The Second Declension

INTRODUCTION | The Declensions of the Greek Language

In Portuguese, a noun is always presented in the same form, regardless of the function it occupies in a sentence. Let us consider the word “Deus” (God) in five texts of the New Testament, in which this word occupies different functions:

1. God knows your hearts (Lk 16.15) [subject]
2. We are children of God (Rom 8.16) [nominal adjunct]
3. Give glory to God (Jn 9.24) [indirect object]
4. You shall love the Lord your God (Mk 12.30) [direct object]
5. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27.46) [vocative]

Although the word “God” has different functions in the clauses above, it is written the same way. We identify its function from the meaning of the clause. In the Greek language, nouns are inflected (change their form) depending on the function they perform in a clause. The change occurs in the final part of the word, the ending.

Examples of Inflection: θεός (God)

Note that one part of the word remained unchanged (θε-) – the root of the word, which gives it its meaning. The change in spelling occurs in the ending (-ος, -ου, -ῳ, -ον, -ε). This set of inflections that occurs in nouns, pronouns, and adjectives is called a “declension”. There are three declensions in the Greek language.

THE SECOND DECLENSION

Nouns such as “God” (θεός), “man” (ἄνθρωπος), “word” (λόγος), “angel” (ἄγγελος), and “road/way” (ὁδός) belong to the second declension, characterized by the vowel omicron in the ending. Words with the ending in -ος in the nominative are mostly masculine in gender, but there are feminine ones (e.g., ἡ ὁδός – the way). Other nouns, with the ending -ον (such as παιδίον – child, δένδρον – tree, σάββατον – Sabbath, ἔργον – work), also belong to the second declension, but are neuter in gender.

Masculine/Feminine Paradigm: λόγος (Word)

Functions of the Cases

1. NOMINATIVE: Basically has the function of the subject of the sentence or predicate nominative (complement of the linking verb “to be”). Ex.: θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν (God knows your hearts — Lk 16.15); θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (The Word was God — Jn 1.1).
Observation: Word order does not define the subject. In Jn 1.1, λόγος is identified as the subject by the presence of the article (ὁ).

2. GENITIVE: Complements a noun, frequently giving the idea of possession. In translation into Portuguese, the preposition “de/do/da” (of) is normally included. Ex.: ἐσμὲν τέκνα θεοῦ (we are children of God — Rom 8.16).

3. DATIVE: Used for the indirect object (translated with “to” or “for”), the idea of time or place (“in/at”), or the idea of company (“with”). Ex.: δὸς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ (Give glory to God — Jn 9.24).

4. ACCUSATIVE: Used for the direct object of the sentence (complements the verb without a preposition, answering “who” or “what”). Ex.: ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου (You shall love the Lord your God — Mk 12.30).

5. VOCATIVE: It is the least used case in the New Testament; it expresses an address or calling. Ex.: Θεέ μου θεέ μου (My God, my God — Mt 27.46).

Paradigm: νόμος (Law)

Neuter Vocabulary of the Second Declension

Several words of the second declension are of the neuter gender. See the model of the word “work” or “deed” (ἔργον):

Observations Regarding Accentuation

1. Paroxytones with an acute accent in the nominative singular (such as λόγος, νόμος, ἔργον, τέκνον): maintain the acute accent on the same syllable in all forms of the singular and plural.
2. Oxytone nouns (acute accent on the last syllable, like θεός): in the genitive and dative forms (singular and plural), the accent remains on the last syllable, but changes to a circumflex (θεοῦ, θεῷ, θεῶν, θεοῖς).
3. Paroxytones with a circumflex accent (such as οἶκος – house; σημεῖον – sign): the accent remains on the same syllable, but becomes an acute when the last syllable becomes long (οἴκου, οἴκῳ, οἴκων, οἴκοις, οἴκους). Remember that the diphthongs -αι and -οι at the end of a word count as short (οἶκοι).
4. Proparoxytones (such as ἄνθρωπος – man; ἀπόστολος – apostle): when the last syllable becomes long (genitive/dative singular and genitive/dative/accusative plural), the acute accent moves forward to the penultimate syllable (ἀνθρώπου, ἀνθρώπῳ, ἀνθρώπων, ἀνθρώποις, ἀνθρώπους).

Vocabulary

Vocabulário do Capítulo

• ἄγγελος (ἀγγέλου), ὁ: angel, messenger
• ἀδελφός (ἀδελφοῦ), ὁ: brother
• γυνή (γυναικός), ἡ: woman, wife
• ἔθνος (ἔθνους), τό: nation, people; Gentiles [pl.]
• ἔργον (ἔργου), τό: work, deed
• ἱερόν (ἱεροῦ), τό: temple
• κόσμος (κόσμου), ὁ: world
• λόγος (λόγου), ὁ: word
• οὐρανός (οὐρανοῦ), ὁ: heaven, sky
• τέκνον (τέκνου), τό: child, son
• υἱός (υἱοῦ), ὁ: son
• δέ: but, and
• καί: and, also
• γράφω: I write
• εἰσέρχομαι: I enter