The Third Declension

§211

The declensions of (1) ἐλπίς, ἐλπίδος, ἡ, a hope, (2) νύξ, νυκτός, ἡ, a night, and (3) ἄρχων, ἄρχοντος, ὁ, a ruler

A table appears here in the book.

§212

The case endings in the third declension are as follows:

A table appears here in the book.

§213

These case endings are added to the stem, and the stem can be discovered, not from the nominative, as is possible in the first and second declensions, but only by dropping off the -os of the genitive singular. Thus the genitive singular must be known before any third declension noun can be declined.

§214

It will be observed that both in the accusative singular ending and in the accusative plural ending the α is short. The dative plural -σι(ν) may have the movable ν. (See §44.)

§215

The nominative is formed in various ways, which it will probably be most convenient not to try to classify.

§216

The vocative also is formed differently in different nouns. It is very often like the nominative.

§217

In the dative plural the combination of consonants formed by the -σι of the case ending coming after the final consonant of the stem causes various changes, which are in general the same as those set forth in §156. But where two consonants, as ντ, are dropped before the following σ, the preceding vowel is lengthened, ο, however, being lengthened not to ω but to ου. So in ἄρχουσι(ν), the dative plural of ἄρχων.

§218

The gender of third declension nouns, except in the case of certain special classes like the nouns in -μα, -ματος, cannot easily be reduced to rules, and so must be learned for each noun separately.

§219

Thus if the student is asked what the word for flesh is, it is quite insufficient for ‘him to say that it is σάρξ. What he must rather say is that it is σάρξ, σαρκός, feminine. Without the genitive singular, it would be impossible to determine the stem; and unless the stem is known, of course the noun cannot be declined. And without knowing the gender, one could not use the word correctly. One could not tell, for example, whether ὁ σάρξ or ἡ σἀρξ or τὸ capt would be correct.

§220

These two difficulties, coupled with the difficulty of the dative plural, make the third declension more difficult than the first and second. Otherwise the declension is easy, when once the case endings have been thoroughly mastered and have been distinguished clearly from those of the other two declensions.

§221

Monosyllabic nouns of the third declension have the accent on the ultima in the genitive and dative of both numbers. In the genitive plural it is the circumflex.

This rule is an exception to the rule of noun accent. In accordance with the rule of noun accent, the accent would remain on the same syllable as in the nominative singular so nearly as the general rules of accent would permit.

§222

An important class of nouns in -μα, with stems ending in -ματ, are declined like ὄνομα. These nouns are all neuter. The declension of ὄνομα, ὀνόματος, τό, a name, is as follows:

Since ὄνομα is a neuter noun, it has its accusative and vocative of both numbers like the nominative, and its nominative, accusative, and vocative plural ending in α.

A table appears here in the book.

§223

The declensions of other third-declension nouns will be found in §§559-566, and can be referred to as they are needed.