Quartz Hill School of Theology

Lesson 5: 1st Declension Nouns

As we begin this lesson the student needs to be reminded that learning Greek is like washing an elephant. We have washed a little, and we have a lot more to go. But don't get discouraged! Stick with it and the rewards will far outweigh the trouble.

Vocabulary:

ἀγαπη - love     εἰρηνη - peace
ἀληθεια - truth     ἐκκλησια - assembly, church
ἁμαρτια - sin     ἐντολη - commandment
βασιλεια - kingdom     ἡμερα - day
γλωσσα - tongue     μαθητης - disciple
γραφη - writing, Scripture     μεσσια - messiah
διδαχη- teaching, instruction    παραβολη - parable
δοξα - glory     προφητης - prophet

ASSIGNMENT: write and memorize this vocabulary list.

This lesson will help the student recognize and translate 1st declension nouns. The student is urged to review lesson 4 and its description of the various cases. They also apply here, as in 2nd declension nouns.

The following table must be memorized:

Singular    Plural   Case
-αι nominative
-ας -ων genitive
-ᾳ -αις locative, instrumental, dative
-αν -ας accusative

These endings are simply added to the stem of the feminine nouns of the 1st declension (masculine nouns of the 1st declension are different): for example:

Singular    Plural   Case
βασιλει + α    βασιλει + αι    nominative
βασιλει + ας   βασιλει + ων    genitive
βασιλει + ᾳ    βασιλει + αις    locative, instrumental, dative
βασιλει + αν   βασιλει + ας    accusative

Easy, right? Well it gets a little complicated now. For when the stem of a noun ends in ς, λλ or a double consonant ζ, ξ, σ, or ψ then the following table applies:

Singular    Plural    Case
-αι nominative
-ης -ων genitive
-ῃ -αις locative, instrumental, dative
-ην -ας accusative

As before, these endings are simply added to the stem of the noun. And, as before, these endings must be memorized.

Now, when a 1st declension noun is masculine in gender, then it has the following endings:

Singular    Plural   Case
-ας -αι nominative
-ου -ων genitive
-ᾳ -αις locative, instrumental, dative
-αν -ας accusative

ASSIGNMENT: Memorize the table above.

Now we can turn to our last item of business in this lesson; an examination of the definite article. Greek has no indefinite article (the english "a" or "an"). The definite article is declined like any other noun, in the following manner (in the masculine, feminine and neuter genders):

Singular

Masculine    Feminine    Neuter
Nominative   το
Genitive    του τηςτου
Loc., Ins., Dat.    τῳτῃτῳ
Accusative    τον την το

Plural

Masculine   Feminine   Neuter
Nominative   οἱαἱτα
Genitive   τωντωντων
Loc., Inst., Dat.   τοις ταιςτοις
Accusative   τουςταςτα

ASSIGNMENT: Memorize the table above, and translate the following sentences:

  1. ὁ ἀποστολος διδασκει παραβολην τοις ἀνθρωποις
  2. λεγομεν λογους ἀληθειας ὀχλοις ἀνθρωπων και μαθητων


Contact Details

Telephone: (661) 722-0891
Email: info@theology.edu
Website: www.theology.edu

Quartz Hill School of Theology
43543 51st Street West
Quartz Hill, CA 93536
USA

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