Latin Grammar I. Lesson 28, The Declension of Greek Nouns in Latin

To complete the objectives of this lesson, complete the following tasks:

1. Read the lesson carefully and completely.
2. Study the rules for mastery.
3. Familiarize yourself with the declensions of Greek nouns in Latin.
4. Complete the lesson assessment.

Lesson

In English, we use many words that are derived or borrowed from Greek and Latin. In history, Latin did the same thing from Greek. Latin, however, is an inflected language, which depends on the changing of forms of nouns. This leads to the question, “How are Greek words declined in Latin?”

I. Graeca nomina ad Latinos translata tres habent declinationes. Nominativus declinationis primae Latine exit in -a, -as, -es. -e. Graece vero in -α -ας -ης -η, ut Maia, Aeneas, Anchises, Musice.

Translation: Greek nouns translated to the Latins have three declensions. The Nominative of the first declension in Latin ends in -a, -as, -ae, -e, in Greek, however, in -α -ας -ης -η, as Maia, Aeneas, Anchises, Musice.

II. Nominativus declinationis secundae Latine exit in -on, -os, -us, -eus; Graece vero in -ον, -ος, -ως, -ους, -ευς; ut Pelion, Delos, Androgeos, Panthus, Orpheus.

Translation: The Nominative (case) of the second declension in Latin ends in -on, -os, -us, and -eus; in Greek however in -ον, -ος, -ως, -ους, -ευς; as Pelion, Delos, Androgeos, Panthus, Orpheus.

III. Declinatio tertia quamplurimas habet positiones; ut etiam apud Latinos.

Translation: The third declension, however, has as many situations as also with the Latins.

Examples of the First Declension

• -a from -α, Maja -ae -ae -an/-am, -a, -a
• -as from -ας, Aeneas. a ae ae an. am a a
• -es from -ης, Anchises/a, -ae, -ae, -en/-em, -e/a, -e.
• -e from -η, Musice, -es/ae, -e/-ae, -en/-am, -e/-a, -e/-a.

Examples of the Second Declension

• -on from -ον, llion/-um, -i, -o, -on/-um -on/-um -o.
• -os from -ος, Delos/-us, -i, -o, -on/um, -os/-e, -o.
• -os from -ως, Androgeos/-us, -i/-o/-onis, -o, -on/-um/-ona, -o/e, -o
• -us from -ους, Panthus, -i, -o, -um, -u, -o.
•  -eus from -ευς, Orpheus, -ei/-eos/-ei, -ea, -eum, -eu, -eo.

Examples of the Third Declension

• -a from -α, Poema, -atis, -ati, -a, -a, -ate.
• -o from -ω, Dido, -us, -o, -o, -o, o.
• -o from -ων, Plato, -onis, -oni, -onem/-ona, -o, -one
• -y from -υ, Moly, -yos/-yis, -yi, -y, -y, -y.
• -an from -αν, Paean, -anis/-anos, -ani, -anem/-ana, -an, -ane.
• -en from -ην, Siren, -enis, -eni, -enem/-ena, -en, -ene.
• -in from -ιν, Delphin, -inis, -ini, -inem/-ina, -in, -ine.
• -on from -ων,
  • Palaemon, -onis, -oni, -onem/-ona, -on, -one.
  • Charon, -ontis/-ontos, -onti, -ontem/-onta, -on, -onte.
  • Agon, -onis/-onos, -oni, -onem/-ona, -on, -one.
• -ar from -αρ, nectar, -aris, -ari, -ar, -ar, -are.
• -er from -ηρ, Soter, -eris, -eri, -erem/-era, -er, -ere.
• -or from -ωρ, Hector, -oris/-oros, -ori, -orem/-ora, -or, -ore.
• -yr from -υρ, Martyr, -yris/-yros, -yri, -yrem/-yra, -yr, -yre.
• -as from -ας,
  • Atlas, -antis, -anti, -antem/-anta, -a, -ante.
  • Pallas, -adis/-ados, -adi, -adem/-ada, -as, -ade.
• -es from -ης,
  • Chremes, -etis/-etos, -eti, -etem/-eta, -es/-e, -ete.
  • Neocles, -is/-ei/-i, -i, -em/-en/-ea, -es, -es.
• -es from -ευς, Achilles, -is/-ei/-i, -i, -em/-en/-ea, -es/-e, -e.
• -is from -ις,
  • Paris, -idis/-idos, -idi, -idem/-ida/-im/-in, -is/-i, -idi.
  • Haeresis, -is/-eos, -i, -im/-in, -is, -i.
• -is from -ὶς, Titanis, -idis/-idos, -idi, -idem/-ida, -is/-i, -ide.
• -is from -εις, Simois, -entis/-entos, -enti, -enta, ,-i/-is, -ente.
• -os from -ος, Argos, –, –, -os, -os, –.
• -os from -ως,
  • Rhinoceros, -otis, -oti, -otem/-ota, -os, -ote.
  • Heros, -ois/-oos, -oi, -oem/-oa, -os, -oe.
• -us from -ους,
  • Tripus, -odis/-odos, -odi, -odem/-oda, -u/-us, -ode.
  • Opus, -untis/-untos, -unti, -untem/-unta, -u/-us, -unte.
• -ys from -υς, Cotys, -yis/-yos, -yi, -yn/-ym, -y/-ys, – ye.
• -x from -ξ,
  • Styx, -gis/-gos, -gi, -gem/-ga, -x, -ge.
  • Calyx, -cis/-cos, -ci, -cem/-ca, -x, -ce.
• -bs from -ψ, Arabs, -bis/-bos, -bi, -bem/-ba, -bs, -be.
• -ps from -ψ, Cecrops, -pis/-pos, -pi, -pem/-pa, -ps, -pe.

IV. Graeca nomina primae et secundae declinationis numero multitudinis cum latinis nominibus omnino consentiunt.

Translation: Greek nouns of the first and second declension in the number of multitude (i.e., plural) with Latin nouns in every way agree.

V. Nomina declinationis tertiae ad rationem Latinorum declinari possunt numero mullitudinis. Sic Poema et Dioecesis:

Translation: Nouns of the third declension to the rule of the Latins are able to be declined in the plural number. So (are) Poema and Diocesesis:

• Poemata, Poematum, Poematibus, Poemata, Poemata, Poematibus.
• Dioeceses, Dioecesium, Dioecesibus, Dioeceses, Dioeceses, Dioecesibus.

VI. Neutra quaedam nomina nominativo, accusativo et vocativo desinunt in -e, ut tempe, cete, epe, mele.

Translation: Certain neuter nouns in the nominative, accusative and vocative (cases) end in -e, as tempe, cete, epe, mele.

VII. Alia iisdem casibus admittunt -is, ut Alpis, Syrtis, Trallis, Sardis.

Translation: Others in the same cases admit -is, as Alpis, Syrtis, Trallis, Sardis.

VIII. Genitivus quorumdam interdum desinit in -on, ut dioeceseon, epigrammaton, metamorphoseon.

Translation: The Genitive of which sometimes end in -on, as dioceseon, epigrammaton, metamorphoseon.

IX. Dativus et ablativus pluralis neutrorum in -a saepius exeunt in -is quam -ibus, ut poematis, diplomatis, peripetasmatis, emblematis.

Translation: The Dative and Ablative plural of neuter (nouns) that end in -a often end in -is rather than -ibus, as poematis, diplomatis, peripetasmatis, emblematis.

X. Poetae eosdem casus interdum efferunt per -si vel -sin, more Graecorum, ut Pierisin, Charisin, Hyasin, Dryasi, Hamadryasi pro Pieridibius, et cet.

Translation: The Poets the same cases sometimes express through -si or -sin, in the way of the Greeks, as Pierisin, Charisin, Hyasin, Dryasi, Hamadryasi instead of Pieridibius, and the rest.

XI. Accusativus nominum masculini et foeminini generis saepe exit in -as, ut troas, delphinas, crateras, arcadas.

Translation: The Accusative of nouns masculine and feminine gender often end in -as, ut troas, delphinas, crateras, arcadas.

Nouns of the first declension to be declined according to the pattern of examples.

• -a from -α, Aegina, Aglaia, Electra, Ossa, Pasithea, Thalia.
• -as from -ας, Boreas, Etesias, Hermagoras, Lysias, Protagoras, Pythagoras, tiaras.
• -es from -ης, Achates, Atrides, cometes, Laertes, Orontes, planetes, Thyestes.
• -e from -η, arithmetice, dialectice, grammatice, logice, Lybie, rhetorice.

Nouns of the Second Declension

• -os from -ος, Abydos, Arctos, crocos, Delos, Lesbos, Menelaos, Scorpios, Scyros, Tenedos, Zacynthos.
• -on from -ον, Erotion, Pelion, Philenion, Eustuchion.
• -eus from -ευς, Atreus, Eurystheus, Mnestheus, Nereus, Peleus, Perseus, Piraeus, Proteus, Tereus, Theseus, Tydeus, Typhoeus.
• -us from -ος, Antaeus, Pamphilus, Ptolemaeus, Thymbraeus, Timotheus.
• -os from -ως, Androgeos, Athos, Halos, Philoleos.

Nouns of the Third Declension

• -a from -α, diploma, dogma, emblema, peripetasma, peristroma, and whatever nouns ending in -ma arise from the perfect passive.
• -o from -ω, Alecto, Argo, Callisto, Calypso, Celaeno, Clio, Clotho, Echo, Enyo, Erato, Erichtho, Hero, lo, Manto, Sappho, Xantho.
• -o from -ων, Gnatho, Polemo, vel Polemon, Solo, vel Solon, Strato.
• -y from -υ, epy, misy.
• -an from -αν, Titan, Pan, of which none are used except the genitive Panos, and accusative Pana.
• -en from -ην, Attagen, hymen, lichen, splen.
• -on from -ων,
  • as Palaemon, Agamemnon, Amazon, Alcyon, Gnomon, Iason, Philemon, sindon.
  • as Charon, Acheron, Bellerophon, bison, Chamaeleon, Demophoon, Horizon, Laocoon, Phlegethon, scazon, Xenophon.
  • as Agon, Babylon vel Babylo, Cithaeron, Helicon and Helico.
• -ar from -αρ, bacchar, sed hepar hepatis.
• -er from -ηρ, character, crater, luter: but aer, aether shorten the increase.
• -or from -ωρ, Alastor, Castor, Crantor, Nestor, Thestor.
• -as from -ας,
  • as Atlas: Abas, Acragas, Adamas, Calchas, Elephas, Gigas, Mimas, Pallas, Polydamas, Timas, Thoas and other masculine (nouns).
  • as hebdomas, Hellas, gymnas, Pallas, Dorcas, Hyas, lampas, Olympias, Pleias (feminine nouns). So arcas also in the masculine gender.
• -es from -ης,
  • as Chremes, Cres, Dares, Hermes, Laches, lebes, magnes, tapes, Thales. Are found also Chremis, Daris, Lachis, for Chremetis, Daretis, Lachetis; and likewise in others cases.
  • as Neocles, Alcibiades, Aristides, Aristoteles, Euripides, Herodes, Ioannes, Orestes, Phraates, Pylades, Tigranes, Timarchides, Tiridates, Xenocrates, and more in -es of the first single/simple.
• -es from -ευς, Perses, Ulysses et others in -epsilon-upsilon-sigma of the second declension.
• -is from -ις,
  • as Paris, Adonis, Alexis, Amasis, Apis, Busiris, Daphnis, Eupolis, Ibis, Iris, Maeotis, Memphis, Moeris, Osiris, Phalaris, Rhescuporis, Serapis, Sesostris, Thetis, Tigris, Zeuxis, et whatever -is or -os of the genitive (case) have impure, nor an accent on the last
    (syllable).
  • as Haeresis, basis, Charybdis, Decapolis, Genesis, metamorphosis, Neapolis, Nisibis,
    Persepolis, poesis, Syrtis, Tanis, and of which the genitive (case) increasing -os pure
    have, in Latin however equal is in the Nominative.
  • -is from -ὶς, aegis, Amaryllis, cassis, Erymanthis, Lais, Oebalis, Phyronis, Pieris, Pyramis, Thais, Tyndaris.
• -os from -ος, epos, melos.
• -os from -ως,
  • as Rhinoceros, Aegoceros, monoceros
  • as Heros, Minos, Thos, Tros.
• -us from -ους,
  • as Tripus, Apus, Chytropus, Dasypus, lagopus, Melampus, Oedipus (which is inflected
    also through the second Oedipus, Oedipi), polypus, tripus, and others composed from
    πους, ποδος.
  • as Amathus, Elaeus, Pessinus, Hydrus, Trapezus and other names of cities.
• -ys from -υς, Atys, Capys, Halys, Ithys, Othrys, Tethys, Tiphys, Phorcys.
• -x from -ξ,
  • as Styx, Phryx, Iapyx, Iazyx, and others which -x change to -g.
  • as Calyx, atax, atrax, Cilix. But onyx has onychis and orta from αναξ change -ξ into -ctis, as Astyanax, Astyanactis, Demonactis, Hipponactis.
• -bs from -ψ, as Arabs, Chalybs.
• -ps from -ψ, as Cecrops, Dolops, Merops, Aethiops, and the rest but gryps, gryphis.

Assessment

1. What is the subject of this lesson?
2. Copy the Latin text of Rule I and translate it word for word into English.
3. Copy the Latin text of Rule II and translate it word for word into English.
4. Copy the Latin text of Rule III and translate it word for word into English.
5. Copy the Latin text of Rule IV and translate it word for word into English.
6. Copy the Latin text of Rule V and translate it word for word into English.
7. Copy the Latin text of Rule VI and translate it word for word into English.
8. Copy the Latin text of Rule VII and translate it word for word into English.
9. Copy the Latin text of Rule VIII and translate it word for word into English.
10. Copy the Latin text of Rule IX and translate it word for word into English.
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11. Copy the Latin text of Rule X and translate it word for word into English.
12. Copy the Latin text of Rule XI and translate it word for word into English.
13. Why is it important to understand the rules for the declension of Greek nouns in Latin?
14. Briefly summarize the content of this lesson.