Greek Adjectives

An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified. Every word joined to a substantive, in the character or quality of an adjective, (as adjectives, participles, pronouns, articles) must agree with the noun in number, gender, and case. Greek adjectives follow precisely the inflection of Substantives. Every declension, almost every form, reappears, but in different combinations.

In respect of form, adjectives are divided into three classes:

(i) Those which combine the first and second declension.
(ii) Those which combine the first and third declension.
(iii) Those which follow exclusively the type of the third declension.

Adjectives in Greek are decline in number, gender, and case.

(1) First Form

First form – some follow the second declension or O-declension , in the masculine and neuter ; the first , or A-declension in the feminine.

σοφο- σοφα- wise

αγιο- αγια- holy

When the stem-vowel is preceded by a consonant, the feminine ends in η, and the adjective is declined like σοφοσ, when by a vowel or ρ, the feminine ends in α, and the adjective is declined like αγιοσ. Thus μικροσ, μικρα, μικρον little. Genitive μικρου, μικρασ, μικρου. etc.

Adjectives in οο- and εο- are contracted. Thus:

Χρυσ(εος)-ους golden (-εα)-η
(-εον)-ουν

απλο(οος)-ους single (-οη)-η (-οον)-ουν

The adjective ελεως merciful has the Attic termination -εως instead of εοσ. It is only found in the New Testament in the nominative singular, in the phrase “God (be) merciful to thee” or “God forbid!”

Several adjective in the First Form have the feminine in -ος, as well as the masculine; like feminine of the second declension.

(2) Second Form

Second form – some follow the third declension in the masculine and neuter, the first in the feminine.

Adjective of this form exhibits the stem in the neuter nominative singular, modified if necessary, according to rule. The feminine always has α in the nominative singular.

Stem, παντ- all

Many forms of the participle are declined according to this model, as will be shown in the Conjugation Of Verbs. Thus:

The adjective stem ending υ- becomes -εια in the feminine, and is declined thus:

Stem ευθυ- ευθεια- straight

Note the change of the stem-ending υ into ε in the declension of these adjectives, genitive and dative singular, and plural thoroughout; also the non-contraction of εος in genitive singular and of εα in neuter plural.

Two adjectives of the Second Form are irregular in singular:-

(3)Third Form

Third form – some follow the third declension throughout.

In adjectives of this form, the masculine and feminine are alike. Many have the stem-ending -ες, which becomes -ης in nominative singular, and by the dropping of the σ in other cases causes contraction. Thus:-

Stem αληθεσ- true.

Stem σοφρον- sober-minded.

It wil be noticed that a nominative termination -ων may be from the stem -οντ or from -ον, as in the vocabularies by the genitive case. The former, however, occurs but rarely, save in participles.