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stems in Sigma (ες, ας, ος)

263. Stems in sigma are contracted where σ falls out between the vowel of the stem and the vowel of the ending (120).  Thus, γένος race, gen. γενε(σ)-ος γένους, dat. γενε(σ)-ι γένει, cp. Lat. genus gener-is (for genes-is), gener-i.

a. The masculine and feminine accusative plural, when it is contracted, borrows the form of the contracted nominative plural. -εις is not derived from -εας. In the dative plural the union of σ of the stem and σ of the ending produces σσ, which is reduced to σ without lengthening the preceding vowel (107).

b. Masculine stems in ες with the nominative in -ης are proper names; the feminine τριήρης trireme is an adjective used substantively (properly, triply fitted; ἡ τριήρης (ναῦς) ‘ship with three banks of oars’).

c. Neuters with stems in ες have -ος in the nominative, accusative, and vocative singular; neuters with stems in ας have -ας in these cases.

d. Some stems in ας have also a stem in ατ or ᾱτ (258).

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Διογένης Diogenes, Ἱπποκράτης Hippocrates. Neuters:  ἔτος year, εὖρος width, ξίφος sword, τεῖχος wall, γῆρας old age, κρέας flesh (for κέρας horn see 258).

a. Proper names in -ης have recessive accent in the vocative.

b. Proper names in -γένης, -κράτης, -μένης, -φάνης, etc., may have an accus. in -ην derived from the first declension. Thus, Σωκράτην, Ἀριστοφάνην, like Ἀτρείδην (222, 282 N.). But names in -κλῆς (265) have only -εᾱ.

c. Proper names in -ης often show -εος, -εα in the lyric parts of tragedy.

d. Neuters in -ος often show open forms (especially -εων) in Attic poetry. -εων is frequent in Xenophon.

e.  and τριήρων have irregular accent by analogy to the other forms.

f. A preceding ρ does not prevent the contraction of εα to η, as ὄρη from τὸ ὄρος mountain (cp. 31. 1).

g. The dat. sing. of ας stems is properly -ᾰι; but -ᾳ is often written on the authority of the ancient grammarians. This ᾳ may possibly be due to the analogy of ᾳ in ᾱ stems.

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265. When -εσ- of the stem is preceded by ε, the forms are inflected as follows: τὸ δέος fear (δεεσ-), Περικλῆς from Περικλέης Pericles (Περικλεεσ-):

a. After ε, εα contracts to ᾱ (56). On the contraction of -εεος, see 55.

b. δέος is uncontracted because the form was originally δει ̯ος (58).

stems in ος

266. ἡ αἰδώς shame is the only ος stem in Attic. It is inflected in the singular only. Nom. αἰδώς, Gen. αἰδοῦς (αἰδό-ος), Dat. αἰδοῖ (αἰδό-ι), Acc. αἰδῶ (αἰδό-α), Voc. αἰδώς.

stems inω(Ϝ)

267. Stems in ωf have lost vau and appear as ω stems. This ω contracts with the case endings in the dative and accusative singular and in the nominative and accusative plural. Stems in ωϜ are masculine.

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Τρώς Trojan (252 a), πάτρως father's brother, μήτρως mother's brother, δμως slave (poetic, cp. 252 a).

a. Forms of the Attic second declension (237) are gen. ἥρω, Μί̄νω, acc. ἥρων; dual ἥρῳν (on an inscription).

stems in ι and υ

268. Most stems in ι and some stems in υ show the pure stem vowel only in the nominative, accusative, and vocative singular. In the other cases they show an ε in place of ι and υ, and -ως instead of -ος in the genitive singular. Contraction takes place when this ε stands before ε, ι, or α of the case ending.

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269. Stems in ι and υ are of two kinds: –

1.   a. Stems in ι, with genitive in -εως, as (masc.) μάντις seer, ἔχις viper; (fem.) πόλις city, ποίησις poetry, δύναμις power, στάσις faction, ὕβρις outrage. Neuter nominatives in -ι are not used in classical prose.

b. Stems in ι, with genitive in -ιος, as ὁ κί¯ς weevil, gen. κῑ-ός, dat. κῑ-ί; and so in proper names in -ις, as Λύγδαμις Lygdamis, gen. Λυγδάμιος.

2.  a. Stems in υ, with genitive in -υος; as (masc.) μῦς mouse, βότρυς cluster of grapes, ἰχθύ^̄ς fish; (fem.) δρῦς oak, ὀφρύ̄ς eyebrow, ἰσχύ̄ς force.

b. Stems in υ, with genitive in -εως: (masc.) πῆχυς forearm, πέλεκυς axe; (neut.) ἄστυ town.

N. 1. – In the nom., acc., and voc. sing. barytone stems in υ have short υ; oxytone substantives (usually) and monosyllables have ῡ; and monosyllables circumflex the ῡ (σῦς, σῦν, σῦ).

N. 2. – ἡ ἔγχελυς eel follows ἰχθύ^̄ς in the singular (ἐγχέλυ-ος, etc.), but πῆχυς in the plural (ἐγχέλεις, etc.). But this does not hold for Aristotle.

270. Stems in ι and υ vary with stronger stems, of which ε in the cases other than nom., acc., and voc. sing. is a survival. Thus:

a. ι, υ, as in πόλι-ς, πῆχυ-ς.

b. ει, ευ, which before vowels lost their ι and υ (43), as in πολει ̯-ι, πολει ̯-ες, πηχει ̯-ες; which contract to πόλει, πόλεις, πήχεις.

c. There is also a stem in η, as in Hom. πόλη-ος (268 D. 1, c), whence πόλε-ως.

N. 1. – πόλε-ος in Attic poetry for the sake of the metre is due to the analogy of υ stems with gen. in -ε-ος (ἡδέ-ος, 297). Hom. πήχε-ος is the regular form (from πηχει ̯-ος). Attic πήχε-ως follows πόλεως. πόλε-σι and πήχε-σι for πόλι-σι and πήχυ-σι are due to the analogy of forms from stems in ει, ευ (πόλε-ων, πήχε-ων, etc.).

N. 2. – The dual πόλεε occurs in some Mss.

271. Accent. – Final -ως of the genitive singular does not prevent the acute from standing on the antepenult (163 a). Thus πόλε-ως, πήχε-ως, ἄστε-ως. πόλε-ως retains the accent of the earlier πόλη-ος, which, by transference of quantity (34), became πόλε-ως. The accent of the gen. pl. follows that of the gen. sing.

272. Accusative plural. – πόλεις, πήχεις are borrowed from the nominative. ἰχθῦς is from ἰχθυν-ς. ἰχθύας occurs in late Greek. Cp. 251 a.

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273. Contraction. – ἰχθῦ (once) for ἰχθύε and ἰχθῦς for ἰχθύες occur in comedy. ἰχθῦ is not a legitimate contraction, as υ cannot contract with ε (51 c). ἰχθῦς (for ἰχθύες) is the accus. form used as the nom. (251 b).

274. οἶς sheep is declined as follows: οἶς, οἰ-ός, οἰ-ί, οἶ-ν, οἶ; dual, οἶ-ε, οἰ-οῖν; pl. οἶ-ες, οἰ-ῶν, οἰ-σί, οἶ-ς. Here the stem is οἰ, representing ὀϜι, which is properly an ι stem: ὀϜι-ς, Lat. ovi-s.