Grammar Rules for John Williams White's First Greek Book
Through Lesson IV.  
To be reviewed daily and before each lesson. New material in blue.
 
Alphabet and Punctuation | Basic Accent Rules | Proclitics and Enclitics | Noun Basics | Declensions | Prepositions

Alphabet and Punctuation

    Αα  Ββ  Γγ  Δδ  Εε  Ζζ  Ηη  Θθ  Ιι  Κκ  Λλ  Μμ Νν  Ξξ Οο  Ππ  Ρρ  Σσς  Ττ  Υυ  Φφ  Χχ  Ψψ  Ωω

Vowels
  1. The short vowels are α, ε, ι, ο, υ.
  2. Long vowels are ᾱ, η, ῑ, ω, ῡ.*
  3. The diphthongs are αι, αυ, ει, ευ, οι, ου, ηυ, υι.
  * Note: Other than in a few places in these notes, there are no long marks in my vocabulary, notes, or answers; they are too difficult for me to reproduce faithfully, me paenitet.


Consonants

  1. Double Consonants: ξ, ψ
  2. Semivowels:     γ-nasal;         liquids: λ, μ, ν, ρ;         sibilant: σ
  3. Mutes:
              Classes           Orders
              Labial or π-mutes     π   β   φ           Smooth mutes:     π   κ   τ
              Palatal or κ-mutes     κ   γ   χ           Middle mutes:     β   γ   δ
              Dental, Lngual or τ-mutes     τ   δ   θ           Rough mutes:     φ   χ   θ

Breathings
  1. A word beginning with a vowel, diphthong, or the letter ρ will have a breathing mark.
  2. A rough breathing adds an "h" sound: ἑν (pronounced "hen," which means one)
  3. A smooth breathing has no effect on pronunciation: ἐν (pronounced "en," which means in)
  4. Breathing marks go on the second vowel in a diphthong ( υἱός, "hwee-OS," son).
  5. Breathing marks are tucked under circumflex accents ( ὧδε, "HO-de," thus).

Punctuation
  1. Greek commas and periods are used just as in English.
  2. Greek colon is a dot above the line (·), used like the English colon or semicolon.
  3. The Greek question mark is the English semicolon (;).

Elision
  1. A short final vowel may be dropped when the next word begins with a vowel: ἐπὶ αὐτόν -> ἐπ' αὐτόν

Movable Nu
  1. Often added to words ending in -σι and to all verbs of third person ending in -ε, when the next word begins with a vowel.
  2. Also added at the end of a sentence.

Syllables
  1. A Greek word has as many syllables as it has separate vowels or diphthongs.
  2. A syllable is long by nature when it contains a long vowel or diphthong.
  3. Single and combined consonants are usually placed at the beginning of a syllable.
  4. Last three syllables are called: antepenult, penult, and ultima. (mnemonic: ante-pen-ultima)



Basic Accent Rules


  1. Final αι and οι are considered short when determining accent (except in the optative mood and in the adverb οἴκοι, "at home").
Acute ( ʹ )
  1. Stands on one of the last three syllables
  2. Cannot stand on antepenult if last syllable is long or ends in ξ or ψ. (The acute is "pulled" onto the penult by a long ultima.)
  3. If ultima is long, a penult accent must be acute.
Circumflex ( ~ )
  1. Stands on one of the last two syllables
  2. Only on long syllables
  3. Only on penult if ultima is short
  4. Long, accented ultimas in the genitive and the dative of all numbers take the circumflex.
  5. The genitive plurals of all A-Declension nouns always have the circumflex on the last syllable.
Grave ( ` )
  1. Only on the last syllable
  2. An oxytone (a word with an accent on its final syllable) changes its accent to grave before other words in the same sentence.
Tack-On Words
  1. A proclitic is an unaccented, monosyllable word, closely attached to the following word.
  2. An enclitic throws its accent back onto the preceeding word, and is pronounced as if it were a part of it.
Nouns
  1. Accents on nouns are persistent; id est, they try to hold their nominative position unless a rule forces a change to the next syllable.



Proclitics and Enclitics to Date


Proclitics
  • ἡ, αἱ, ἐν



Noun Basics


  1. Five cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative
  2. Three numbers: singular, dual, plural
  3. Three genders: masculine, feminine, neuter
  4. Three declensions: 1st or A-declension, 2nd or O-Declension, 3rd or Consonant Declension
Cases and Default Meanings
  1. nominative: subject of the sentence or clause
  2. genitive: possessive case
  3. dative: indirect object
  4. accusative: direct object
  5. vocative: used for direct address
Genders
  1. Names of males, rivers, winds, and months (things that run, flow, or change) are usually masculine.
  2. Names of females, countries, towns, trees, and islands (solid, earthy, or stationary things) and nouns denoting qualities or conditions are usually feminine.



Declensions


Nouns
  1. Feminine nouns of the A-Declension end in ᾱ, η, or α.
  2. Masculine nouns of the A-Declension end in ᾱς or ης.
  3. Feminines generally end in if ε, ι, or ρ precedes the ending,
  4.     otherwise they usually end in η.
Adjectives
  1. Adjectives must agree with their nouns in case, gender, and number.
Paradigms
  1. Fem 1st Declension, : χώρα, country and στρατιά, army (#38, pg 8 and #739, pg 220).
  2. Feminine, long alpha form of the adjective: ἀξία, worthy (#38, pg 8 and #750, pg 226).
  3. Feminine form of the article: , the (#38, pg 8 and #758, pg 234).
  4. Fem 1st Declension, η: κώμη, village and σκηνή, tent (#44, pg 10 and #739, pg 220).
  5. Feminine, eta form of the adjective: καλή, fine and ἀγαθή, good (#44, pg 10 and #750, pg 226).



Prepositions


With the Dative
  1. ἐν -- in.

 
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