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7/29/2019 Modern Greek Grammar
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Modern Greek grammar 1
Modern Greek grammar
The grammar of Standard Modern Greek, as spoken in present-day Greece and Cyprus, is basically that of
Demotic Greek, but it has also assimilated certain elements of Katharevousa, the archaic, learned variety of Greek
imitating Classical Greek forms, which used to be the official language of Greece through much of the 19th and 20th
centuries. Modern Greek grammar has preserved many features of Ancient Greek, but has also undergone changes in
a similar direction as many other modern Indo-European languages, from more synthetic to more analytic structures.
General characteristics
Syntax
The predominant word order in Greek is SVO (subjectverbobject), but word order is quite freely variable, with
VSO and other orders as frequent alternatives. Within the noun phrase, adjectives precede the noun (for example,
, [to mealo spiti], 'the big house'), while possessors follow it (for example, , [to spiti
mu], 'my house'). The opposite order is possible as a marked alternative in both cases. Greek is a pro-drop language,i.e. subjects are typically not overtly expressed whenever they are inferable from context. Whereas the word order of
the major elements within the clause is fairly free, certain grammatical elements attach to the verb as clitics and form
a rigidly ordered group together with it. This applies particularly to unstressed object pronouns, negation particles,
the tense particle [a], and the subjunctive particle [na]. Likewise, possessive pronouns are enclitic to the
nouns they modify.
Morphology
Greek is still a strongly inflectional language, although the richness of inflectional categories of Ancient Greek has
been reduced over time. Nouns, adjectives and verbs are each divided into several inflectional classes (declension
classes and conjugation classes), which have different sets of endings. In the nominals, the ancient inflectionalsystem is well preserved, with the exception of the loss of one case, the dative, and the restructuring of several of the
inflectional classes. In the verbal system, the loss of synthetic inflectional categories is somewhat greater, and
several new analytic constructions have evolved instead.
Characteristics of the Balkan linguistic union
Several syntactic properties of Greek are characteristics shared with several other Balkan languages, with which
Greek forms the so-called Balkan linguistic union. Among these characteristics are:
The lack of an infinitive. In Greek, verbal complementation is typically formed with the help of finite
(subjunctive) verb forms, in cases where English would use an infinitive (for example, , [elo na
pao], literally 'I-want that I-go', i.e. 'I want to go').
The merger of the dative and the genitive case. In Greek, indirect objects are expressed partly through genitive
forms of nouns or pronouns, and partly through a periphrasis consisting of the preposition ([se], 'to') and the
accusative.
The use of a future construction derived from the verb 'want' ( [eli na] > [a]).
A tendency to use pre-verbal clitic object pronouns redundantly (clitic doubling), doubling an object that is also
expressed elsewhere in the clause: for example, ([to ia to aftocinito], 'I saw it, the car",
literally 'It I-saw the car').
One prominent feature of the Balkan linguistic union that Greek does not share is the use of a postposed definite
article. The Greek article (like the Ancient Greek one) stands before the noun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clitic_doublinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balkan_linguistic_unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Analytic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Synthetic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dativehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Inflectionalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subjunctivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grammatical_particlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clitichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subject_%28grammar%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pro-drop_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Markednesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Noun_phrasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Verb%E2%80%93subject%E2%80%93objecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subject%E2%80%93verb%E2%80%93objecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Analytic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Synthetic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indo-European_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ancient_Greek_grammarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ancient_Greekhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Katharevousahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Demotic_Greekhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cyprushttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greece7/29/2019 Modern Greek Grammar
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Modern Greek grammar 2
Verb
Greek verb morphology is structured around a basic 2-by-2 contrast of two aspects, namely imperfective and
perfective, and two tenses, namely past and non-past (or present). The aspects are expressed by two separate verb
stems, while the tenses are marked mainly by different sets of endings. Of the four possible combinations, only three
can be used in indicative function: the present (i.e. imperfective non-past), the imperfect (i.e. imperfective past) and
the aorist (i.e. perfective past). All four combinations can be used in subjunctive function, where they are typicallypreceded by the particle or by one of a set of subordinating conjunctions. There are also two imperatives, one for
each aspect.
In addition to these basic forms, Greek also has several periphrastic verb constructions. There is a perfect, which is
expressed by an inflected form of the auxiliary verb ('have') and an invariant verb form derived from the
perfective stem. This occurs both as a past perfect (pluperfect) and as a present perfect.
In addition, all the basic forms can be combined with the future particle (historically derived from the verb ,
'want'). Combined with the non-past forms, this creates an imperfective and a perfective future. Combined with the
imperfective past it is used as a conditional, and with the perfective past as an inferential.
Modern Greek verbs additionally have three non-finite forms. There is a form traditionally called ""(i.e. 'infinitive', literally the 'invariant form'), which is historically derived from the perfective (aorist) infinitive, but
has today lost all syntactical functions typically associated with that category. It is used only to form the periphrastic
perfect and pluperfect, and is always formally identical to the 3rd person singular of the perfective non-past. There is
also a passive participle, typically ending in -menos (-meni, -meno), which is inflected as a regular adjective. Its use
is either as a canonical adjective, or as a part of a second, alternative perfect periphrasis with transitive verbs.
Finally, there is another invariant form, formed from the present tense and typically ending in -ontas, which is
variably called either a participle or a gerund by modern authors. It is historically derived from an old present
participle, and its sole use today is to form non-finite adjunct adverbial clauses of time or manner, roughly
corresponding to an -ing participle in English.
Regular perfect periphrasis, with aparemphato ("invariant form"), for example:
([exo rapsi tin epitai], 'I have written the cheque')
Alternative perfect periphrasis, with passive participle, for example:
([exo tin epitai rameni], 'I have written the cheque')
Adverbial clause with present participle/gerund form, for example:
([etrekse sto romo trauondas], 'he ran along the street singing')
The tables below exemplify the range of forms with those of one large inflectional class of verbs, the 1st
Conjugation.
First conjugation
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Modern Greek grammar 3
Aspect Stem Past Non-Past Imperative
Imperfective - 1.Sg.
2.Sg.
3.Sg.
1.Pl.
2.Pl.
3.Pl.
Imperfect
I used to write
I was writing
Present
I write
I am writing
Imperative Impf.
write! (continually)
Perfective - 1.Sg.
2.Sg.
3.Sg.
1.Pl.
2.Pl.
3.Pl.
Aorist
I wrote
Subjunctive Pf.
that I write
Imperative Pf.
write! (once)
Perfect 1.Sg.
2.Sg.
3.Sg.
1.Pl.
2.Pl.
3.Pl.
Past Perfect
I had written
Present Perfect
I have written
Gerund/Part.
writing
Past Non-Past
Impf.
I would write
I will write (continually)
Pf.
I have probably written
I will write (once)
Perf.
I would have written
I will have written
Second conjugation
Below are the corresponding forms of two subtypes of another class, the 2nd Conjugation. Only the basic forms are
shown here; the periphrastic combinations are formed as shown above. While the person-number endings are quite
regular across all verbs within each of these classes, the formation of the two basic stems for each verb displays a lot
of irregularity and can follow any of a large number of idiosyncratic patterns.
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Modern Greek grammar 4
/ ('talk') ('lead')
Past Non-Past Imper. Past Non-Past Imper.
Impf.
/
/
/
Pf.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive
Alternative endings: , . Some verbs use only these types and especially the plural.
Augment
The use of the past tense prefix e-, the so-called augment, shows some variation and irregularity between verb
classes. In regular (demotic) verbs in standard modern Greek, the prefix is used depending on a stress rule, which
specifies that each past tense verb form has its stress on the third syllable from the last (the antepenultimate); the
prefix is only inserted whenever the verb would otherwise have fewer than three syllables. In these verbs, the
augment always appears as e-. A number of frequent verbs have irregular forms involving other vowels, mostly -
(i-), for example, > ('want'). In addition, verbs from the learned tradition partly preserve more complex
patterns inherited from ancient Greek. In learned compound verbs with adverbial prefixes such as - (peri-) or
- (ipo-), the augment is inserted between the prefix and the verb stem (for example, - >
-- ('describe'). Where the prefix itself ends in a vowel, the vowels in this position may be subject to
further assimilation rules, such as in - > -- ('sign'). In addition, verbs whose stem begins in a
vowel may also display vocalic changes instead of a syllabic augment, as in > ('hope'). The table
below presents some further examples of these patterns:
Type of verb Present tense Meaning Past tenses
Perfective Imperfective
Simple [rafo] write [erapsa] [erafa]
Composite < +
[peirafo] describe [peierapsa] [peierafa]
< +
[iporafo] sign [iperapsa] [iperafa]
< +
[iarafo] delete [ierapsa] [ierafa]
Initial vowel [elpizo] hope [ilpisa] [ilpiza]
Composite and initial
vowel
< + [iparxo] exist [ipirksa] [ipirxa]
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Modern Greek grammar 5
Irregular augment [ime] be [imun]
[exo] have [ixa]
[elo] want (no
augment)
[elisa] [iela]
[ksero] know [iksera]
[pino] drink [ipia] [epina]
Grammatical voice
Greek is one of the few modern Indo-European languages that still has a morphological contrast between two
grammatical voices: active and mediopassive. The mediopassive has several functions:
Passive function, denoting an action that is performed on the subject by another agent (for example,
'he was killed');
Reflexive function, denoting an action performed by the subject on him-/herself (for example, 'he
shaved himself');
Reciprocal function, denoting an action performed by several subjects on each other (for example,
'they love each other');
Modal function, denoting the possibility of an action (for example, 'it is eatable');
Deponential function: verbs that occur only in the mediopassive and lack a corresponding active form. They often
have meanings that are rendered as active in other languages: ' work'; 'I sleep'; 'I
accept'. There are also many verbs that have both an active and a mediopassive form but where the mediopassive
has a special function that may be rendered with a separate verb in other languages: for example, active 'I
raise', passive 'I get up'; active 'I strike', passive 'I am bored'.
('write') ('talk')
Past Non-Past Imper. Past Non-Past Imper.
Impf.
Pf.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive
There also two other categories of verbs which historically correspond to the ancient contracted verbs.
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Modern Greek grammar 6
('guarantee') ('lack')
Past Non-Past Imper. Past Non-Past Imper.
Impf.
and
Pf.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive
There also more formal suffixes instead of-, -: -, -. In this case the suffixes of the
first person of the plural of present and imperfect are the same.
Be andhave
The verbs ('be') and ('have') are irregular and defective, as they both lack the aspectual contrast. The forms
of both are given below.
Present Past Participle
()
or
or
Present Past Participle
Nouns and adjectives
The Greek nominal system displays inflection for two numbers (singular and plural), three genders (masculine,
feminine and neuter), and four cases (nominative, genitive, accusative and vocative). As in many other
Indo-European languages, the distribution of grammatical gender across nouns is largely arbitrary and need not
coincide with natural sex. Case, number and gender are marked on the noun as well as on articles and adjectives
modifying it. While there are four cases, there is a great degree of syncretism between case forms within most
paradigms. Only one sub-group of the masculine nouns actually has four distinct forms in the four cases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syncretism_%28linguistics%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adjectivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Article_%28grammar%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nounhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vocativehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Accusativehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Genitivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nominativehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grammatical_casehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grammatical_genderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pluralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grammatical_numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grammatical_numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Inflectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Defective_verb7/29/2019 Modern Greek Grammar
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Modern Greek grammar 7
Article
There are two articles in Modern Greek, the definite and the indefinite. They are both inflected by gender and case,
and the definite article also for number. The article agrees with the noun it modifies.
Definite article
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular Nominative [o] [i] [to]
Genitive [tu] [tis] [tu]
Accusative()
[1] [to(n)] ()[1] [ti(n)] [to]
Plural Nominative [i] [i] [ta]
Genitive [ton] [ton] [ton]
Accusative [tus] [tis] [ta]
The definite article is used more frequently in Greek than in English. It is used: Before nouns used in an abstract or a general sense:
For example, ([mu aresi i ilikrinia], 'I like sincerity'; literally 'I like the sincerity').
([ta karvuna ine akriva fetos], 'coal is expensive this year'; literally 'the
coal is expensive this year').
Before proper names, including names of persons, placenames, and titles:
For example, ([o annis a eri avrio], 'John will come tomorrow'; literally 'the
John will come tomorrow').
Before each noun in a series of nouns connected by and:
For example, , ; ([ iran ta vivlia, taperioika ke i efimeries pu zitisa], 'Have the books, magazines and newspapers I asked for arrived?';
literally 'the books, the magazines and the newspapers')
Before designations of time such as the year, the week and the hour as well as before the names of the seasons,
the days of the week except when they follow the verb (to be):
For example, ([to treno fevi stis eka], 'the train leaves at ten'; literally 'at the
ten').
Before expressions of measure and weight, where the indefinite article would be used in English:
For example, ([to ti ri kostizi pende evro to kilo], 'the cheese costs
five euros a kilo'; literally 'five euros the kilo').
Before a noun which is also modified by a possessor following it:
For example, ([to spiti mu ine eo], 'My house is here'; literally 'the house my is
here').
Before nouns modified by a demonstrative adjective. In this case, the definite article is placed between the
demonstrative adjective and the noun:
For example, ([afto to krasi ine kalo], 'this wine is good'; literally 'this the wine
is good').
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Modern Greek grammar 8
Indefinite article
The indefinite article in Greek is identical with the numeral one. As in English, it exists only in the singular.
Indefiniteness in plural nouns is expressed by the bare noun without an article.
Singular
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative [enas] [mia] [ena]
Genitive [enos] [mas] [enos]
Accusative()
nu [ena(n)] [mia] [ena]
The indefinite article is not used in Greek as often as in English because it specifically expresses the concept of
"one". It is omitted:
Before predicate nouns:
([ ine ikioros], 'he is a lawyer'; literally 'is lawyer').
Before nouns that have no specific reference: ([psaxno ua], 'I'm looking for a job'; i.e. not a specific job known to the speaker)
In exclamations with nouns preceded with (what):
! ([ti kalo pei], 'What a good boy!'; literally 'what good boy')
Before a noun preceded by ([san], 'like'):
([afto to xristueatiko endro fenete
san aliino endro], 'this Christmas tree looks like a real tree'; literally 'like real tree')
In proverbs:
([skili pu avizi e aoni] 'a dog that barks does not bite'; literally 'dog
that barks')
Nouns
Greek nouns are inflected by case and number. In addition each noun belongs to one of three genders: masculine,
feminine and neuter. Within each of the three genders, there are several sub-groups (declension classes) with
different sets of inflectional endings.
Masculine nouns
The table shows four of the most frequent declension classes: one with singulars in - [-os] and plurals in - [-i];
one with singulars in - [-as] and plurals in - [-es], one with singulars in - [-is] and again plurals in - [-es]
and one with singulars in - [-eas] and plurals in - [-is]. There are some other, minor ones. Historically, theclass in - corresponds to the Ancient Greek o-Declension. The other classes represent a conflation of several
different sources.
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Modern Greek grammar 9
Group 1:
-/-
([filos] 'friend')
Group 2: -/-
([andras] 'man')
Group 3:
-/-
([xartis] 'map')
Group 4: -/-
([provoleas] 'searchlight')
Singular Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[o]
[tu]
() [to(n)]
[-os]
[-u]
[-o]
[-e]
[-as]
[-a]
[-a]
[-a]
[-is]
[-i]
[-i]
[-i]
[-eas]
[-ea]
[-ea]
[-ea]
Plural Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[i]
[ton]
[tus]
[-i]
[-on]
[-us]
[-i]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-is]
[-eon]
[-is]
[-is]
Groups 2 and 3 each have subclasses of so-called anisosyllabic nouns, where the Plural is formed with the addition
of a stem extension -- [-a-] and -- [-i-], respectively. Examples are for Group 2a: /
(/papas/papaes/, 'priest'), and for Group 3a: / (/manavis/manavies/, 'greengrocer'). The
endings following the stem extension are the same as in the other words of Groups 2 and 3.
Feminine nouns
The two most frequent classes of feminine nouns are those with singulars in - ([-a]) and in - ([-i]) respectively,
both with plurals in - [-es]) (Groups 1 and 2 in the tables below). They both correspond historically to the Ancient
Greek a-Declension. There are certain subgroups (not shown in the table) which differ from each other in the
placement of the accented syllable. A third group corresponds to Ancient Greek nouns in -, such as ('city').
Its singular forms have been adapted to those of Group 2, while its plural forms have retained the ancient pattern
(plurals in - [-is]). The ancient forms of the Genitive Singular (, [-eos]) are also found as a stylistic variant
and they are fully acceptable. Group 4 corresponds to the Ancient Greek feminine o-Declension. Its forms are largely
identical to those of the masculines in -. Except for Group 4, all classes have identical forms in the nominative,accusative and vocative.
Group 1:
-/-
([ora], 'time')
Group 2: -/-
([epoi], 'season')
Group 3: -/-
([poli], 'city')
Group 4: -/-
([meoos], 'method')
Singular Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[i]
[tis]
() [ti(n)]
[-a]
[-as]
[-a]
[-a]
[-i]
[-is]
[-i]
[-i]
and
[-i]
[-is] and
[-eos]
[-i]
[-i]
(-)
[-os]
[-u]
[-o]
[-os (-e)]
Plural Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[i]
[ton]
[tis]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-is]
[-eon]
[-is]
[-is]
[-i]
[-on]
[-us]
[-i]
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Modern Greek grammar 10
Neuter nouns
All neuter nouns have identical forms across the nominative, accusative and vocative. The table below therefore
shows only two forms, the common form labeled N/A/V, and the genitive. There are two classes that are by far the
most frequent ones, one with singulars in - and plurals in -, the other with singulars in - and plurals in - (Groups
1 and 2 in the table below).
Group 1:
-/-
([vivlio],
'book')
Group 2: -/-
([pei],
'child')
Group 3: -/-
[provlima] ( 'problem')
Group 4:
-/-
([laos],
'error')
Group 5:
-/-
([kreas],
'meat')
Unique:
-/-
([oksi],
'acid')
Unique: -/-
([ori], 'spear')
Singular N/A/V
Genitive
[to]
[tu]
[-o]
[-u]
[-i]
[-ju]
[-ma]
[-matos]
[-os]
[-us]
[-as]
[-atos]
[-i]
[-eos]
[-i]
[-atos]
Plural N/A/V
Genitive
[ta]
[ton]
[-a]
[-on]
[-ja]
[-jon]
[-mata]
[-maton]
[-i]
[-on]
[-ata]
[-aton]
[-ea]
[-eon]
[-ata]
[-aton]
Adjectives
Adjectives agree with nouns in gender, case and number. Therefore, each adjective has a threefold declension
paradigm for the three genders. Adjectives show agreement both when they are used as attributes ( , [o
kalos filos], 'the good friend') and when they are used as predicates ( , [o filos ine kalos], 'the
friend is good').
The vast majority of adjectives take forms in - in the masculine (same as masculine Group 1 nouns above), - in
the neuter (same as neuter Group 1 nouns above), and either -, -, or - in the feminine (same as feminine Group1/2 nouns above). Again, there are some other, minor groups and sub-classes.
Adjectives agree with the noun in terms of its abstract gender, not in terms of the shapes of the actual endings, since
these depend on the individual declension class of both the noun and the adjective. This means that the concrete
endings occurring in any pair of noun and adjective may be quite different from each other, depending on the classes
involved (e.g. , [i kali meoos], 'the good method'; , [ta nea lai], 'the new errors').
The table below shows the forms for , -, - ([ neos] 'new, young'), , -, - ([kalos] 'good'), and ,
-, - ([likos] 'sweet').
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Singular Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[-os]
[-u]
[-o]
[-e]
[-a]
[-as]
[-a]
[-a]
[-i]
[-is]
[-i]
[-i]
[-ja]
[-jas]
[-ja]
[-ja]
[-o]
[-u]
[-o]
[-o]
Plural Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[-i]
[-on]
[-us]
[-i]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-a]
[-on]
[-a]
[-a]
Analogous:
...
...
Analogous:
...
...
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Modern Greek grammar 11
Other adjective classes include the following:
Certain adjectives, usually denoting human characteristics, whose masculine and feminine forms decline like
nouns of the masculine Group 3a (-/-, /-is/-ies/) and the feminine Group 1 (-), while the neuter ends in
- [-iko], for example, , , ([tembelis, tembela, tembeliko], 'lazy').
Some adjectives of learned origin which lack a separate form for the feminine, using the regular - [-os]
paradigm both for the masculine and the feminine gender, for example, ([eios], 'pregnant'). Another class of learned origin, with masculine/feminine in - [-is] and neuter in - [-es], for example,
([ienis] 'international').
A small group of adjectives in -, -, - ([-is, -ia, -i]), for example, ([varis], 'heavy'), and the similar but
even more irregular single item , , ([polis, polli, poli], 'much').
These adjectives are declined this way:
Group 1: -, -/-, -
([sineis], 'continual')
Group 2: -, -/-, -
([siniis], 'usual')
Group 3: -, -/-, -
([vais], 'deep')
Masc. - Fem. Neuter Masc. - Fem. Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[-is]
[-us]
[-i]
[-is]
[-es]
[-us]
[-es]
[-es]
[-is]
[-us]
[-i]
[-is]
[-es]
[-us]
[-es]
[-es]
[-is]
[-eos]
[-i]
[-i]
[-ja]
[-jas]
[-ja]
[-ja]
[-i]
[-eos]
[-i]
[-i]
Plural Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[-is]
[-on]
[-is]
[-is]
[-i]
[-on]
[-i]
[-i]
[-is]
[-on]
[-is]
[-is]
[-i]
[-on]
[-i]
[-i]
or
or
or
[-is]
or
[-ji]
[-eon]
or
[-jon]
[-is]
[-is]or
[-ji]
[-jes]
[-jon]
[-jes]
[-jes]
or
or
or
or
[-ea]
or
[-ja]
[-eon]
or
[-jon]
[-ea]
or[-ja]
[-ea]
or
[-ja]
The adjective - - is declined this way:
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[-is]
[-u]
[-i]
[-i]
[-i]
[-is]
[-i]
[-i]
[-i]
[-u]
[-i]
[-i]
Plural Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
Vocative
[-i]
[-on]
[-us]
[-i]
[-es]
[-on]
[-es]
[-es]
[-a]
[-on]
[-a]
[-a]
Comparative and superlative
Adjectives in Modern Greek can form a comparative for expressing comparisons. Similar to English, it can be
formed in two ways, as a periphrastic form (as in English beautiful > more beautiful) and as synthetic form using
grammatical suffixes, as in English large > larger) . The periphrastic comparative is formed by the particle
([po], 'more') preceding the adjective. The synthetic forms of the regular adjectives in -, - and -o is created with
the suffix -- and -. For those adjectives which end in -, - and - the corresponding suffixes
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are -- and -.
A superlative is expressed by combining the comparative, in either its periphrastic or synthetic form, with a
preceding definite article. (Thus, Modern Greek does not distinguish between 'the largest house' and 'the larger
house'; both are or .)
Besides the superlative proper, sometimes called "relative superlative", there is also an "absolute superlative" or
elative, expressing the meaning 'very ' (for example, 'very beautiful'). Elatives are formed with thesuffixes -, - and - for the regular adjectives, and -- and - for those in -.
Simple form Comparative form Superlative form
Relative Absolute (elative)
Periphrastic Synthetic Periphrastic Synthetic Periphrastic Synthetic
Adjectives
Participles
Adverbs
Personal pronouns
There are strong pronouns (stressed, free) and weak pronouns (unstressed, clitic). Nominative pronouns only havethe strong form (except in some minor environments) and are used as subjects only when special emphasis is
intended, since unstressed subjects recoverable from context are not overtly expressed anyway. Genitive (possessive)
pronouns are used in their weak forms as pre-verbal clitics to express indirect objects (for example, , [tu
milisa], 'I talked to him'), and as a post-nominal clitic to express possession (for example, , [i fili tu],
'his friends'). The strong genitive forms are relatively rare and used only for special emphasis (for example,
, [aftu i fili], 'his friends'); often they are doubled by the weak forms (for example, , [aftu
tu milisa], ' him I talked to'). An alternative way of giving emphasis to a possessive pronoun is propping it up with
the stressed adjective ([ikos], 'own'), for example, ([i ici tu fili], ' his friends').
Accusative pronouns exist both in a weak and a strong form. The weak form is used as a pre-verbal clitic (for
example, , [ton ia], 'I saw him'); the strong form is used elsewhere in the clause (for example, ,[ia afton], 'I saw him'). Third-person pronouns have separate forms for the three genders; those of the first and
second Person do not. The weak third-person forms are similar to the corresponding forms of the definite article. The
strong third-person forms function simultaneously as generic demonstratives ('this, that').
The strong plural forms of the third person in the genitive and accusative (, etc.) have optional
alternative forms extended by an additional syllable [-on-] or [-un-] (, etc.)
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1st person 2nd person 3rd person
Masc. Fem. Neut.
Strong Singular Nominative [eo] [esi] [af tos] [af ti] [af to]
Genitive [emena] [esena] o [af tu] [af tis] [af tu]
Accusative [emena] [esena] [af ton] [af tin] [af to]
Plural Nominative [emis] [esis] [af ti] [af tes] [af ta]
Genitive [emas] [esas] [af ton] [af ton] [af ton]
Accusative [emas] [esas] [af tus] [af tes] [af ta]
Weak Singular Nominative [tos] [ti] [to]
Genitive [mu] [su] [tu] [tis] [tu]
Accusative [me] [se] [ton] ()[1] [ti(n)] [to]
Plural Nominative [ti] [tes] [ta]
Genitive [mas] [sas] [tus] [tus] [tus]
Accusative [mas] [sas] [tus] [tis] [ta]
Besides [aftos] as a generic demonstrative, there are also the more specific spatial demonstrative pronouns
, -, - ([tutos], 'this here') and , -, - ([ecinos], 'that there').
Numerals
The numerals in Modern Greek are very similar to those of the Ancient Greek. The numerals one, three and four are
also declined by using the obsolete types of the third declension of the nouns.
Singular Plural
- - (1) - (3) - (4)
Masculine Feminine Neuter Masc. - Fem. Neuter Masc. - Fem. Neuter
Nominative [enas] [mia] [ena] [tris] [tria] [tesseris] [tessera]
Genitive [enos] [mas] [enos] [trion] [trion] [tessaron] [tes saron]
Accusative()
nu [ena(n)] [mia] [ena] [tris] [tria] [tesseris] [tessera]
Prepositions
In Demotic Greek, prepositions normally require the accusative case: (from), (for), (with), (after),
(without), (as) and (to, in or at). The preposition , when followed by a definite article, fuses with it
into forms like ( + ) and ( + ). While there is only a relatively small number of simple prepositions
native to Demotic, the two most basic prepositions and can enter into a large number of combinations with
preceding adverbs to form new compound prepositions, for example, (on), (underneath),
(beside) etc.
A few prepositions that take cases other than the accusative have been borrowed into Standard Modern Greek from
the learned tradition of Katharevousa: (against), (in favor of, for), (instead of). Other prepositions
live on in a fossilised form in certain fixed expressions (for example, 'in the meantime', dative).
The preposition (ap, 'from') is also used to express the agent in passive sentences, like English by.
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Conjunctions
Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in Greek include:
Kinds Conjunctions Meaning
Copulative (), , , , and, neither
Separatist , or, either
Negative , , , , , , , , but, although, however, whereas
Inferential , , , , so, so as, thus, that
Explanatory so, in other words
Special , , that
Temporal , , , , , , ( ), , , , ,
,
when, while, after, before, just,
until
Explaining , , , because
Hypothetical , , , if
Final , so as, (in order)to
Efficacious (), so as, in order to
Hesitant (), maybe, perhaps
Comparative to, than
The word ([na]) serves as a generic subordinator corresponding roughly to English to (+ infinitive) or that in
sentences like ([protimo na pao], 'I prefer to go', literally 'I prefer that I go') or
([protimo na pai o annis], 'I prefer that John go'). It marks the following verb as being in the
subjunctive mood. Somewhat similar to the English to-infinitive its use is often associated with meanings of
non-factuality, i.e. events that have not (yet) come true, that are expected, wished for etc. In this, it contrasts with [oti] and [pos], which correspond to English thatwhen used with a meaning of factuality. The difference can
be seen in the contrast between ([mas ipe na pame volta], 'he told us to go for a walk') vs.
([mas ipe pos pie volta], 'he told us that he went for a walk'). When used on its own
with a following verb, may express a wish or order, as in ! ([na pai], 'let him go' or 'may he go'). Unlike
the other subordinating conjunctions, is always immediately followed by the verb it governs, separated from it
only by any clitics that might be attached to the verb, but not by a subject or other clause-initial material.
Negation
For sentence negation, Greek has preserved from Proto-Indo-European a distinction between two negator elements,
() dhe(n)[1] and () mi(n), 'not'. The negator is used for simple negation in clauses with indicative mood.
The negator is used in subjunctive contexts, either after subjunctive-inducing or as a negative replacement
for . It is often associated with the expression of a wish for an event not to come true, as in:
([fovame mi vreksi], 'I'm afraid lest it might rain'), or with a negated order or recommendation, as in:
([mas ipe na min pame volta], 'he told us not to go for a walk'); ! ([na min pai], 'let
him not go!'). When used alone with a verb in the second person, it forms the functional equivalent to a negative
imperative: ! ([min pas], 'don't go!'). The imperative itself has no negative forms, something which is
preserved from Ancient Greek, and the negative is formed by the types of the subjunctive. e.g. ([pekse],
'play!'), ([min peksis], 'don't play!').
For constituent negation, i.e. when negating not a whole clause but a specific constituent of it, Greek uses negativeconcord, i.e. a combination of the sentence negator (/) with a negative-polarity item on the constituent to be
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Modern Greek grammar 15
negated, as in: ([en exo kanena neo], 'I don't have any news'). These negative-polarity items,
when used in a full clause with a verb, correspond to English words in any- (anything, anybody, anywhere etc.);
however, they can also be used on their own when negating a standalone phrase without a verb, in which case they
are translatable with English words in no- (nothing, nobody, none, nowhere etc.). This can be seen in the example
dialogue:
; , . ([eis kanena neo? oi kanena] 'Have you got any news? No,none.')
The , , is declined thus (only singular):
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative
Genitive
Accusative
or
[-enas] or
[-is]
[-enos]
[-ena]
[-mia]
[-mias]
[-mia]
[-ena]
[-enos]
[-ena]
The , , is generally rare and conservative. It is declined like the but does not have the
forms and but only and . When is used the double negation cannot be used.
Relative clauses
Greek has two different ways of forming relative clauses. The simpler and by far the more frequent uses the
invariable relativizer ([pu], 'that', literally 'where'), as in: ([i ineka pu ia xtes], 'the
woman that I saw yesterday'). When the relativized element is a subject, object or adverbial within the relative
clause, then as in English it has no other overt expression within the relative clause apart from the relativizer.
Some other types of relativized elements, however, such as possessors, are represented within the clause by a
resumptive pronoun, as in: (/i ineka pu vrika tin tsanda tis/, 'the woman
whose handbag I found', literally 'the woman that I found her handbag').The second, rarer and more formal, form of relative clauses employs complex inflected relative pronouns. They are
composite elements consisting of the definite article and a following pronominal element that is inflected like an
adjective: , , ([o opios, i opia, to opio] etc., literally 'the which'). Both elements are
inflected for case, number and gender according to the grammatical properties of the relativized item within the
relative clause, as in: ([i ineka tin opia ia xtes], 'the woman whom I saw
yesterday'); ([i ineka tis opias vrika tin tsanda], 'the woman whose
handbag I found').
Notes[1] When the following word begins with a plosive ([p t k b d ]) or in formal language, these words take a final - [-n].
References
Hardy, D. A. and Doyle, T. A. Greek language and people, BBC Books, 1996. ISBN 0-563-16575-8
Holton, D., Mackridge, P., and I. Philippaki-Warburton. Greek: A comprehensive grammar of the modern
language. Routledge, London, 1997, ISBN 0-415-10001-1, ISBN 0-415-10002-X. A very complete modern
reference, also available abridged as Greek: An Essential Grammar of the Modern Language, Routledge ,
London, 2003, ISBN 0-415-23209-0, ISBN 0-415-23210-4
, . and , . , Nostos, 1992. ISBN 960-85137-0-7
Pappageotes, G. C. and Emmanuel, P. D.Modern Greek in a nutshell, Institute for language study, Montclair, N.J.07042, Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1958; "Vest Pocket Modern Greek", Owlets, 1990, ISBN 0-8050-1510-8,
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Modern Greek grammar 16
ISBN 0-8489-5106-9
Pring, J. T. The Pocket Oxford Greek Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-19-860327-4
External links
Illustrated Modern Greek grammar (http://www.ilsp.gr/files/Basic_Greek_Grammar.pdf)
http://www.ilsp.gr/files/Basic_Greek_Grammar.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oxford_University_Press7/29/2019 Modern Greek Grammar
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Article Sources and Contributors 17
Article Sources and ContributorsModern Greek grammarSource: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=473863112 Contributors: 4pq1injbok, Aitias, AndreasJS, Angr, Anypodetos, Avicennasis, Barticus88, Blurrzuki,
Catalographer, Cplakidas, Crazymadlover, Dbachmann, Dimboukas, Edwy, Erutuon, Fratrep, Furrykef, Future Perfect at Sunrise, Gilgamesh, Hectorian, JaGa, JorisvS, Keinstein, Kwamikagami,
L'uf, Lambiam, LukasPietsch, M.O.X, MacedoniaIsGreece, Macrakis, Mais oui!, Makedonas, MasaoYAGIHASHI, Miskin, Moorsmur, Nono64, Omnipedian, Pail, R'n'B , Riboldipj, Rjwilmsi,
Sam Blacketer, Sjheiss, Steinbach, Tekleni, Thanassis, Theunixgeek, Thiseye, Tonyle, Vivliothykarios, 55 anonymous edits
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