LESSON III
Plurals, Numerals, Diminutives
The plural of verbs is in ομεν, ετε, and ουσι for the three persons. In pure verbs αομεν becomes ῶμεν, ᾶτε, and ῶσι; ε becomes οῦμεν, εῖτε, and οῦσι.
The plural of nouns in ος is in
Neuters have nominative and objective α.
The plural of feminines is in
The relative pronoun,ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,who,which, is declined all through, like masculine nouns in ος, and feminines in η, and neuters in ον.
The numerals are—εἷς, μία, ἕν; δύω, τρεῖς, τέσσαρες, πέντε, ἕξ, ἑπτά, ὀκτώ, ἐννέα, δέκα, in their order;εἴκοσι,twenty;ἑκατόν,a hundred;χίλιοι,a thousand;μύριοι,ten thousand.
Diminutives are mostly neuter, ending in άριον, ίον, and ύλλιον: as ἵππος,a horse—ἱππάριον,a pony; παῖς,a boy—παιδίον,a little boy; βρέφος,a babe—βρεφύλλιον,a little babe. Masculine is ίσκος, as παιδίσκος,a young boy, with feminine παιδίσκη,a little girl.
The adjective πολύς,many(Germanviel), is declined in the nominative—
πολύς πολλή πολύ
and objective—
πολύν πολλήν πολύ
otherwise regularly, as if fromπολλός-ή-όν.
It is a peculiarity of Greek syntax that neuter plurals are joined with a singular verb, asκαλῶς ἔχει τὰ πράγματα,matters are going on well.
γράφομεν καλάμῳ, ὁρῶμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς,we write with a pen, and see with our eyes.τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἥν σοι γράφω δὸς τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς,the letter which I write for you give to your brothers.πόσους ἔχεις ἀδελφούς;how many brothers have you?ἕξ, ἀδελφὰς δὲ ἑπτά,six, and seven sisters.δεινὰ ταῦτα,that is too bad!πόσα ἔχεις ῥόδα ἐν τῷ πετάσῳ;how many roses have you in your hat?δώδεκα, λείρια δὲ ἕξ,twelve, and six lilies.πόσους ἔχει ἵππους ὁ ἀδελφός;how many horses has your brother?τρεῖς,three.ὁρᾷς τοὺς κύκνους καὶ τοὺς γεράνους ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ;do you see the swans and the cranes in the loch?ὁρῶ, δεινὸν τὸ πλῆθος,yes, a very great number.καὶ δὴ καὶ τρεῖς μόσχους κομψοὺς ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ;also three pretty calves in the field?ἔτι δὲ ἱππάριον, κόσμιον, βαλιόν;also a neat little piebald pony?τί γελᾷς;what are you laughing at?ἐκεῖνο τὸ παιδίον ἱππαζόμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱππαρίου,that boy riding on the little pony.καὶ δὴ καὶ τρέχει ὀπίσω ἡ παιδίσκη ἡ κομψή,and behind runs the pretty little girl.τερπνὸν τὸ θέαμα,a pleasant sight.ὁ θαυμαστὸς οὑτοσὶ δύο ὁρᾷ ἡλίους ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἕνα μόνον ὁρῶμεν,this strange man sees two suns in the sky; we see only one.μῑσοῦμεν τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ μωροῦ,we hate a fool’s voice.τοῦ δὲ σοφοῦ φωνὴν φιλοῦμεν,but we love the voice of the wise man.οἱ ἀστρονόμοι πολλὰ ὁρῶσι τοῖς τηλεσκοπείοις ἃ ἡμεῖς οὐχ ὁρῶμεν,the astronomers see many things with their telescopes which we do not see.πολλὰ μὲν ἔχει δένδρα ἡ ὕλη, λόγους δὲ πολλοὺς ἡ τῶν μωρῶν γλῶσσα,there are many trees in the forest, and many words in a fool’s tongue.πολλὰς κόπτομεν ἀκάνθας ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς,we are cutting down many thistles in the fields.καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγας, ὡς ἐλπίζω, ἀκαλήφας,and not a few nettles also, I hope.ἃς σὺ μῑσεῖς, ἀκαλήφας,the nettles which you hate.δικαίως ἔγωγε, πάντες γὰρ μῑσοῦσιν τὰς ἀκαλήφας τὰς κακάς,with good reason too. All hate the evil nettles.τί πράττετε;what are you about?γράφομεν ἐπιστολάς,we are writing letters.ἐπιστολὰς λέγεις;do you say letters?καὶ μάλα γε, πρὸς τὴν βασίλισσαν,yes, to the queen.θαυμαστὰ λέγεις,wonderful!ἀγαθὴ ἡ βασίλισσα, καὶ πρὸς τὰς εὐχὰς οὐ κωφὴ τὰς τῶν πιστῶν πολιτῶν,good is the queen, and not deaf to the prayers of loyal citizens.δίκαια λέγεις,you say what is just.
γράφομεν καλάμῳ, ὁρῶμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς,we write with a pen, and see with our eyes.
τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἥν σοι γράφω δὸς τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς,the letter which I write for you give to your brothers.
πόσους ἔχεις ἀδελφούς;how many brothers have you?
ἕξ, ἀδελφὰς δὲ ἑπτά,six, and seven sisters.
δεινὰ ταῦτα,that is too bad!
πόσα ἔχεις ῥόδα ἐν τῷ πετάσῳ;how many roses have you in your hat?
δώδεκα, λείρια δὲ ἕξ,twelve, and six lilies.
πόσους ἔχει ἵππους ὁ ἀδελφός;how many horses has your brother?
τρεῖς,three.
ὁρᾷς τοὺς κύκνους καὶ τοὺς γεράνους ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ;do you see the swans and the cranes in the loch?
ὁρῶ, δεινὸν τὸ πλῆθος,yes, a very great number.
καὶ δὴ καὶ τρεῖς μόσχους κομψοὺς ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ;also three pretty calves in the field?
ἔτι δὲ ἱππάριον, κόσμιον, βαλιόν;also a neat little piebald pony?
τί γελᾷς;what are you laughing at?
ἐκεῖνο τὸ παιδίον ἱππαζόμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱππαρίου,that boy riding on the little pony.
καὶ δὴ καὶ τρέχει ὀπίσω ἡ παιδίσκη ἡ κομψή,and behind runs the pretty little girl.
τερπνὸν τὸ θέαμα,a pleasant sight.
ὁ θαυμαστὸς οὑτοσὶ δύο ὁρᾷ ἡλίους ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἕνα μόνον ὁρῶμεν,this strange man sees two suns in the sky; we see only one.
μῑσοῦμεν τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ μωροῦ,we hate a fool’s voice.
τοῦ δὲ σοφοῦ φωνὴν φιλοῦμεν,but we love the voice of the wise man.
οἱ ἀστρονόμοι πολλὰ ὁρῶσι τοῖς τηλεσκοπείοις ἃ ἡμεῖς οὐχ ὁρῶμεν,the astronomers see many things with their telescopes which we do not see.
πολλὰ μὲν ἔχει δένδρα ἡ ὕλη, λόγους δὲ πολλοὺς ἡ τῶν μωρῶν γλῶσσα,there are many trees in the forest, and many words in a fool’s tongue.
πολλὰς κόπτομεν ἀκάνθας ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς,we are cutting down many thistles in the fields.
καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγας, ὡς ἐλπίζω, ἀκαλήφας,and not a few nettles also, I hope.
ἃς σὺ μῑσεῖς, ἀκαλήφας,the nettles which you hate.
δικαίως ἔγωγε, πάντες γὰρ μῑσοῦσιν τὰς ἀκαλήφας τὰς κακάς,with good reason too. All hate the evil nettles.
τί πράττετε;what are you about?
γράφομεν ἐπιστολάς,we are writing letters.
ἐπιστολὰς λέγεις;do you say letters?
καὶ μάλα γε, πρὸς τὴν βασίλισσαν,yes, to the queen.
θαυμαστὰ λέγεις,wonderful!
ἀγαθὴ ἡ βασίλισσα, καὶ πρὸς τὰς εὐχὰς οὐ κωφὴ τὰς τῶν πιστῶν πολιτῶν,good is the queen, and not deaf to the prayers of loyal citizens.
δίκαια λέγεις,you say what is just.
English Affinities
Epistle. Graphic. Hippodrome. Euphony. Astronomy. Telescope. Polyglot. Agriculture. Basilica. Basil. Police. Two. Triad. Pentarchy. Hexagon. Heptarchy. October. Decade. Myriad.