Monday 30 April 2012



Some More First Declension Feminine nouns

I've tried to select words that are reasonably useful but not the same as the usual selection you see in first year texts over and over again. 

Here's a list of Nouns ending with α

ἁρμονία joint joining fitting together parts

This is harmonia the origin of Harmony. Look up the Greek Verb ἁρμόζω and other related words.

Βῆσσα also spelt Βᾶσσα in Doric, a forest glen a wooded valley
Bassae Modern Greek Vasse in Arcadia is the site of a famous temple of Apollo Epikouros.

γέφυρα bridge ford river crossing dam

γωνία corner angle.

γλῶσσα tongue hence language speech glossa as in glossary

ἐκκλησία an enclosure for a meeting an assembly in such an area

ζημία penalty or fine the loss or damage to your income if you lost a court case

ἡσυχία calm silence

ἡμέρα day The hemera in the botanical name of day lillies

θύρα door entrance

ἰτέα the willow tree

κιθάρα the Kithara a kind of harp

λέαινα the lionness

λύρα another type of stringed musical instrument the Lyre

οἰκία house household The origin of – eco. What words do you know that have eco in them?

πεῖρα a try or attempt

σκία shadow

φιλία “brotherly love” friendship

the feeling stronger than a minor affection preference or liking you have towards a sibling or family member extended to a friend

χώρα country land

ὥρα time a period of time hence season “hour”

Friday 27 April 2012


Some Greek Accents and other Diacritics

There's a breathing or h sound

No Aspiration NO H

´ The ACUTE ACCENT
Its presence or absence and position can show a change of meaning. 

It can appear on any of the last 3 syllables of a word.

Ποτέ means at some time or once but πότε means WHEN

τί means WHAT but τι with no accent means any or some ...

` This is the Grave accent

and ̆ are used to show if a vowel is long or short in meter and pronounciation.

ᾱ ᾰ ῡ ῠ

Thursday 12 April 2012


Fabulous First Feminines

First Declension A Stem Feminine Nouns

A list for your use of fabulous Greek that are feminine in more than one way!


ἀγκῡρα anchor for a ship

γλαΐα beauty splendour glory pomp also used in a negative sense in the plural of worldly vanities like the English phrase “pomp and glories”

ἀγορά Agora the central space used for markets and meetings the town “square” the plaza also the Assembly since the Agora was used for public meetings like a Roman forum.

ἀγυία way road street in plural can mean town or city the “streets”

αἰτία cause origin occasion by extension blame crime negative action

κτέα the elder tree

ἄνασσα Queen Lady Mistress

νία grief sorrow distress

ρουρα tillage acreage plowed or cultivated land used for grain crops

ἀσία Asia Minor and Major


There are also First Declension Feminine Nouns that end in η

In Attic and Ionic long final a sounds in many words but not all changed to η a change of a long a sound to a long ee.

ἀγάπη love charity compassion

ἀγκάλη arm bent or curved arm

ἀδελφή sister

ἀδελφιδῆ niece

ἀλόη The ALOE plant

μυγδάλη the Almond tree and fruit also admired for its white flowers

νθρήνη the wild bee

Ἀρετή Virtue excellence goodness manliness

ἀρχή beginning source origin

αὐγή bright light ray or beam of usually the sun

ALERT Nouns ending in – μα(τα) are THIRD DECLENSION

Here's the Declension pattern

Nominative Singular α η Plural αι
Accusative Singular αν ην Plural ας

Genitive Singular ας ης Plural ῶν

Dative Singular ᾳ ῃ Plural αις

There are more First Declension Nouns mostly Feminine and some masculine.

Watch for future posts!

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Orderly Numbers

Orderly Numbers - the Greek ordinal  Adjectives One to TEN
plus the Adverb forms for Once Twice Thrice 




GREEK ORDINALS.

An Ordinal is a kind of adjective used to describe an item in a series or sequence.

Just as Cardinal Numbers are One Two Three so Ordinals are First Second Third …

One is A Number and Noun
First πρῶτος An Adjective
Once ἅπαξ An Adverb

All of the Ordinals end in τος or ος and so follow the ος η ον Adjective pattern.

One First πρῶτος Once ἅπαξ

Two Second δεύτερος Twice δίς

Three Third τρίτος Thrice τρίς

Four Fourth τέταρτος τετράκις

Five Fifth πέμπτος πεντάκις

Six Sixth ἕκτος ἑξάκις

Seven Seventh ἕβδομος ἑπτάκις

Eight Eighth ὄγδοος ὀκτάκις

Nine Ninth ἔνατος ἐνάκις

TEN Tenth δέκατος δεκάκις

The Cardinal Numbers have been listed in a prior post.