{"id":47,"date":"2016-08-01T19:17:19","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T23:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/?post_type=chapter&p=47"},"modified":"2016-11-30T15:22:19","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T20:22:19","slug":"%c2%a7104-greek-nouns-of-the-first-declension","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/chapter\/%c2%a7104-greek-nouns-of-the-first-declension\/","title":{"raw":"\u00a7104. Greek Nouns of the First Declension","rendered":"\u00a7104. Greek Nouns of the First Declension"},"content":{"raw":"

There are Greek nouns of the 1st declension that appear in English without change in form (other than conventional transliteration into the Roman alphabet). Some are proper names derived from Greek mythology: Aphrodite<\/i> (\u2019\u0391\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03b4\u03b9\u03c4\u03b7), Hera<\/i> (\u2018\u0397\u03c1\u03b1), Athene<\/i> or Athena <\/i>(\u2019\u0391\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03b7, \u2019\u0391\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03b1), Daphne<\/i> (\u0394\u03b1\u03c6\u03bd\u03b7, Apollo\u2019s beloved, transformed into a laurel), Penelope<\/i> (\u03a0\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c0\u03b7 or\u00a0 \u03a0\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1, wife of Odysseus), Lethe<\/i> (\u039b\u03b7\u03b8\u03b7, the river of forgetfulness). A few others are English common nouns: mania<\/i> (\u03bc\u03b1\u03bd\u03b9\u03b1, \u201cmadness\u201d), orchestra<\/i> (\u1f40\u03c1\u03c7\u03b7\u03c3\u03c4\u03c1\u03b1, \u201cdancing place\u201d), psyche<\/i> (\u03c8\u03c5\u03c7\u03b7, \u201cspirit,\u201d \u201csoul\u201d), acme<\/i> (\u1f00\u03ba\u03bc\u03b7, \u201c[highest] point\u201d).[footnote]A strange doublet of\u00a0acme<\/em> is acne<\/em>, that dread scourge of the adolescent complexion. Although the etymology is obscure, acne<\/em> seems to have evolved as a corruption of the correct spelling.[\/footnote] More often, however, Greek nouns entered English after Latin adaptation; their derivative forms may also include suffixes from Greek and\/or Latin.<\/p>\r\n

Here is a sampling of 1st declensions nouns ending in -\u03b7 and -\u03b1:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 16.1: GREEK FIRST DECLENSION NOUNS<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
GK. NOUN<\/td>\r\nTRANSLITERATION[footnote]These vocabulary tables will use the following conventional transliterations: \u03ba > k<\/strong>, \u03c7 > ch<\/strong>, \u03c5 > y<\/strong>, and initial\u00a0\u1fe5 > rh<\/strong>.[\/footnote]<\/td>\r\nENG. MEANING<\/td>\r\nENG. DERIVATIVE<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03b3\u03b7<\/td>\r\ng\u0113<\/strong> (base g\u0113-<\/strong>)<\/td>\r\nearth<\/td>\r\ngeography<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03ba\u03b5\u03c6\u03b1\u03bb\u03b5<\/td>\r\nkephal\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\r\nhead<\/td>\r\ncephalic<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03bc\u03bf\u03c1\u03c6\u03b7<\/td>\r\nmorph\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\r\nform<\/td>\r\nmorphology<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03c4\u03b5\u03c7\u03bd\u03b7<\/td>\r\ntechn\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\r\nart, skill<\/td>\r\ntechnical<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03c6\u03c9\u03bd\u03b7<\/td>\r\nph\u014dn\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\r\nvoice, sound<\/td>\r\nphonograph<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03c8\u03c5\u03c7\u03b7<\/td>\r\npsych\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\r\nbreath, spirit, soul<\/td>\r\npsychology<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1<\/td>\r\ngl\u014dssa<\/strong><\/td>\r\ntongue<\/td>\r\ngloss, glossary<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c4\u03c4\u03b1)<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (gl\u014dtta)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n(polyglot)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u03b9\u03b1<\/td>\r\nkardia<\/strong><\/td>\r\nheart<\/td>\r\ncardiac<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03bc\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b1<\/td>\r\nmousa<\/strong><\/td>\r\nmuse<\/td>\r\nmusic, musical<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u03c3\u03c6\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1<\/td>\r\nsphaira<\/strong><\/td>\r\nball, globe<\/td>\r\nspherical<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

Ancient Greek was a language with many dialects\u2014a reflection of the geographical and political fragmentation of early Greek society. In the epic dialect of Homer and Hesiod, the word for \u201cearth\u201d was \u03b3\u03b1\u03b9\u03b1 (gaia<\/b>), often personified as \u0393\u03b1\u03b9\u03b1 (Gaia<\/b>) or \u201cMother Earth.\u201d In Attic (Athenian) dialect, however, the word was \u03b3\u03b7; and this is the form in which it has influenced English vocabulary. The forms \u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1 and \u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c4\u03c4\u03b1 also reflect variations in dialect. In its Latin usage, glossa<\/b> came to mean an \u201cunusual word\u201d; to gloss<\/i> a text, therefore, was to explain an unusual word, and a glossary<\/i> (< L glossarium<\/b>) was a place in which to find unusual words.<\/p>\r\n

The last two words on the list illustrate the pervasive influence of Latin. From Homer and his successors, Roman poets inherited the concept of the Muse as the source of literary inspiration. (Indeed, there were nine separate Muses, the daughters of Mn<\/b>\u0113mosyn\u0113<\/strong> <\/b>[\u039c\u03bd\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b7], whose name meant \u201cMemory.\u201d) By a standard principle of Latinization (diphthong \u03bf\u03c5 > \u016b<\/strong>, \u00a7101<\/a>), Greek \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b1 became Latin m<\/b>\u016b<\/strong>sa<\/b>, and the English root mus- <\/i>can thus be said to have a Greco-Latin pedigree. Similarly, the Romans borrowed the Greek word \u03c3\u03c6\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1 as Latin sphaera<\/b>, with the minor adaptation of diphthong \u03b1\u03b9 > ae<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n

Among 1st declension Greek masculine nouns in -\u03b7\u03c2\", many are proper names like \u03a3\u03c9\u03ba\u03c1\u03b1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2, \u03a0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c2, \u2019\u0391\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2,\u00a0\u0398\u03bf\u03c5\u03ba\u03c5\u03b4\u03b9\u03b4\u03b7\u03c2 (Socrates, Pericles<\/i>, Aristophanes, Thucydides<\/i>). Here are several common nouns that received predictable treatment in Latin:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
G<\/td>\r\n\u03bd\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\r\nnaut\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\"sailor\"<\/td>\r\n> L<\/td>\r\nnauta<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
<\/td>\r\n\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\r\nkhart\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\"sheet of papyrus\"<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\ncharta<\/strong>[footnote]Like other Greek 1st declension nouns in -\u03b7\u03c2, \u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 was masculine in gender. It is unusual that the Latin adaptation charta<\/strong> should be a feminine noun; nauta<\/strong>, cometa<\/strong>, and planeta<\/strong> are all masculine.[\/footnote]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
<\/td>\r\n\u03ba\u03bf\u03bc\u03b7\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\r\nkom\u0113t\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\"long-haired\" [star]<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\ncom<\/strong>\u0113ta<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
<\/td>\r\n\u03c0\u03bb\u03b1\u03bd\u03b7\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\r\nplan\u0113t\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\"wanderer\"<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nplan\u0113ta<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

An Argonaut<\/i> (< \u2019\u0391\u03c1\u03b3\u03bf\u03bd\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2) was a sailor on Jason's fabulous ship, the Argo. By analogy, we have the modern coinages cosmonaut<\/i> and astronaut<\/i> (a \u201cuniverse-sailor\u201d and a \u201cstar-sailor,\u201d respectively). Latin\u00a0com<\/strong>\u0113ta<\/strong> and plan<\/b>\u0113<\/strong>ta<\/b> entered French as c<\/i>om\u00e8te<\/em> and plan<\/i>\u00e8te<\/em>, whence their English forms comet<\/i> and planet.<\/i><\/p>","rendered":"

There are Greek nouns of the 1st declension that appear in English without change in form (other than conventional transliteration into the Roman alphabet). Some are proper names derived from Greek mythology: Aphrodite<\/i> (\u2019\u0391\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03b4\u03b9\u03c4\u03b7), Hera<\/i> (\u2018\u0397\u03c1\u03b1), Athene<\/i> or Athena <\/i>(\u2019\u0391\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03b7, \u2019\u0391\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03b1), Daphne<\/i> (\u0394\u03b1\u03c6\u03bd\u03b7, Apollo\u2019s beloved, transformed into a laurel), Penelope<\/i> (\u03a0\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c0\u03b7 or\u00a0 \u03a0\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1, wife of Odysseus), Lethe<\/i> (\u039b\u03b7\u03b8\u03b7, the river of forgetfulness). A few others are English common nouns: mania<\/i> (\u03bc\u03b1\u03bd\u03b9\u03b1, \u201cmadness\u201d), orchestra<\/i> (\u1f40\u03c1\u03c7\u03b7\u03c3\u03c4\u03c1\u03b1, \u201cdancing place\u201d), psyche<\/i> (\u03c8\u03c5\u03c7\u03b7, \u201cspirit,\u201d \u201csoul\u201d), acme<\/i> (\u1f00\u03ba\u03bc\u03b7, \u201c[highest] point\u201d).[1]<\/sup><\/a> More often, however, Greek nouns entered English after Latin adaptation; their derivative forms may also include suffixes from Greek and\/or Latin.<\/p>\n

Here is a sampling of 1st declensions nouns ending in -\u03b7 and -\u03b1:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table 16.1: GREEK FIRST DECLENSION NOUNS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GK. NOUN<\/td>\nTRANSLITERATION[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/td>\nENG. MEANING<\/td>\nENG. DERIVATIVE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03b3\u03b7<\/td>\ng\u0113<\/strong> (base g\u0113-<\/strong>)<\/td>\nearth<\/td>\ngeography<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03ba\u03b5\u03c6\u03b1\u03bb\u03b5<\/td>\nkephal\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\nhead<\/td>\ncephalic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03bc\u03bf\u03c1\u03c6\u03b7<\/td>\nmorph\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\nform<\/td>\nmorphology<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03c4\u03b5\u03c7\u03bd\u03b7<\/td>\ntechn\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\nart, skill<\/td>\ntechnical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03c6\u03c9\u03bd\u03b7<\/td>\nph\u014dn\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\nvoice, sound<\/td>\nphonograph<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03c8\u03c5\u03c7\u03b7<\/td>\npsych\u0113<\/strong><\/td>\nbreath, spirit, soul<\/td>\npsychology<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1<\/td>\ngl\u014dssa<\/strong><\/td>\ntongue<\/td>\ngloss, glossary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c4\u03c4\u03b1)<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (gl\u014dtta)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n(polyglot)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u03b9\u03b1<\/td>\nkardia<\/strong><\/td>\nheart<\/td>\ncardiac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03bc\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b1<\/td>\nmousa<\/strong><\/td>\nmuse<\/td>\nmusic, musical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u03c3\u03c6\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1<\/td>\nsphaira<\/strong><\/td>\nball, globe<\/td>\nspherical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Ancient Greek was a language with many dialects\u2014a reflection of the geographical and political fragmentation of early Greek society. In the epic dialect of Homer and Hesiod, the word for \u201cearth\u201d was \u03b3\u03b1\u03b9\u03b1 (gaia<\/b>), often personified as \u0393\u03b1\u03b9\u03b1 (Gaia<\/b>) or \u201cMother Earth.\u201d In Attic (Athenian) dialect, however, the word was \u03b3\u03b7; and this is the form in which it has influenced English vocabulary. The forms \u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1 and \u03b3\u03bb\u03c9\u03c4\u03c4\u03b1 also reflect variations in dialect. In its Latin usage, glossa<\/b> came to mean an \u201cunusual word\u201d; to gloss<\/i> a text, therefore, was to explain an unusual word, and a glossary<\/i> (< L glossarium<\/b>) was a place in which to find unusual words.<\/p>\n

The last two words on the list illustrate the pervasive influence of Latin. From Homer and his successors, Roman poets inherited the concept of the Muse as the source of literary inspiration. (Indeed, there were nine separate Muses, the daughters of Mn<\/b>\u0113mosyn\u0113<\/strong> <\/b>[\u039c\u03bd\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b7], whose name meant \u201cMemory.\u201d) By a standard principle of Latinization (diphthong \u03bf\u03c5 > \u016b<\/strong>, \u00a7101<\/a>), Greek \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b1 became Latin m<\/b>\u016b<\/strong>sa<\/b>, and the English root mus- <\/i>can thus be said to have a Greco-Latin pedigree. Similarly, the Romans borrowed the Greek word \u03c3\u03c6\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1 as Latin sphaera<\/b>, with the minor adaptation of diphthong \u03b1\u03b9 > ae<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Among 1st declension Greek masculine nouns in -\u03b7\u03c2”, many are proper names like \u03a3\u03c9\u03ba\u03c1\u03b1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2, \u03a0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c2, \u2019\u0391\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2,\u00a0\u0398\u03bf\u03c5\u03ba\u03c5\u03b4\u03b9\u03b4\u03b7\u03c2 (Socrates, Pericles<\/i>, Aristophanes, Thucydides<\/i>). Here are several common nouns that received predictable treatment in Latin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
G<\/td>\n\u03bd\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\nnaut\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\n“sailor”<\/td>\n> L<\/td>\nnauta<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\nkhart\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\n“sheet of papyrus”<\/td>\n<\/td>\ncharta<\/strong>[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u03ba\u03bf\u03bc\u03b7\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\nkom\u0113t\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\n“long-haired” [star]<\/td>\n<\/td>\ncom<\/strong>\u0113ta<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u03c0\u03bb\u03b1\u03bd\u03b7\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2<\/td>\nplan\u0113t\u0113s<\/strong><\/td>\n“wanderer”<\/td>\n<\/td>\nplan\u0113ta<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

An Argonaut<\/i> (< \u2019\u0391\u03c1\u03b3\u03bf\u03bd\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2) was a sailor on Jason’s fabulous ship, the Argo. By analogy, we have the modern coinages cosmonaut<\/i> and astronaut<\/i> (a \u201cuniverse-sailor\u201d and a \u201cstar-sailor,\u201d respectively). Latin\u00a0com<\/strong>\u0113ta<\/strong> and plan<\/b>\u0113<\/strong>ta<\/b> entered French as c<\/i>om\u00e8te<\/em> and plan<\/i>\u00e8te<\/em>, whence their English forms comet<\/i> and planet.<\/i><\/p>\n

  1. A strange doublet of\u00a0acme<\/em> is acne<\/em>, that dread scourge of the adolescent complexion. Although the etymology is obscure, acne<\/em> seems to have evolved as a corruption of the correct spelling. ↵<\/a><\/li>
  2. These vocabulary tables will use the following conventional transliterations: \u03ba > k<\/strong>, \u03c7 > ch<\/strong>, \u03c5 > y<\/strong>, and initial\u00a0\u1fe5 > rh<\/strong>. ↵<\/a><\/li>
  3. Like other Greek 1st declension nouns in -\u03b7\u03c2, \u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 was masculine in gender. It is unusual that the Latin adaptation charta<\/strong> should be a feminine noun; nauta<\/strong>, cometa<\/strong>, and planeta<\/strong> are all masculine. ↵<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"Chapter 16: The Greek Noun (Declensions 1 and 2)","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[52],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-47","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":44,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":472,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/revisions\/472"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/44"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}