Declension of Greek nouns in Latin

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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 do 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

More information Pēnelopē, -ēs f., Circē, -ēs/-ae f. ...
Pēnelopē, -ēs f. Circē, -ēs/-ae f. Aenēās, -ae m. Leōnidās, -ae m. Anchīsēs, -ae m. Alcīdēs, -ae
Hercules m.
Nominative PēnelopCircAenē-āsLeōnid-āsAnchīs-ēsAlcīd-ēs
Vocative Aenē-ā (a)Leōnid-ā (a)Anchīs (a) (ā)Alcīd
Accusative Pēnelop-ēn (am)Circ-ēn (am)Aenē-ān (am)Leōnid-ān (am)Anchīs-ēn (am)Alcīd-ēn (am)
Genitive Pēnelop-ēs (ae)Circ-ēs (ae)Aenē-aeLeōnid-aeAnchīs-aeAlcīd-ae
Dative Pēnelop-aeCirc-ae
Ablative Pēnelop (ā)Circ (ā)AenēLeōnidAnchīsAlcīd (ā)
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Declension of nouns

More information nymphē, -ae (f.), comētēs, -ae (m.) ...
nymphē, -ae (f.) comētēs, -ae (m.) xiphiās, -ae (m.)
`nymph`, `bride` `comet`, `meteor` `swordfish`
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative nymph
nymph-a
nymph-aecomēt-ēs
comēt-a
comet-aexiphi-ās
xiphi-a
xiphi-ae
Vocative comēt
comēt-a
xiphi
xiphi-a
Accusative nymph-ēn
nymph-am
nymph-āscomēt-ēn
comēt-am
comēt-āsxiphi-ān
xiphi-am
xiphi-ās
Genitive nymph-ēs
nymph-ae
nymph-ārumcomet-aecomēt-ārumxiphi-aexiphi-ārum
Dative nymph-aenymph-īscomēt-īsxiphi-īs
Ablative nymph
nymph
comēt
comēt
xiphi
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Second declension

Declension of proper names


More information Īlion/-um, -ī n. Troy, Panthūs, -ī m. ...
Īlion/-um, -ī n.[3]
Troy
Panthūs, -ī m. Androgeōs/-us, -ī m.
Nominative Īli-on[4] (um)Panth-ūsAndroge-ōs (us)
Vocative PanthAndroge-ū (e)
Accusative Panth-ūn (um)Androge-ō-n-a (um)
Genitive ĪliPanthAndroge
Dative, Ablative ĪliPanthAndroge
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Declension of nouns


More information atomos/-us, -ī f. atom, phaenomenon/-um, -ī n. phaenomenon ...
atomos/-us, -ī f.
atom
phaenomenon/-um, -ī n.
phaenomenon
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative atom-os
(us)
atomphaenomen-on (um)phaenomen-a
Vocative atom-e
Accusative atom-on
(um)
atom-ōs
Genitive atomatom-ōrumphaenomenphaenomen-ōrum
Dative, Ablative atomatom-īsphaenomenphaenomen-īs
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Third declension

Declension of proper names


More information Solōn/Solō, -ōnis m., Xenophōn, -ntis m. ...
Solōn/Solō, -ōnis m. Xenophōn, -ntis m. Atlās, -ntis m. Paris, -idis/-idos m. Thalēs, -is/-ētis m.
Nominative Sol-ō-nXenoph-ōnĀtl-āsPar-isThal-ēs
Vocative Sol-ōnĀtlPar-i(s)Thal
Accusative Solōn-a (em)Xenophōn-ta (em)Ātlan-ta (em)Pari-da
Pari-din (m)
Thalē-ta
Thal-ēn (em)
Genitive Solōn-isXenophōn-tisĀtlan-tisParid-os (is)Thalē-tis
Thal-is
Dative SolōnXenophōn-tīĀtlan-tīPari-dī
Pari-di
Thalē-tī
Thal
Ablative Solōn-eXenophōn-teĀtlan-tePari-deThal
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Declension of nouns


More information āēr, -eris, -eros air m. or f., hērōs, -is hero m. ...
āēr, -eris, -eros
air m. or f.
hērōs, -is
hero m.
haeresis, -is
sect, heresy f.
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative ā-ērā-erēshērō-shērō-ēshaeres-ishaeres-ēs
Vocative haeres-i (is)
Accusative ā-era (em)ā-erēs
ā-era
hērō-a (em)haeres-in (m)
haeres-em
haeres-ēs
haeres-īs
Genitive ā-eros
(is)
ā-erumhērō-ishērō-umhaeres-eōs
haeres-i(o)s
haeres-ium
Dative ā-erīā-eribushērōhērō-ibushaeres-ei (ī)haeres-ibus
Ablative ā-erehērō-ehaeres-ei (e) (ī)
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Fourth declension

Declension of nouns


More information ēchō, -ūs f. echo, Singular ...
ēchō, -ūs f.
echo
Singular
Nominative, Vocative ēch
Accusative ēch-o-n
Genitive ēch-ūs
Dative, Ablative ēch
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Mixed declension

Declension of proper names


More information Orphēūs, -eos/-ēī m., Athōs, -ō-nis m. ...
Orphēūs, -eos/-ēī m. Athōs, -ō-nis m. Oedipus/-ūs, -odis/-odī m. Achillēs, -is m. Sōcratēs, -ī/-is m. Dīdō, -ūs/-ōnis f.
Nominative Orph-ēūsAth-ōsOedip-us
Oedip-ūs
Achill-ēsSōcrat-ēsDīd
Vocative Orph-ēūOedip-ūs

Oedip-e

Sōcrat
Sōcrat-es
Accusative Orph-ea (um)Ath-ō-n-emOedip-oda
Oedip-um
Achill-emSōcrat-ēn
Sōcrat-em
Dīd-ō-nem
Genitive Orph-eos
Orph-ēī
Ath-ō-nisOedip-odī
Oedip-odis
Achill-isSōcrat
Sōcrat-is
Dīd-ūs
Dīd-ōnis
Dative Orph-eō Ath-ō-nīOedip-odī

Oedip

AchillSōcratDīdō-ō-nī
Ablative Ath-ō-ne Oedip-ode
Oedip-ō
Achill-eSōcrat-eDīd-ō-ne
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References

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