ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND DECLENSIONS

286. Adjectives of Three Endings. – Most adjectives of the vowel declension have three endings: -ος, -η (or -ᾱ), -ον.  The masculine and neuter are declined according to the second declension, the feminine according to the first.

a. When ε, ι, or ρ (30, 218) precedes -ος the feminine ends in -ᾱ, not in -η.  But adjectives in -οος (not preceded by ρ) have η.  Thus, ὄγδοος, ὀγδόη, ὄγδοον eighth, ἀθρόος, ἀθρόᾱ, ἀθρόον crowded. See 290 e.

287. ἀγαθός good, ἄξιος worthy, μακρός long are thus declined: 

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ἐσθλός good, κακός bad, σοφός wise, κοῦφος, κούφη, κοῦφον light, δῆλος clear; ἀνδρεῖος, ἀνδρείᾱ, ἀνδρεῖον courageous, δίκαιος just, ὅμοιος like, αἰσχρός, αἰσχρά^̄, αἰσχρόν base, ἐλεύθερος free; all participles in -ος and all superlatives.

a. The accent in the feminine nominative and genitive plural follows that of the masculine:  ἄξιαι, ἀξίων, not ἀξίαι, ἀξιῶν, as would be expected according to the rule for substantives (205), e.g. as in αἰτίᾱ cause, αἰτίαι, αἰτιῶν.

b. All adjectives and participles may use the masculine instead of the feminine dual forms:  τὼ ἀγαθὼ μητέρε the two good mothers.

288. Adjectives of Two Endings. – Adjectives using the masculine for the feminine are called adjectives of two endings. Most such adjectives are compounds.

289. ἄδικος unjust (ἀ- without, δίκη justice), φρόνιμος prudent, and ἵ̄λεως propitious are declined thus:

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a. Like ἄδικος are declined the compounded ἄ-λογος irrational, ἄ-τῑμος dishonoured, ἀ-χρεῖος useless, ἔμ-πειρος experienced, ἐπί-φθονος envious, εὔ-ξενος hospitable, ὑπ-ήκοος obedient.  Like φρόνιμος are declined the uncompounded βάρβαρος barbarian, ἥσυχος quiet, ἥμερος tame, λάλος talkative.

b. Like ἴ¯λεως are declined other adjectives of the Attic declension (237), as ἄκερως without horns, ἀξιόχρεως serviceable.  For the accent, see 163 a. Adjectives in -ως, -ων have -α in the neut. pl., but ἔκπλεω occurs in Xenophon.

c. πλέως full has three endings:  πλέως, πλέᾱ, πλέων, pl. πλέῳ, πλέαι, πλέα, but most compounds, such as ἔμπλεως quite full, have the fem. like the masc. σῶς safe has usually sing. N. σῶς masc., fem. (rarely σᾶ), σῶν neut., A. σῶν; plur. N. σῷ masc., fem., σᾶ neut., A. σῶς masc., fem., σᾶ neut. Other cases are supplied by σῶος, σώᾱ, σῶον.  σῶον also occurs in the accusative.

d. In poetry, and sometimes in prose, adjectives commonly of two endings have a feminine form, as πάτριος paternal, βίαιος violent; and those commonly of three endings have no feminine, as ἀναγκαῖος necessary, φίλιος friendly.

290. Contracted Adjectives. – Most adjectives in -εος and -οος are contracted. Examples:  χρύ̄σεος golden, ἀργύρεος of silver, ἁπλόος simple (feminine ἁπλέᾱ).

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a. So χαλκοῦς, -ῆ, -οῦν brazen, φοινῑκοῦς, -ῆ, -οῦν crimson, πορφυροῦς, -ᾶ, -οῦν dark red, σιδηροῦς, -ᾶ, -οῦν of iron, διπλοῦς, -ῆ, -οῦν twofold, and other multiplicatives in -πλοῦς (354 b). Compounds of two endings (288):  εὔνους, -ουν (εὔνοος) well disposed, ἄπλους, -ουν (ἄπλοος) not navigable, εὔρους, -ουν (εὔροος) fair-flowing.  These have open οα in the neuter plural.

b. The vocative and dual of contracted adjectives are very rare.

c. Adjectives whose uncontracted form in the nom. sing. has the accent on the antepenult (χρύ^̄σεος, πορφύρεος) take in the contracted form a circumflex on their last syllable (χρῡσοῦς, πορφυροῦς) by analogy to the gen. and dat. sing. The accent of the nom. dual masculine and neuter is also irregular (χρῡσώ, not χρῡσῶ).

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d. For peculiarities of contraction see 56.  ἁπλῆ is from ἁπλέᾱ, not from  ἁπλόη.

e. Some adjectives are not contracted:  ἀργαλέος difficult, κερδαλέος crafty, νέος young, ὄγδοος eighth, ἀθρόος crowded (usually).  (Here εο and οο were probably separated originally by Ϝ, 3.