Vocative Singular

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Introduction

When the base ends in -ο/ and the word is masculine, -ο/ switches vowel grades to ε:

     ἄνθρωπο/ > ἄνθρωπε

When the base ends in -ο/ and the word is neuter, the vocative is the same as the nominative:

     τέκνο/ν > τέκνον

Otherwise, the vocative singular is the bare base:

     ποιητά/ > ποιητά

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Intermediate

Those familiar with the traditional explanation of nouns may prefer this:

In the first declension, the bare base is used for the vocative singular:

     ὦ κεφαλά
     ὦ ποιητά

In the second declension, masculine -ος is replaced with -ε

     ὦ ἄνθρωπε

Otherwise, the vocative singular is the same as the nominative singular:

     ὦ τέκνον

In the third declension, as in the first declension, the bare base is used for the vocative singular:

     ὦ παῖ
     ὦ βασιλεῦ

Contraction may occur when exclamation ὦ precedes a base beginning with a vowel: ὦ ἄνθρωπε > ὤνθρωπε.

     Ὤνθρωπε, μὴ κτεῖνε Κροῖσον.
     Hey guy, don’t kill Croesus!

—Herodotus 1.85

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Vocabulary for this lesson (click here for the full lexicon)

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Related

Nominative singular
Vocative plural