Pronoun: Nominative, accusative

GrammarPronoun – Nominative, accusative (1s)

In 1.1.4, we defined case as a marking on a noun that gives its function in the sentence. Cases can also be found on pronouns (abbreviated pro), in addition to nouns. In fact, a language like English used to mark case on nouns, but now, it only marks the case on some of the pronouns, e.g. I (subject) vs. me (object). Since I is used to mark the speaker as the subject, it is nominative case, and since me is used to mark the speaker as the object, it is accusative case:

• (4) Ἐγὼ τύπτω τὸν ἄνθρωπον
• I am hitting the man
• (5) Ὁ ἄνθρωπος τύπτει με
• The man is hitting me

In (4), the 1s pronoun ἐγώ is in nominative case, so the speaker is the subject of the verb. In contrast, (5) has the 1s pronoun με in accusative case, so the speaker is the object of the verb.

fromLesson 2.2

MorphologyPronoun – Nominative, accusative (1s)

• The English word ego comes from ἐγώ ‘I’.
• με is an enclitic.

fromLesson 2.2

MorphologyPronoun – Nominative, accusative (2s)

• Like 2nd person verbs, 2nd person pronouns are characterized by σ.
• The acc 1st and 2nd persons differ only in the initial letter, e.g. με (1st) vs. σε (2nd)
• σύ is not an enclitic, but σε is.

fromLesson 2.3

MorphologyPronoun – Nominative, accusative (1p)

• The initial η marks the 1p form in each of the cases.
• Both forms have a circumflex accent.
• The ending on the acc form is the same as the fp acc nouns already seen (e.g. ἀδελφ-άς).

pro 1p nom ἡμεῖς (‘we’) acc ἡμᾶς (‘us’)

fromLesson 5.2

MorphologyPronoun – Nominative, accusative (2p)

• The forms of the 2p pronouns are identical to the 1p forms except that the initial η is replaced with υ, which marks the form as 2nd person.
• Tip for English speakers: the initial υ sounds similar to the word you, the 2nd person English pronoun.

pro 2p nom ὑμεῖς (‘y’all’) acc ὑμᾶς (‘y’all’)

fromLesson 5.3

PhonologyEnclitics

Like proclitics (see 1.2.3), enclitics are also normally unaccented. Whereas proclitics are counted as part of the next word in terms of their accenting, enclitics are counted as part of the previous word:

• (3) ἡ ἀδελφὴ τύπτει με
• The sister is hitting me

In (3), με does not have its own accent. Enclitics are accented occasionally, and sometimes they change the accenting of the previous word. Enclitic rules are complex, and they are introduced gradually (see Phonology A for a summary). In this lesson, all you need to know is that the enclitics με and σε do not have their own accents.

fromLesson 2.2

PhonologySyllable naming

An accent in Greek can only go as far back as the third syllable from the end of the word. In ὀλιγόπιστος ‘of little faith’, for example, the accent can only go to the third to last syllable (where it is found), even though the word itself has five syllables. This third to last syllable is called the antepenultima (ὀλιγό πιστος), the second to last syllable is called the penultima (ὀλιγό πισ τος), and the last syllable is called the ultima (ὀλιγόπισ τος). Each named syllable has accenting rules associated with it, e.g. a grave accent can only appear on the ultima.

fromLesson 2.3