EUPHONY. The Greeks paid the greatest attention to the smoothness of sound in their language; and in this manner, it became, in a short time, one of the smoothest and richest languages on the known earth. This, they called Euphony; and from a regard to this, they carefully avoided all harshness of sound by concurring consonants, not easily pronounced. The following rules will apply to this subject. 1. Words ending in σ, and verbs of the third person in ε and, add v to the termination, before a vowel or before a pause, in the same manner as we add n to a in the English language; as, an ox for a ox. This is called v appended. 2. When two successive syllables would begin with an aspirate or rough mute, the first is changed into its own smooth; thus, τριχός for θριχος, τρέχω for θρέχω, τρέφω τοι Opepw, &c., &c. 3. A mute (, 6, 9,) before σ, becomes, (ps.) 4. A x mute (x, y, x,) before σ, becomes §, (x.) 5. A mute (, d, e,) before μ, is changed into o. 6 When would stand between two consonants it is rejected; as, λελειφ-θον for λελειπ-σ-θον, δε. 7. When, by inflection, comes before σ, it is rejected. 8. When both v and ar mute together are cast out before preceding it is changed into ε, o into ou, and a doubtful owel is lengthened; but and w remain unchanged.* η PUNCTUATION. (,) The comma denotes the shortest pause. () The colon or semi-colon, the next shortest; and (.) The period a full stop. (;) Denotes that a question is asked, and is the same as (?) in English. • Fo: the remainder of these Rules, see page 156, on the verb PARTS OF SPEECH. The Parts of Speech in Greek, are eight, viz: 1. Substantive or noun, Adjective, Article, Pronoun and Verb, declined. 2. Adverb, Preposition and Conjunction,* undeclined. (For the definitions, see Latin Grammar.) NUMBER. The numbers in Greek, are three: Singular, denoting one object; Dual, denoting two objects, (commonly in pairs, as a span of horses, the bird and its mate, man and wife, &c.,) and the Plural, denoting more than one object. The Dual is but little used. CASE. There are only five cases in Greek, there being no ablative; the others are like the Latin. NOTE.-In Greek, the genitive and dative supply the place of the ablative. (For "Rules for the construction of Cases," see Latin Grammar.) OF DECLENSION. Declension is the mode of changing the terminations of nouns, verbs, pronouns and adjectives. There are three declensions of nouns and adjectives, in Greek, called the first, second and third. The participle, which is considered by some grammarians, as a distint part of speech, is more properly a part of the verb. It may be, also, an adjective. The Interjection is thought by some writers to be an adverb, or a speech of itself, instead of a pirt. RULES FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF THE STUDENT. 1. The nominative singular always ends either in a long vowel or v, p, s, ğ and ↓. 2. In the dual, the genitive and dative always end alike. 3. The nominative and vocative are always alike in the plural, and generally in the singular. 4. The genitive plural always ends in wv. 5. The accusative plural of the masculine and feminine always ends in s; of the neuter in a. 6. In the neuter plural, the nominative, accusative and vocative end in a. 7 The dative singular is known by having the subscript tota written under it; except where it already ends in . The nominative terminations of this declension are numerous. Its genitive singular always ends in os, and has one syllable more than the nominative. DECLENSION OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE. Singular. Dual. Plural. Mas Fem. Neut. Mas. Fem. Neut. Mas. Fem. Neut. NOTE.-de is sometimes annexed to the article through all its parts, when it becomes ödɛ, ñde, róde, &c., this. PRONOUNS. The PERSONAL PRONOUNS, in Greek, are yw, I; đú, thou; ou, of himself, of herself, of itself. They are thus declined: ἐγώ,(ἐ)μοῦ, (ἐ)μοί, (ἐ)μέ. νωϊ οτ νῳ, νωϊν οι νῶν ἡμεῖς, ἡμῶν, ἡμῖν, ἡμᾶς. dú, thou. N. G. D. A.V. N.A.V. G. D. N.V. G. D Ꮧ. σύ, σοῦ, σοί, σέ, συ. σφώϊ οι σφῷ, σφωϊν οι σφῶν. ὑμεῖς, ὑμῶν, ὑμῖν, ὑμᾶς. The POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS are declined like the nounthe masculine like the second declension masculine in os; the feminine like nouns of the second declension, in a or ; the neuter like the neuter of the second declension, in ov-thus: The Definite Pronoun, avròs, is thus declined: Αλλος, ὃς and έκεινος are declined in the same manner. The REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS are such as relate to the subject of the proposition in which they stand. They are formed from the accusative singular of the personal pronouns, with the oblique* cases of αὐτος. They are ἐμαυτοῦ, of myself, deaurou, of thyself, sausou, of himself. They are thus declined: The DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS point out with precision, a person or thing already known. They are: OUTOS, UT, FOTO, this, the latter, the one. ExEIVOS, Exεívn, Exevo, that, the former, the other. Οὗτος is thus declined: Masculine, οὗτοι, τούτων, τούτοις, τούτους. • Al. cases, except the nominative, are called oblique cases. |