| Once you are
familiar with the formation of a Greek noun paradigm, you are ready
to parse nouns.
Foundational to parsing or analyzing
a noun is identifying what declension to which it belongs. Once
established, for instance, that a given noun will follow the second
declension pattern, all one need do is determine its gender,
number, and case. (Note that I am deliberately listing
these components in descending order: a noun form will belong to the
broadest category of declension, then gender, then the singular or
plural number, then an individual case within its gender and
number.)
As with verbs, you can avail yourself
of the convenience of a parsing table to parse nouns. When using
such a table, provide the noun form you are analyzing, then the
gender, the number, the case, and the lexical entry (with lexical
form and gloss).
| Form |
Gender |
Number |
Case |
Lexical
Entry |
| avpo,stoloj |
masc |
sg |
nom |
avpo,stoloj( o` |
apostle |
| dw/ron |
neut |
sg |
nom/acc |
dw/ron( to, |
gift |
| avdelfw/n |
masc |
pl |
gen |
avdelfo,j( o` |
brother |
| avgge,lou |
masc |
sg |
gen |
a;ggeloj( o` |
angel, messenger |
| oi;koij |
masc |
pl |
dat |
oi;koj( o` |
house |
- Observe that if you are simply
working from a list of forms, you should note both possible case
functions for a neuter form such as dw/ron
(nominative or accusative; it might also be vocative!); but if you are working from an
actual sentence or passage, you must designate only the
case function that fits the co-text you are translating.
- Observe also that the lexical
entry must always include the noun's accompanying definite
article.
When parsing a noun aloud, one says,
e.g., concerning oi;koij,
that it is...
the masculine,
plural, dative of oi;koj(
o`, house. |