the Later Latin Society

Declension of Greek Substantives in Latin

Greek Substantives, especially proper names, are commonly Latinized, and declined regularly according to their stem-characteristics. Many Substantives, however, either retain their Greek forms exclusively, or have the Greek and Latin forms side by side. These variations occur principally in the Singular, in the Plural the declension is usually regular. Note, however, that many Greek names, of the third declension in Latin, pass over into the First Declension in the Plural; as, Thûcȳdidâs, Hyperîdae, and many names in -crâtes (such as, Sôcrâtae as well as Sôcrâtês).

In the Vocative Singular, Names in -is, -ys, -ês, -eus and -âs (Gen., -antis) form the Vocative by dropping the s from the Nominative.

In the Accusative Singular, many Proper and some Common Nouns, imparisyllabic, often take the Greek -a for -em. Names in -ês, is and ys take -ên, -in and -yn as well as -êm, -im and ym.
A few Greek nouns in -os, mostly geographical, belong to the second declension, and sometimes make Accusative in -on as Dêlos, Acc. Dêlon (but Dêlum in prose).

In the Genitive Singular, names in -ês, parisyllabic, take -î as well as -is. Some Feminine nouns in have Genitive in -ûs.

Greek Names ending in -eus are declined both according to the Greek and according to the Latin Second Declension (but the Genitive - and the Dative - are often pronounced as one syllable in poets).

In the Nominative Plural, imparisyllabic Nouns often take -es instead of -ês and, in the Accusative Plural, the same Nouns often take -â instead of -ês.

In the Genitive Plural, -ôn and -eôn are found in the titles of books; as, Geôrgicôn and Metamorphôseôn.

Greek Neuter Nouns in -ma (Gen., -matis) always make their Dative and Ablative Plurals in -îs instead of -ibus.


Singular Forms of Greek Substantives

First Declension
N.PênelopêAenêâsAnchîsês
V.PênelopêAenêâAnchîsê, -â, -ă
Ac.PênelopênAenêam, -ânAnchîsên, -am
G.PênelopêsAenêaeAnchîsae
D.PênelopaeAenêaeAnchîsae
Ab.PênelopâAenêâAnchîsâ
N.CircêLeônidâsAlcîdês
V.CircêLeônidâAlcîdê
Ac.CircênLeônidam, ânAlcîdên, -am
G.Circês, -aeLeônidaeAlcîdae
D.CircaeLeônidaeAlcîdae
Ab.Circê, -âLeônidâAlcîdê, -â

(Proper names ending in (Fem.) and -âs (Masc.), and many in -ês (Masc.), especially Patronymics in -dês, belong to the First Declension. So a few common nouns, as sôphistês, sophist. Many Greek names in have two forms, one Greek and one Latin: as Atalantê, -ês, or Atalantă, -ae.)

Second Declension
N.Îlion, -umPanthûsAndrogeôs, -us
V.ÎliePanthûAndrogeû
Ac.Îlion, -umPanthûnAndrogeôn, -ô, -ôna
G.ÎliîPanthîAndrogeî
D.ÎliôPanthôAndrogeô
Ab.ÎliôPanthôAndrogeô

Third Declension
N.Solôn, SoloXenophôn âêrhêrôs
V.SolônXenophônâêrhêrôs
Ac.Solôna, -emXenophônta, -emâera   hêrôs, -ôa
G.SolônisXenophôntisâerishêrôs
D.SolônîXenophôntîâerîhêrôs
Ab.SolôneXenophôneâerehêrôs

N.AtlâsParisThalês
V.AtlâPari, ParisThalê
Ac.Atlanta, -emPar-ida, -im, -inThal-êta, -ên, -em
G.AtlantisParidis, -osThal-êtis, -is
D.AtlantîParidî, -iThal-êtî, -î
Ab.AtlanteParideThalê

Mixed Declension
N.OrphēūsAthôs Oedipûs (or-ŭs)
V.OrphēūAthôsOedipus
Ac.Orpheum, -eaAthô, -ôn, -ônemOedip-um, -oda
G.Orpheus, -ēīAthô, -ônisOedip-odis, -odî
D.OrpheôAthôOedipodî
Ab.OrpheôAthôneOedi-pode, -ô
N.Achillês, -eusSôcratêsDîdô
V.Achillês, -ê, -ēī, eSôcratê, -esDîdô
Ac.Achillem, -ea, -ênSôcratên, -ôn, -emDîdô, -ônem
G.Achillis, -eî -î, -eîsSôcratis, -îDîdûs, -ônis
D.AchillîSôcratîDîdô, -ônî
Ab.Achille, -ê, -îSôcrateDîdô, -ône

 
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