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65. Feminine noun stems in -ᾱ may be classed in two groups; those of the first group retain -ᾱ or throughout the singular, those of the second group change -ᾱ to -η in all, or in some, singular forms.

66. Feminines: 1st Group

Goodell: Α-Declension Nouns, Pt. 1

67. In the singular

a. The nominative generally has -ᾱ after a vowel, after a consonant. Exceptions are mostly marked by the accent (§​​​​​§​​​​​ 11–13).

ὑγίεια health

ἀλήθεια truth

χώρᾱ land

Λήδᾱ Leda

b. If the nominative has -ᾱ or , the other cases have the same.

c. If the nominative has , the accusative and vocative have the same; the genitive and dative have -ᾱ after a vowel or ρ, otherwise .

68. The rules of accent in §​​​​​ 63.a & c apply to all declensions. But:

a. The genitive plural in the α-declension always has the ultima circumflexed, because -ῶν is contracted from -ᾱ́-ων (§​​​​​§​​​​​ 29.c and 30.b).

69.   a. Poets retain the older in some words where short α appears in prose.

b. The dramatists in lyric parts use freely the Doric forms that retain the older in place of Attic η; so, too, in the genitive plural, -ᾶν for -ῶν; likewise in the article and in adjectives and pronouns of this declension.

c. In the dative plural the poets use freely the older ending -αισι; so, too, in the article and in adjectives and pronouns (cp. §​​​​​ 64).

70. Feminines: 2nd Group

Goodell: Greek Α-Declension Nouns Chart, Pt. 2

71. Masculines

Goodell: Greek A-Declension Masculine Nouns

72. Masculine stems in -ᾱ are like feminines, except in the singular, as follows:

a. They change -ᾱ to except after ε, ι or ρ.

b. The nominative ends in .

c. The genitive ending -ου is borrowed from the ο-declension.

d. In the vocative nouns in -της have -τα. Also national names in -ης have -ᾰ.

Πέρσης, Πέρσα

The vocative of δεσπότης (master) has recessive accent.

δέσποτα

e. Some proper names in -ᾱς (Doric or foreign) make the genitive in -ᾱ, and retain throughout, contrary to §​​​​​ 67.c (above).

Suggested Citation

Meagan Ayer, ed. Goodell’s School Grammar of Attic Greek. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-10-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/goodell/%CE%B1-declension-nouns