ADJECTIVES

To “agree with a substantive” in connection with adjectives means having the single form (ending) that is correct for the adjective to be considered as qualifying that substantive; so, of all the forms of ἀγαθός, only ἀγαθοῦ is considered to agree with πατρός (i.e. the G sg of πατήρ, a masculine word), and only ἀγαθῇ with μήτρι (the D sg of μήτηρ, a feminine word). It goes almost without saying that, when agreeing with a sg or a pl sbs, adjectives take on a sg or pl ending, and, when agreeing with a N, G, D or Ac, they take on a N, G, D or Ac ending.

I use the sign > in the sense of “when agreeing with”; so for example >M means “when agreeing with Masculine words”, >Ne pl N+Ac  means “when agreeing with the Nominative or Accusative plural of a Neuter word”.

In the previous pages adjectives have had short shrift. Now for some more detail.

In the main there are two types of adiective: 1) those taking endings of the 2nd (>M & >Ne) or 1st (>F) declensions; 2) those taking endings of the 3rd declension. The >N+Ac sg Ne of 3rd-decl. adj’s is identical with the stem minus final occlusive (occlusives: β, π, φ; γ, κ, χ; δ, τ, θ) if there is one: stem παντ-, >Ne sg N+Ac  πᾶν, stem ἑκοντ-, >Ne sg N+Ac   ἕκον, stem ταλαν-, >Ne sg N+Ac   τάλαν, stem χαριεντ-, >Ne sg N+Ac  χάριεν. The ending >Ne pl N+Ac is always -α.

Greek being Greek, some elaboration is now required.

 

Of the first type there are some which do not take 1st-decl. endings, >F, but the same endings as, >M. Composite adjectives as a rule belong to this sub-type and so take no separate >F-endings. [Composite adj’s are those  of which the stem consists of parts that are recognisable as separate words, and opposites: in ἀμφίρυτος the preposition ὰμφί is part of the stem; ἀνάξιος is the opposite of ἄξιος.]  Also there are fairly numerous non-composite adj’s that take no separate >F-endings, especially those ending in -ιμος.

The normal type is marked in the lexicon by ---ος, η, ον or –-ος, α, ον (as the case may be), the sub-type by -ος, ον, or by (3) and (2) respectively.

 

The second type sometimes does show separate >F-endings; these are of the 1st decl, 3rd column, and were formed originally with an element –j- preceding the ending: >M πᾶς, stem παντ-, >F (παντjα→) πᾶσα; >Μ ἕκων, stem ἑκοντ-, >F (ἑκοντjα→) ἕκουσα, likewise ἄκων,  >M τάλας, stem ταλαν-, >F (τάλανjα →) τάλαινα, -ης etc. Also μέλαινα from μέλας and τερεινα from τέρην. >Μ χαρίεις, stem χαριεντ-, >F (χαριεντjα→) χαρίεσσα and quite a few other adj’s in –εις. All this can be found lexically quite easily.

Very important is the formation of  >F-forms of the participles with the suffix –ντ-:

>M & Ne: ---ντ + ending 3rd decl;  >F (---ντjα →)

 ---σα, ---σης  etc. (See Synopsis of verb formation)

COMPARISON

Your normal run-of-the-mill comparative is recognizable from the element –τερ-+ 2nd or 1st decl. ending, added to the stem of the adj: ὀξύς, st. ὀξυ-, cmp ὀξύτερος, δίκαιος, st. δικαιο-, cmp δικαιότερος; if the syllable preceding the final –ο- is short (that is, consists of a short vowel followed by at most one consonant), the –ο- changes into –ω- -. There is also a tendency to drop the –ο-: φίλτερος from φίλος, γεραίτερος from γέραιος. All this does not impede finding the word in the dictionary, where this is treated fully, and so does not need treatment here. Sometimes –(ε)σ- is inserted before –τερ-: εὐδαίμων, cmp εὐδαιμονέστερος; εὔνους, cmp εὐνούστερος.
Coupled to this type of cmp is a superlative recognisable from the element –τατ-+2nd or 1st decl. ending, added to the stem under the same rules: ὀξύτατος, δικαιότατος, φίλτατος, εὐδαιμονέστατος, etc.

 

A second means of forming cmp & spl is by adding –ιον- (3rd decl) and –ιστος (2nd-1st decl) to the stem: κακός, cmp κακίων (>NsgM), spl κάκιστος. In the cmp, the endings

-ίονες & -ίονας (>M +F pl  Ν & >M+F pl Ac ) are frequently replaced by

-ίους and the ending -ίονα by -ίω (>M+F sg Ac   & >Ne pl N+Ac ).

Very few of these forms are not listed separately in the dictionary and therefore  need no treatment here. To give one the feel of such forms, I list some anyway:

αἰσχίων, αἴσχιστος from αἰσχρός

ἡδίων, ἥδιστος from ἡδύς

θάττων, τάχιστος from ταχύς (θάττων, or θάσσων, is of course next       to impossible to locate as a form of ταχύς)

καλλίων, κάλλιστος from καλός

ῥᾴων, ῥᾷστος from ῥᾴδιος

μείζων, μέγιστος from μέγας. (also difficult to locate as form of μέγας)

There are few adj’s with this type of cmp+spl, but those few are very frequent!

 

 

Adverbial forms proper (in –ως) of cmp & spl are very rare. Instead, the cmp prefers the form >Ne sg Ac (in –τερον, -ιον), and the spl prefers the form >Ne pl Ac  (in –τατα, -ιστα).

As regards the meaning of these forms, this will get you through most problems:

ὸξύτερος 1) sharper

                  2) rather sharp

                  3) too sharp

                  4) sharpest (of two)

ὀξύτατος 1) (the) sharpest (especially when accompanied by               the  article: ὁ ὀξύτατος, or by a Genitive: πάντων ὀξύτατος)

                   2) very sharp

Peculiar are the following two highly frequent adj’s:

Μεγαλ- followed by an ending of 2nd or 1st decl stems from μέγας (>M sg N)

The form >M sg Ac  is μέγαν, the form >Ne sg N+Ac  is μέγα.

Likewise πολλ- followed by an ending of 2nd or 1st decl stems from πολύς (>M sg N)

The form >Μ sg Ac  is πολύν, the form >Ne sg N+Ac   πολύ.

[In Homer and Herodotus  πολλον is also found instead of the Attic forms]

 

 

 

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