖν δεινῶν δεινῶν δεινῶν Dative δεινῷ δεινῇ δεινῷ δεινοῖν δειναῖν δεινοῖν δεινοῖς δειναῖς δεινοῖς Accusative δεινόν δεινήν δεινόν δεινώ δεινᾱ́ δεινώ δεινούς δεινᾱ́ς δεινᾰ́ Vocative δεινέ δεινή δεινόν δεινώ δεινᾱ́ δεινώ δεινοί δειναί δεινᾰ́
Note: Adjectives of Two Terminations (in -ος, -ον)
Adjectives in -οῦς, -ᾶ / -ῆ, -οῦν decline mostly like those in -η, -ον but have a few different endings in some cases due to contraction. Once again, a long -ᾱ- in the singular is retained only after ε, ι and ρ and changes to -η- in all other situations.
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | -οῦς | -ᾶ / -ῆ | -οῦν | -ω | -ᾶ | -ω | -οῖ | -αῖ | -ᾶ |
| Genitive | -οῦ | -ᾶς / -ῆς | -οῦ | -οῖν | -αῖν | -οῖν | -ῶν | ||
| Dative | -ῷ | -ᾷ / -ῇ | -ῷ | -οῖς | -αῖς | -οῖς | |||
| Accusative | -οῦν | -ᾶν / -ῆν | =Nom | -ω | -ᾶ | =Nom | -οῦς | -ᾶς | =Nom |
| Vocative | = Nominative | ||||||||
Example: Adjectives in -οῦς, -ᾶ / -ῆ, -οῦν
ᾰ̓ργῠροῦς, -ᾶ, -οῦν Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative ᾰ̓ργῠροῦς ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ ᾰ̓ργῠροῦν ᾰ̓ργῠρώ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ ᾰ̓ργῠρώ ᾰ̓ργῠροῖ ᾰ̓ργῠραῖ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ Genitive ᾰ̓ργῠροῦ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶς ᾰ̓ργῠροῦ ᾰ̓ργῠροῖν ᾰ̓ργῠραῖν ᾰ̓ργῠροῖν ᾰ̓ργῠρῶν ᾰ̓ργῠρῶν ᾰ̓ργῠρῶν Dative ᾰ̓ργῠρῷ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾷ ᾰ̓ργῠρῷ ᾰ̓ργῠροῖν ᾰ̓ργῠραῖν ᾰ̓ργῠροῖν ᾰ̓ργῠροῖς ᾰ̓ργῠραῖς ᾰ̓ργῠροῖς Accusative ᾰ̓ργῠροῦν ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶν ᾰ̓ργῠροῦν ᾰ̓ργῠρώ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ ᾰ̓ργῠρώ ᾰ̓ργῠροῦς ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶς ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ Vocative ᾰ̓ργῠροῦς ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ ᾰ̓ργῠροῦν ᾰ̓ργῠρώ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ ᾰ̓ργῠρώ ᾰ̓ργῠροῖ ᾰ̓ργῠραῖ ᾰ̓ργῠρᾶ
χρῡσοῦς, -ῆ, -οῦν ("golden") Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative χρῡσοῦς χρῡσῆ χρῡσοῦν χρῡσώ χρῡσᾶ χρῡσώ χρῡσοῖ χρῡσαῖ χρῡσᾶ Genitive χρῡσοῦ χρῡσῆς χρῡσοῦ χρῡσοῖν χρῡσαῖν χρῡσοῖν χρῡσῶν χρῡσῶν χρῡσῶν Dative χρῡσῷ χρῡσῇ χρῡσῷ χρῡσοῖν χρῡσαῖν χρῡσοῖν χρῡσοῖς χρῡσαῖς χρῡσοῖς Accusative χρῡσοῦν χρῡσῆν χρῡσοῦν χρῡσώ χρῡσᾶ χρῡσώ χρῡσοῦς χρῡσᾶς χρῡσᾶ Vocative χρῡσοῦς χρῡσῆ χρῡσοῦν χρῡσώ χρῡσᾶ χρῡσώ χρῡσοῖ χρῡσαῖ χρῡσᾶ
Note: Adjectives in ( -ους, -ουν)
There are also adjectives in -εως, -εων which use the Attic declension endings. These have identical forms for the masculine and feminine.
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | -εως | -εων | -εω | -εῳ | -εᾰ | ||||
| Genitive | -εω | -εῳν | -εων | ||||||
| Dative | -εῳ | -εῳς | |||||||
| Accusative | -εων | =Nom | -εω | =Nom | -εως | =Nom | |||
| Vocative | = Nominative | ||||||||
Example: Attic Declension Adjectives
ῑ̔́λεως, -εων ("favorable") Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative ῑ̔́λεως ῑ̔́λεως ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεᾰ Genitive ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεῳν ῑ̔́λεῳν ῑ̔́λεῳν ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεων Dative ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεῳν ῑ̔́λεῳν ῑ̔́λεῳν ῑ̔́λεῳς ῑ̔́λεῳς ῑ̔́λεῳς Accusative ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεως ῑ̔́λεως ῑ̔́λεᾰ Vocative ῑ̔́λεως ῑ̔́λεως ῑ̔́λεων ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεω ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεῳ ῑ̔́λεᾰ
Warning: The Adjective πλέως, -εᾱ, -εων
The adjective πλέως, -εᾱ, -εων follows the Attic declension but it also has separate forms for the feminine.
πλέως, -εᾱ, -εων ("full") Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative πλέως πλέᾱ πλέων πλέω πλέᾱ πλέω πλέῳ πλέαι πλέᾰ Genitive πλέω πλέᾱς πλέω πλέῳν πλέαιν πλέῳν πλέων πλέων πλέων Dative πλέῳ πλέᾳ πλέῳ πλέῳν πλέαιν πλέῳν πλέῳς πλέαις πλέῳς Accusative πλέων πλέᾱν πλέων πλέω πλέᾱ πλέω πλέως πλέᾱς πλέᾰ Vocative πλέως πλέᾱ πλέων πλέω πλέᾱ πλέω πλέῳ πλέαι πλέᾰ
Exceptions: Mixed Declension of πολύς, πολλή, πολύ and μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα
The adjectives πολύς, πολλή, πολύ (“much”, “many”) and μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα (“large”) have irregular forms.
πολύς, πολλή, πολύ Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative πολῠ́ς πολλή πολῠ́ πολλοί πολλαί πολλᾰ́ Genitive πολλοῦ πολλῆς πολλοῦ πολλῶν πολλῶν πολλῶν Dative πολλῷ πολλῇ πολλῷ πολλοῖς πολλαῖς πολλοῖς Accusative πολῠ́ν πολλήν πολῠ́ πολλούς πολλᾱ́ς πολλᾰ́ Vocative πολλέ πολλή πολῠ́ πολλοί πολλαί πολλᾰ́
μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative μέγᾰς μεγᾰ́λη μέγᾰ μεγᾰ́λω μεγᾰ́λᾱ μεγᾰ́λω μεγᾰ́λοι μεγᾰ́λαι μεγᾰ́λᾰ Genitive μεγᾰ́λου μεγᾰ́λης μεγᾰ́λου μεγᾰ́λοιν μεγᾰ́λαιν μεγᾰ́λοιν μεγᾰ́λων μεγᾰ́λων μεγᾰ́λων Dative μεγᾰ́λῳ μεγᾰ́λῃ μεγᾰ́λῳ μεγᾰ́λοιν μεγᾰ́λαιν μεγᾰ́λοιν μεγᾰ́λοις μεγᾰ́λαις μεγᾰ́λοις Accusative μέγᾰν μεγᾰ́λην μέγᾰ μεγᾰ́λω μεγᾰ́λᾱ μεγᾰ́λω μεγᾰ́λους μεγᾰ́λᾱς μεγᾰ́λᾰ Vocative μεγᾰ́λε / μέγᾰς μεγᾰ́λη μέγᾰ μεγᾰ́λω μεγᾰ́λᾱ μεγᾰ́λω μεγᾰ́λοι μεγᾰ́λαι μεγᾰ́λᾰ
Third-Declension Adjectives
Third-declension adjectives use the same endings as third-declension nouns. Their stem is obtained by removing the ending from the genitive singular.
Adjectives with a stem ending in -ον- have -ων, -ον as endings in the nominative singular. They lack separate forms for masculine and feminine. The -ν- at the end of the stem disappears before the σ of the dative plural ending. The vocative singular of the masculine and feminine is just the stem without ending.
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | -ων | -ον | -ε | -ες | -ᾰ | ||||
| Genitive | -ος | -οιν | -ων | ||||||
| Dative | -ῐ | -σῐ(ν) | |||||||
| Accusative | -ᾰ | =Nom | ε | =Nom | -ᾰς | =Nom | |||
| Vocative | - | =Nom | =Nom | ||||||
Example: Third-Declension Adjectives in -ων, -ον (Stem in -ον-)
σώφρων, -ον ("sane") Singular Dual Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative σώφρων σώφρων σώφρων σώφρονε σώφρονε σώφρονε σώφρονες σώφρονες σώφρονᾰ Genitive σώφρονος σώφρονος σώφρονος σωφρόνοιν σωφρόνοιν σωφρόνοιν σωφρόνων σωφρόνων σωφρόνων Dative σώφρονῐ σώφρονῐ σώφρονῐ σωφρόνοιν σωφρόνοιν σωφρόνοιν σώφροσῐ(ν) σώφροσῐ(ν) σώφροσῐ(ν) Accusative σώφρονᾰ σώφρονᾰ σῶφρον σώφρονε σώφρονε σώφρονε σώφρονᾰς σώφρονᾰς σώφρονᾰ Vocative σώφρον σώφρον σώφρον σώφρονε σώφρονε σώφρονε σώφρονες σώφρονες σώφρονᾰ
Adjectives in -ης, -ες have a stem ending in -εσ-. The σ in the stem drops out when declining and the remaining -ε- is contracted with the ending which appears to change it:
- ε + -ος = -ους;
- ε + -α = -η / -ᾱ; The contraction to -ᾱ can only occur when there is ε or ι preceding the -εσ- of the stem.