Ancient Greek for Everyone: A New Digital Resource for Beginning Greek as taught at Louisiana State University Fall 2013 Richard Warga Unit 16: Comparative and Superlative

Elementary Greek This class (someday, Month ##, 2013) AGE Unit 16: Comparative & Superlative You have already learned Greek adjectives and adverbs. This Unit presents the other degrees of adjectives and adverbs: the comparative and superlative.

Elementary Greek From Unit 12: Greek Adjectives Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. In order to describe a noun, an adjective must match the noun in gender, number and case. All Greek adjectives use the same three declensions of endings as Greek nouns. Every adjective uses a specific declension’s ending for each gender. Greek adjectives differ only in which declension they use for the different genders.

Elementary Greek Greek Adjectives Adjectives also have degree: The positive degree refers to the quality or quantity conveyed by the meaning of the adjective: TALL The comparative degree refers to more of the quality or quantity conveyed by the adjective: TALLER The superlative degree refers to the maximum of the quality or quantity conveyed by the adjective: TALLEST

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives Positive degree is the regular form of the adjective: σοφός -ή -όν “wise” Comparative degree means the adjective has more of its quality than someone or something else: σοφώτερος -α -ον “wiser” – The marker – τερ – indicates the comparative degree in Greek just as the ending –er does in English.

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives Positive degree is the regular form of the adjective: σοφός -ή -όν “wise” Superlative degree means the adjective has the most of its quality: σοφώτατος -η -ον “wisest” – The marker – τατ – indicates the comparative degree in Greek just as the ending –est does in English.

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives An ο or ω appears between the stem of the adjective and the τερ / τατ marker of change in degree. Generally speaking, the length of this vowel is opposite that of the preceding vowel. μωρότερος -α -ον σοφώτερος -α -ον Since the comparative marker - τερ- ends in ρ, the feminine singular regularly uses α in place of η (like φίλιος -α -ον ). long shortshort long

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives in Greek form their comparatives and superlatives differently. The most common alternative marker for the comparative degree is - ί - + ων -ον – For the declension of this type, see next slide. The most common alternative marker for the superlative degree is - στ -. Sometimes these are just independent adjectives with comparative or superlative meaning.

Elementary Greek From Unit 12: Greek Adjectives βελτίων -ον (stem: βελτίον- ) better (just as δαίμων -ονος ὁ divinity) Singular Plural Nom. βελτίων βέλτιονβελτίονες βελτίονα Gen. βελτίονος βελτιόνων Dat. βελτίονιβελτίοσι Acc. βελτίονα βέλτιον βελτίονας βελτίονα Greek Pronouns (GPH p.28)

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. ἀγαθός -ή -όν “good”  ἀμείνων –ον “better, braver” or βελτίων –ον “better, more virtuous” or κρείττων –ον “better, stronger”  ἄριστος –η –ον “best, excellent” or βέλτιστος –η –ον “best, most virtuous” or κράτιστος –η –ον “best, strongest”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. αἰσχρός -ή -όν “shameful” –  αἰσχίων –ον “more shameful” –  αἴσχιστος –η –ον “most shameful”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. ἐχθρός -ή -όν “hostile” –  ἐχθίων –ον “more hostile” –  ἔχθιστος –η –ον “most hostile”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. ἡδύς –εῖα -ύν “sweet” –  ἡδίων –ον “sweeter” –  ἥδιστος –η –ον “sweetest”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. κακός -ή -όν “bad” –  κακίων –ον “morally worse” or χείρων –ον “worse” or ἥττων –ον “worse, weaker” –  κάκιστος –η –ον “morally worst” or χείριστος –η –ον “worst” ἥκιστα “least of all”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. καλός -ή -όν “beautiful” –  καλλίων –ον “more beautiful” –  κάλλιστος –η –ον “most beautiful”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. μέγας μεγάλη μέγα “big” –  μείζων –ον “bigger” –  μέγιστος –η –ον “biggest”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. μικρός -ά -όν “small” –  μικρότερος –α –ον “smaller” or ἐλάττων –ον “smaller” or ἥττων –ον “less, worse, weaker” or μείων –ον “smaller” –  μικρότατος –η –ον “smallest” or ἐλάχιστος -η -ον “smallest” ἥκιστα “least of all”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. ὀλίγος -ή -όν “few” –  μείων –ον “fewer” or ἐλάττων –ον “fewer” or ἥττων –ον “fewer, worse, weaker” –  ὀλίγιστος -η -ον “fewest, least” – or ἐλάχιστος -η -ον “fewest” ἥκιστα “least of all”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. πολύς πολλά πολύ “many” –  πλείων –ον or πλέων –ον “more” –  πλεῖστος –η –ον “most”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. ῥᾴδιος –α –ον “easy” –  ῥᾴων ῥᾷον “easier” –  ῥᾷστος –η –ον “easiest”

Elementary Greek Degrees of Greek Adjectives As in English, some adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives differently. ταχύς ταχεῖα ταχύ “swift” –  θάττων, θᾶττον “swifter” –  τάχιστος –η –ον “swiftest”

Elementary Greek Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Greek Note the forms and meanings of these adjectives: – ἀμφότερος -α -ον “both” – ἑκάτερος -α -ον “each (of two)” ἕκαστος -η –ον “each” – ἕτερος -α –ον “other” – πότερος -α -ον “which (of two)?”

Elementary Greek Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Greek Note the forms and meanings of these adjectives: – πρότερος -α -ον “previous” < πρῶτος -η –ον “first” – δεύτερος -η –ον “second” – ὕστερος -η –ον “later” – ἡμέτερος -η –ον “our” – ὑμέτερος -η –ον “your”

Elementary Greek From Unit 14: Greek Adverbs Adverbs generally provide additional information about the verbal action. This is a very broad category, so in practice adverbs cover nearly everything not covered in the other categories of words (verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, preposition, conjunction). This unit covers only adverbs that are formed from adjectives. Unit 20 will cover the remaining adverbs.

Elementary Greek From Unit 14: Greek Adverbs The most common ending for an adverb is – ως. – This ending corresponds almost exactly to the –ly ending in English. To form this type of adverb, start with the genitive plural of the adjective and substitute – ς for the final – ν. – ἀληθής ἀληθές  ἀληθῶν  ἀληθῶς – ἡδύς ἡδεῖα ἡδύ  ἡδέων  ἡδέως – κακός –ή –όν  κακῶν  κακῶς Τhe adverb does not in fact derive from the genitive plural, but it does provide a convenient way to determine the form of the adverb. Adverbs do not decline.

Elementary Greek Comparative and Superlative Adverbs in Greek In Greek, adverbs do not have unique endings in the comparative and superlative degrees. To form a comparative adverb, Greek uses the neuter accusative singular form of the comparative adjective: – σοφώτερον “more wisely” – βέλτιον “better” To form a superlative adverb, Greek uses the neuter accusative plural form of the superlative adjective: – σοφώτατα “most wisely” – τάχιστα “most swiftly, quickest”

Elementary Greek Comparative and Superlative in Greek With a comparative, Greek uses the word ἤ to mean “than” ὁ Σωκράτης ἐστὶ σοφώτερος ἢ Πολέμαρχος. Socrates is wiser than Polemarchus. ὁ Σωκράτης λέγει σοφώτερον ἢ Πολέμαρχος. Socrates speaks more wisely than Polemarchus.

Elementary Greek η ! What’s that? Pay close attention to the accent and breathing of ἤ, so you do not confuse it with other words of totally different meaning. ἤ or ἢ (smooth breathing, acute or grave accent) – “than” with a comparative – “or” otherwise ἡ (rough breathing, no accent) – “the” fem. nom. sg. of definite article ἥ or ἣ (rough breathing, acute or grave accent) – “who, which” fem. nom. sg. of relative pronoun ἦ (smooth breathing, circumflex accent) – “I was” 1 st sg. imperfect indicative active of εἰμί “be” ᾗ (rough breathing, circumflex accent, iota subscript) – “to whom, to which, where” fem. dat. sg. of relative pronoun

Elementary Greek Comparative and Superlative in Greek With a comparative, Greek uses the word ἤ to mean “than.” For variation, Greek can instead use the Genitive case to indicate the comparison: ὁ Σωκράτης ἐστὶ σοφώτερος ἢ Πολέμαρχος. ὁ Σωκράτης ἐστὶ σοφώτερος Πολεμάρχου. Socrates is wiser than Polemarchus. ὁ Σωκράτης λέγει σοφώτερον ἢ Πολέμαρχος. ὁ Σωκράτης λέγει σοφώτερον Πολεμάρχου. Socrates speaks more wisely than Polemarchus.

Elementary Greek Next class (someday, Month ##, 2013) – Unit 16 Biblical reading. – Unit 16 Classical reading. – Be able to: read the sentences aloud parse each verb, noun and pronoun translate the sentences into English.