Hansen & Quinn, Greek: An Intensive Course, Unit 4
Morphological content in this unit:
37.1. Feminine Nouns with Nominative Singular in Short -α
37.2. Masculine Nouns with Nominative Singular in -ης or -ας
38. Adjectives of the First and Second Declensions
41. Conditional Sentences
A few more notes on the progressive aspect:
The base ταγ/ uses the same progressive aspect marker (/J/) and undergoes the same phonetic changes as φυλάττω, which we encountered in Unit 3.
The base διδακ/ uses the /σκ/ progressive aspect marker: διδακ/σκ/ω > διδάσκω, where the consonant cluster -κσκ- is reduced to -σκ- for ease of pronunciation.
The base θαφ/ uses the /τ/ progressive aspect marker. When τ is added to the base, φ deaspirates: θαφ/τ/ω > θάπτω. Remember Grassmann’s Law, whereby when two consecutive syllables begin with aspirates, the first usually deaspirates. In other forms of θαφ/, when φ does not deaspirate, θ will. So for instance, ἐ/θαφ/η/ν > ἐτάφην.
A note on missing forms of verbs:
Some verbs have incomplete dictionary entries. For instance, there is no perfect active form of θαφ/, and in its place [none] is listed. When this occurs, sometimes the meaning of the word simply excludes that type of form. For instance, it’s just not possible to say “be” in the passive (I am beed?). In other cases, the excluded form is predictable—and may well have been used—but appears nowhere in Classical Attic texts, so the form is not provided. For instance, Byzantine Greek lexicographers mention τέταφα as the perfect active form of θαφ/, but it’s just never found in Greek otherwise.
37.1. Feminine Nouns with Nominative Singular in Short -α
Some feminine nouns (and many adjectives) are marked as feminine by the addition of /Jα/, where α is short. The α remains short in the nominative singular and accusative singular. Otherwise, nouns (and adjectives) that use the feminine /Jα/ marker decline like regular nouns (and adjectives) with bases in -α/ <link>.
The sound /y/ represented by the letter J interacts or combines with consonants in ways you might not predict. The result is that the /Jα/ marker is not always visible. But this is a difficulty in other languages as well, including English. For instance, “action” is not pronounced /ak-tyon/ but rather /ak-šun/, obscuring both the sound /t/ and the sound /y/. Alas, Hansen & Quinn begins by giving you words that combine with /Jα/ in different ways, obscuring the relatively regular phonetic shifts that happen when the marker is added to consonants. We will find regularity when we encounter bases ending in -ντ/, but for now, here’s what’s happening.
| μόρ/Jα/ > μοῖρα | regularly ρ and J switch places by a process called phonemic metathesis. This is the expected phonetic change when we encounter -ρJ-. |
| γέφυρ/Jα/ > γέφυρα | the word is of obscure origin, but the presumption is: γέφυρ/Jα/ > γέφυρρα (J assimilates to ρ) > γέφυρα (ρρ > ρ by reduction) |
The origin of the word θάλαττα is uncertain. Doubtless the same phonetics are at play as we saw with φυλάττω in Unit 3. The etymology of Μοῦσα is uncertain at the moment, but surely J has combined with a stop consonant to produce σ.
37.2. Masculine Nouns with Nominative Singular in -ης or -ας
Some nouns whose bases end in -α/ refer to males, like νεανία/, “young man.” Because bases in -α/ are typically feminine, and it so happens in the 2nd declension that /ς is added to masculine nouns, Greek speakers hypercorrect words like νεανία/ by lengthening and adding /ς to mark the nominative singular:
| νεανία/Lς > νεανίας |
The genitive singular also borrows from the 2nd declension (so νεανίου). Otherwise these nouns decline as expected.
Most nouns of this category are the product of adding the /τα/ agent suffix to a noun, adjective, or verb base to indicate a person who does or participates in that thing:
| ποιε/ | do, make | ποιε/τά/ > ποιητά/* | maker, content creator** |
* Short vowels usually lengthen when markers are added to them.
** Hansen & Quinn defines ποιητά/ as “poet.” This is one available meaning, but it is uncommon. The noun simply refers to a person who makes something.
| πόλι/ | city-state | πολί/τα/ > πολίτα/ | citizen |
| στράτιο/ | militant | στράτιο/τα/ > στρατιώτα/ | soldier |
38. Adjectives of the First and Second Declensions
The morphology of adjectives is the same as the morphology of nouns. The only peculiarity is this:
If the adjective is a compound, the masculine form of the adjective is used to modify both masculine and feminine nouns:
<examples>
41. Conditional Sentences
Normally Reading Morphologically interjects only when morphology is concerned. In the case of conditional sentences, it offers an alternative way to think about things.
Instead of organizing conditions by time, we organize conditions first by degrees of reality (simple, general, less-real). Then, within each category we find a simple distinction between past, present, and future.
See here for details.
Vocabulary
The first column (left) lists the base of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. Words that do not decline, like prepositions and conjunctions, have no base. When the meaning of a word (right) differs from that in the book, it is because the book’s definition is outdated.
| ἀγαθό/ | ἀγαθός, ἀγαθή, ἀγαθόν | good |
| ἄν | -ever (+ subjunctive), would (+ optative or indicative) | |
| ἄξιο/ | ἄξιος, ἀξίη, ἄξιον | worthy |
| ἀνάξιο/ | ἀνάξιος, ἀνάξιον | unworthy |
| ἀρχά/ | ἀρχή, ἀρχῆς, ἡ | beginning; rule |
| γέφυρα/ | γέφυρα, γεφύρας, ἡ | bridge |
| διδακ/ | διδάσκω, διδάξω, ἐδίδαξα, δεδίδαχα, δεδίδαγμαι, ἐδιδάχθην | teach |
| δίκα/ | δίκη, δίκης, ἡ | justice, lawsuit |
| ἄδικο/ | ἄδικος, ἄδικον | unjust |
| δίκαιο/ | δίκαιος, δικαία, δίκαιον | just |
| ἐθελ/ or just θελ/ | ἐθέλω, ἐθελήσω, ἠθέλησα, ἠθέληκα, [none], [none] | want, wish |
| εἰ | if | |
| ἐάν (εἰ ἄν) | if ever (+ subj.) | |
| ἡμέρα/ | ἡμέρα, ἡμέρας, ἡ | day |
| θάλαττα/ | θάλαττα, θαλάττης, ἡ | sea |
| θαφ/ | θάπτω, θάψω, ἔθαψα, [none], τέθαμμαι, ἐτάφην | bury |
| καίτοι | and indeed, and yet | |
| κακό/ | κακός, κακή, κακόν | bad (the translation “evil” should be avoided, as it is a concept in Abrahamic religions, not in Greek thought) |
| καλό/ | καλός, καλή, καλόν | beautiful, noble, good |
| μετά | with (+ gen.), after (+ acc.) | |
| μοίρα/ | μοῖρα, μοίρας, ἡ | fate |
| μούσα/ | μοῦσα, μούσης, ἡ | muse |
| νεανία/ | νεανίας, νεανίου, ὁ | young man |
| ὅπλο/ | ὅπλον, ὅπλου, τό | tool (in the plural: weapons) |
| ὁπλίτα/ | ὁπλίτης, ὁπλίτου, ὁ | hoplite (a type of soldier) |
| πάλαι | long ago | |
| ποιητά/ | ποιητής, ποιητοῦ, ὁ | maker, creator |
| πολίτα/ | πολίτης, πολίτου, ὁ | citizen |
| στρατιώτα/ | στρατιώτης, στρατιώτου, ὁ | soldier |
| συν | with (+ dat.) | |
| ταγ/ | τάττω, τάξω, ἔταξα, τέταχα, τέταγμαι, ἐτάχθην | order, station, appoint |
| φίλο/ | φίλος, φίλη, φίλον | dear, beloved, one’s own |
reading morphologically 