Introduction

Morphology

Declension

Nouns in Modern Greek change their form to indicate their case and number. Nouns are grouped into declensions depending on which set of endings they use. The declension to which a noun belongs is largely determined by its gender and nominative singular, but, sometimes, even this information is insufficient to draw a conclusion and you have to check with a dictionary. It is also useful to classify nouns by the position of the stress in their nominative singular: oxytone on the last syllable, paroxytone on the second-to-last syllable and proparoxytone on the third-to-last syllable.

Masculine Nouns

Masculine nouns ending in -ος can be either oxytone, paroxytone or proparoxytone:

Masculine Nouns Ending in -ος
SingularPlural
Nominative-ος-οι
Genitive-ου-ων
Accusative-ο-ους
Vocative-οι

Masculine nouns with a nominative singular in -ης are divided into several subgroups depending on the ending of their nominative plural: -ες, -ηδες, -ητες, -εις.

Masculine Nouns in -ης
SingularPlural
Nominative-ης-ες-ηδες-ητες-εις
Genitive-ων-ηδων-ήτων-εων
Accusative-ες-ηδες-ητες-εις
Vocative-ες-ηδες-ητες-εις

Masculine nouns with a nominative singular in -aς are divided into a few subgroups depending on the ending of their nominative plural: -ες, -αδες, -ηδες or -εíς:

Masculine Nouns Ending in -ας
SingularPlural
Nominative-ας-ες-άδες-ηδες-εíς
Genitive-ων-άδων-ηδων-έων
Accusative-ες-άδες-ηδες-εíς
Vocative-ες-άδες-ηδες-εíς

Masculine nouns in -ες are always oxytone and remain such throughout the singular but become paroxytone in the plural due to the added syllable.

Masculine Nouns in -ές, -έδες
SingularPlural
Nominative-ές-έδες
Genitive-έδων
Accusative-έδες
Vocative-έδες

Masculine nouns in -ους are divided into two groups depending on the ending of their nominative plural: -οι or -ουδες.

Masculine Nouns in -ους
SingularPlural
Nominative-ους-οι-ούδες
Genitive-ου-ων-ούδων
Accusative-ου-ους-ούδες
Vocative-ου-οι-ούδες

Masculine nouns in -υς can be either paroxytone or proparoxytone. Paroxytone nouns keep the stress on the same syllable throughout, while proparoxytone nouns move it one syllable to the right in the plural.

Masculine Nouns in -υς
SingularPlural
Nominative-υς-εις
Genitive-εων
Accusative-εις
Vocative-εις

Masculine nouns in -ωρ are always paroxytone in the nominative singular. They keep the stress on the same syllable in all forms except for the genitive plural where it moves one syllable to the right.

Masculine Nouns Ending in -ωρ
SingularPlural
Nominative-ωρ-ορες
Genitive-ορος-όρων
Accusative-ορα-ορες
Vocative-ωρ-ορες

Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns with a nominative singular in can be either oxytone, paroxytone or proparoxytone. Oxytone ones remain such in all forms. Paroxytone nouns remain such except possibly in the genitive plural, where some become oxytone. Proparoxytone nouns remain such in all forms except in the genitive plural, where some become oxytone, while others paroxytone.

Feminine Nouns in -α
SingularPlural
Nominative-ες
Genitive-ας-ων
Accusative-ες
Vocative-ες

Feminine nouns in are divided into two subgroups depending on the ending of their nominative plural: -ες or -εις.

Feminine Nouns in -η
SingularPlural
Nominative-ες-εις
Genitive-ης-ων, -εων-εων
Accusative-ες-εις
Vocative-ες-εις

Feminine nouns in -ος can be either oxytone, paroxytone or proparoxytone. Oxytone and paroxytone ones remain such throughout. Proparoxytone nouns become paroxytone in both genitive forms and in the accusative plural.

Feminine Nouns Ending in -ος
SingularPlural
Nominative-ος-οι
Genitive-ου-ων
Accusative-ο-ους
Vocative-ε, (-ο)-οι

Feminine nouns in -ου are always oxytone in the singular and paroxytone in the plural.

Feminine Nouns in -ού
SingularPlural
Nominative-ού-ούδες
Genitive-ούς-ούδων
Accusative-ού-ούδες
Vocative-ού-ούδες
Feminine Nouns in -έας, -είς
SingularPlural
Nominative-έας-είς
Genitive-έως-έων
Accusative-έα-είς
Vocative-έα-είς
Feminine Nouns in -ίας, -ίες
SingularPlural
Nominative-ίας-ίες
Genitive-ία(ς)-ιών
Accusative-ία-ίες
Vocative-ία-ίες

Neuter Nouns

Important: Nominative, Accusative and Vocative of Neuter Nouns

The accusative and vocative of neuter nouns are always identical to the nominative in the respective number.

Neuter nouns ending in -ο have a genitive singular in -ου. Oxytone and paroxytone nouns of this declension keep the stress on the same syllable in all forms. Proparoxytone nouns, however, may become paroxytone in the genitive. Furthermore, some proparoxytone nouns can be both proparoxytone and paroxytone in the genitive.

Neuter Nouns in -ο
SingularPlural
Nominative-ο
Genitive-ου-ων
Accusative=Nom=Nom
Vocative=Nom=Nom

Neuter nouns ending in have a nominative singular in -ια, a genitive singular in -ιου and a genitive plural in -ιών. Oxytone nouns remain such throughout all forms. Paroxytone ones keep the stress on the same syllable in all forms, except in the genitive where they become oxytone. There are no proparoxytone nouns of this group.

Neuter Nouns in
SingularPlural
Nominative-ια
Genitive-ιου-ιων
Accusative=Nom=Nom
Vocative=Nom=Nom

Neuter nouns ending in -ος are divided into two groups based on the ending of their nominative plural: or -ότα.

Neuter Nouns in -ος
SingularPlural
Nominative-ός-ος-ότα
Genitive-ότος-ους-ότων-ων
Accusative=Nom=Nom=Nom=Nom
Vocative=Nom=Nom=Nom=Nom

Neuter nouns ending in have a genitive singular in -ατος, genitive plural in -άτων and other plural forms in -ατα. They can be either paroxytone or proparoxytone. Their genitive singular is always proparoxytone, while their genitive plural is always paroxytone. The rest of the plural forms are always proparoxytone.

Neuter Nouns Ending in -α
SingularPlural
Nominative-ατα
Genitive-ατος-άτων
Accusative-ατα
Vocative-ατα

Neuter nouns in which are not alternative spellings of those in have a nominative plural in -ατα. They are always paroxytone and keep the stress on the same syllable throughout, except in the genitive plural where it moves one syllable to the right.

Neuter Nouns in -υ, -ατα
SingularPlural
Nominative-ατα
Genitive-ατος-άτων
Accusative-ατα
Vocative-ατα

Neuter nouns in -ας are always paroxytone and keep the stress on the same syllable throughout, except in the genitive plural, where it moves one syllable to the right.

Neuter Nouns in -ας
SingularPlural
Nominative-ας-ατος
Genitive-ατος-άτων
Accusative-ας-ατα
Vocative-ας-ατα

Neuter nouns in -ως can be either oxytone or paroxytone. The former keep the stress on the same syllable throughout, except in the genitive singular, where it moves one syllable to the right. The latter keep the stress on the same syllable throughout, except in the genitive plural, where it moves one syllable to the right.

Neuter Nouns in -ως
SingularPlural
Nominative-ως-ωτα
Genitive-ωτος-ώτων
Accusative=Nom=Nom
Vocative=Nom=Nom

Neuter nouns with a nominative singular in -ον are divided into two subgroups depending on the ending of their genitive singular: -ου or -οντος.

Neuter Nouns in -ον, -ου
SingularPlural
Nominative-ον-οντα
Genitive-ου-οντος-ων-όντων
Accusative=Nom=Nom=Nom
Vocative=Nom=Nom=Nom

Neuter nouns in -εν and -αν decline in the same way with the only exception being the difference in the vowels: ε or α. They can be either oxytone or paroxytone. The former keep the stress on the same syllable throughout, while the latter move it one syllable to the right in the genitive plural.

Neuter Nouns in -εν / -αν
SingularPlural
Nominative-εν-αν-εντα-αντα
Genitive-εντος-αντος-έντων-άντων
Accusative=Nom=Nom=Nom=Nom
Vocative=Nom=Nom=Nom=Nom
Neuter Nouns in -α, -ακτος
SingularPlural
Nominative-ατα
Genitive-ακτος-άκτων
Accusative-ατα
Vocative-ατα

The stress in the nominative singular of these nouns is always on the penult and remains on the same vowel in all forms except for the genitive plural where it moves to the “α” of the ending.

Bibliography

  1. Foundalis - Patterns for Masculine Modern Greek Nouns
  2. Foundalis - Patterns for Feminine Modern Greek Nouns
  3. Foundalis - Patterns for Neuter Modern Greek Nouns
  4. Greek: A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Language