Declension of Greek nouns in Latin

The declension of nouns in Latin that are borrowed from Greek varies significantly between different types of nouns, though certain patterns are common. Many nouns, particularly proper names, in particular, are fully Latinized and declined regularly according to their stem-characteristics. Others, 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, Thūcȳdidās, Hyperīdae, and many names in -crates (such as, Sōcratae as well as Sōcratēs).

In the vocative singular, names in -is, -ys, -ēs, -eus and -ās (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 -ēs, is and ys take -ēn, -in and -yn as well as -ēm, -im and ym.

A few Greek nouns in -os, mostly geographical, belong to the second declension, and sometimes have an accusative in -on such as Dēlos, Acc. Dēlon (but Dēlum in prose).

In the genitive singular, names in -ēs, parisyllabic, take -ī as well as -is. Some feminine nouns in -ô have the genitive in -ūs.

Greek names ending in -eus are declined both according to the Greek and according to the Latin second declension (but the genitive -eī and the dative -eō are often pronounced as one syllable in poets).

In the nominative plural, imparisyllabic nouns often take -es instead of -ēs and, in the accusative plural, the same nouns often take -ā instead of -ēs.

In the genitive plural, -ōn and -eōn are found in the titles of books, such as Geōrgicōn and Metamorphōseōn.

Greek neuter nouns in -ma (Gen., -matis) always make their dative and ablative plurals in -īs instead of -ibus.[1] [2]

First declension

Proper names ending in -ē (fem.) and -ās (masc.), and many in -ēs (masc.), especially patronymics in -dēs, belong to the First declension. So a few common nouns, as sōphistēs "sophist". Many Greek names in -ē have two forms, one Greek and one Latin: as Atalantē, -ēs, or Atalanta, -ae.

Declension of proper names

Pēnelopē, -ēs f. Circē, -ēs/-ae f. Aenēās, -ae m. Leōnidās, -ae m. Anchīsēs, -ae m. Alcīdēs, -ae
Hercules m.
Nominative PēnelopēCircēAenēās-āsLeōnidās-āsAnchīsēs-ēsAlcīdēs-ēs
Vocative Aenēā
(-a)

(-a)
Leōnidā
(-a)

(-a)
Anchīsē
(-a)
(-ā)

(-a)
(-ā)
Alcīdē
Accusative Pēnelopēn
(-am)
-ēn
(-am)
Circēn
(-am)
-ēn
(-am)
Aenēān
(-am)
-ān
(-am)
Leōnidān
(-am)
-ān
(-am)
Anchīsēn
(-am)
-ēn
(-am)
Alcīdēn
(-am)
-ēn
(-am)
Genitive Pēnelopēs
(-ae)
-ēs
(-ae)
Circēs
(-ae)
-ēs
(-ae)
Aenēae-aeLeōnidae-aeAnchīsae-aeAlcīdae-ae
Dative Pēnelopae-aeCircae-ae
Ablative Pēnelopē
(-ā)

(-ā)
Circē
(-ā)

(-ā)
AenēāLeōnidāAnchīsāAlcīdē
(-ā)

(-ā)

Declension of nouns

nymphē, -ae f.
nympha
comētēs, -ae m.
comet, meteor
xiphiās, -ae m.
swordfish
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative nymphē
(-a)

(-a)
nymphae-aecomētēs
(-a)
-ēs
(-a)
cometae-aexiphiās
(-a)
-ās
(-a)
xiphiae-ae
Vocative comētē
(-a)

(-a)
xiphiā
(-a)

(-a)
Accusative nymphēn
(-am)
-ēn
(-am)
nymphās-āscomētēn
(-am)
-ēn
(-am)
comētās-āsxiphiān
(-am)
-ān
(-am)
xiphiās-ās
Genitive nymphēs
(-ae)
-ēs
(-ae)
nymphārum-ārumcomētae
(-ae)
-aecomētārum-ārumxiphiae
(-ae)
-aexiphiārum-ārum
Dative nymphae-aenymphīs-īscomētae-aecomētīs-īsxiphiae-aexiphiīs-īs
Ablative nymphē
(-ā)

(-ā)
comētē
(-ā)

(-ā)
xiphiā

Second declension

Declension of proper names


Īlion/-um, -ī n.[3]
Troy
Panthūs, -ī m. Androgeōs/-us, -ī m.
Nominative Īlion
(-um)
-on
(-um)
Panthūs-ūsAndrogeōs
(-us)
-ōs
(-us)
Vocative Īlion[4]
(-um)
-on
(-um)
PanthūAndrogeū
(-e)

(-e)
Accusative Īlion
(-um)
-on
(-um)
Panthūn
(-um)
-ūn
(-um)
Androgeō
Androgeōn
Androgeōna
(-um)

-ōn
-ōna
(-um)
Genitive ĪliīPanthīAndrogeī
Dative ĪliōPanthōAndrogeō
Ablative

Declension of nouns


atomos/-us, -ī f.
atom
phaenomenon/-um, -ī n.
phaenomenon
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative atomos
(-us)
-os
(-us)
atomīphaenomenon
(-um)
-on
(-um)
phaenomena-a
Vocative atome-e
Accusative atomon
(-um)
-on
(-um)
atomōs-ōsphaenomenōs-ōs
Genitive atomīatomōrum-ōrumphaenomenīphaenomenōrum-ōrum
Dative atomōatomīs-īsphaenomenōphaenomenīs-īs
Ablative

Third declension

Declension of proper names


Solōn/Solō, -ōnis m. Xenophōn, -ntis m. Atlās, -ntis m. Paris, -idis/-idos m. Thalēs, -is/-ētis m.
Nominative Solōn
Solō
-ōn
Xenophōn-ōnĀtlās-āsParis-isThalēs-ēs
Vocative Solōn-ōnĀtlāPari
(-is)
-i
(-is)
Thalē
Accusative Solōna
(-em)
-ōna
(-em)
Xenophōnta
(-em)
-ōnta
(-em)
Ātlanta
(-em)
-anta
(-em)
Parida
Paridin
(Parim)
-ida
-in
(-im)
Thalēta
Thalēn
(-em)
-ēta
-ēn
(-em)
Genitive Solōnis-ōnisXenophōntis-ōntisĀtlantis-antisParidos
(-idis)
-idos
-idis
Thalētis
Thalis
-ētis
-is
Dative Solōnī-ōnīXenophōntī-ōntīĀtlantī-antīParidī
Paridi
-idī
-idi
Thalētī
Thalī
-ētī
Ablative Solōne-ōneXenophōnte-ōnteĀtlante-anteParide-ideThalē

Declension of nouns


āēr, -eris, -eros
air m. or f.
hērōs, -is
hero m.
haeresis, -is
sect, heresy f.
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative āēr-ērāerēs-ēshērōs-shērōēs-ēshaeresis-ishaeresēs-ēs
Vocative haeresi
(-is)
-i
(-is)
Accusative āera
(-em)
-a
(-em)
āerēs
āera
-es
-a
hērōa
(-em)
-a
(-em)
haeresin
haeresem
haeresim
in
-em
-im
haeresēs
haeresīs
-ēs
-īs
Genitive āeros
(-is)
-os
(-is)
āerum-umhērōis-ishērōum-umhaereseōs
haeresios
(-is)
eōs
ios
-is
haeresium-ium
Dative āerīāeribus-ibushērōīhērōibus-ibushaeresei
(-ī)
-ei
haeresibus-ibus
Ablative āere-ehērōe-ehaeresei
(-e)
(-ī)
-ei
(-e)
(-ī)

Fourth declension

Declension of nouns


ēchō, -ūs f.
echo
Singular Plural
Nominative ēchōēchūs-ūs
Vocative
Accusative ēchum-um
Genitive ēchūs-ūsēchuum-uum
Dative ēchuī-uīēchibus-ibus
Ablative ēchū

Mixed declension

Declension of proper names


Orphēūs, -eus/-ēī m. Athōs, -ō/-ōnis m. Oedipus/-ūs, -odis/-odī m. Achillēs/-eus, -eī/-īs/-ī/-is m. Sōcratēs, -ī/-is m. Dīdō, -ūs/-ōnis f.
Nominative Orphēūs-ēūsAthōs-ōsOedipus
Oedipūs
-us
-ūs
Achillēs
Achilleus
-ēs
-eus
Sōcratēs-ēsDīdō
Vocative Orphēū-ēūOedipus-usAchillēs
Achille
Achillē
Achillēī
-ēs
-e

-ēī
Sōcratē
Sōcrates

-es
Accusative Orphea
Orpheum
-ea
-eum
Athō
Athōn
Athōnem

-ōn
-ōnem
Oedipoda
Oedipum
-oda
-um
Achillea
Achillēn
Achillem
-ea
-ēn
-em
Sōcratōn
Sōcratēn
Sōcratem
-ōn
-ēn
-em
Dīdō
Dīdōnem

-ōnem
Genitive Orpheus
Orphēī
-eus
-ēī
Athō
Athōnis

-ōnis
Oedipodī
Oedipodis
-odis
-odī
Achilleī
Achilleīs
Achillī
Achillis
-eī
-īs

-is
Sōcratī
Sōcratis

-is
Dīdūs
Dīdōnis
-ūs
-ōnis
Dative Orpheō-eōAthōOedipodī-odīAchillīSōcratīDīdō
Dīdōnī

-ōnī
Ablative Athōne-ōneOedipode
Oedipō
-ode
Achille
Achillē
Achillī
-e

Sōcrate-eDīdō
Dīdōne

-ōne

References

  1. "declension of Greek substantives in Latin". Informalmusic.com. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  2. http://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. Traupman, John C. (2007). The Bantam new college Latin & English dictionary (3rd, Bantam mass market rev. ed.). New York: Bantam Books. pp. 10, 209. ISBN 9780553590128.
  4. Traupman, John C. (2007). The Bantam new college Latin & English dictionary (3rd, Bantam mass market rev. ed.). New York: Bantam Books. p. 11. ISBN 9780553590128.
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