Lesson 13. Demonstratives Flashcards
Demonstratives - adjectives or pronouns?
A demonstrative is by nature an adjective, but it becomes a pronoun (i.e., a substitute for a noun) when used substantively.
τόδ’ ἐκεῖνο
τόδ’ ἐκεῖνο (This is what I said before) —the nurse in Euripides’ Medea 98 recalls her earlier words
Demonstrative adjective versus demonstrative pronoun
In the sentence “I like that book,” for example, that is a demonstrative adjective modifying the noun book; if book is omitted from the sentence, that becomes a demonstrative pronoun (“I like that”), and the book is identified not as a book, but only as a thing that the speaker singles out for attention.
Meaning of ὅδε, ἥδε, τόδε
(“this,” “these”) Points out someone or something very close to the speaker or points to what will follow in the next sentence.
Paradigm for ὅδε, ἥδε, τόδε (“this,” “these”)
Sg M F N Nom ὅδε ἥεδε τόδε Gen τοῦδε τῆσδε τοῦδε Dat τῷδε τῇδε τῷδε Acc τόνδε τήνδε τόδε Pl Nom οἵδε αἵδε τάδε Gen τῶνδε τῶνδε τῶνδε Dat τοῖσδε ταῖσδε τοῖσδε Acc τούσδε τάσδε τάδε
There is no vocative.
Linguistic characteristics of the adjective/demonstrative ὅδε, ἥδε, τόδε
It is a combination of the definite article (originally a demonstrative itself) and the suffix -δε, indicating closeness (“this right here”).
Each form is accented as if it were two separate words, an article (with its normal accent) and an enclitic (-δε).
- Thus, in ὅδε, ἥδε, οἵδε, and αἵδε, the proclitics ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, and αἱ receive acute accents from -δε. Since -δε acts like an enclitic, not like a typical ultima, the rule that a naturally long penult followed by a short ultima has a circumflex does not apply: ἥδε, οἵδε, αἵδε, τήνδε, τούσδε, and τήσδε all have acutes, not circumflexes.
There is no vocative.
The final ε of each form is elided before a word beginning with a vowel.
Meaning of οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο
- Points out someone or something close to the speaker; or
- Points to what was said in the preceding sentence; or
- Labels someone or something as well-known; or
- Means “the latter.”
Paradigm for οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο
Sg. N οὗτος αὕτη τοῦτο G τούτου ταύτης τούτου D τούτῳ ταύτῃ τούτῳ A τοῦτον ταύτην τοῦτο Pl. N οὗτοι αὗται ταῦτα G τούτων τούτων τούτων D τούτοις ταύταις τούτοις A τούτους ταύτας ταῦτα
Linguistic characteristics of οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο
- rough breathing in the NOM masculine and feminine singular and plural, elsewhere initial τ.
- stem has -ου- except when the ending contains an η or an α; then the stem has -αυ-.
- persistent accent.
- no vocative, but the nominative οὗτος may be used as a form of address equivalent to “you there”: e.g., οὗτος, σπεῦδε (“you there, hurry!”).
- τοῦτο and ταῦτα usually elided as τοῦτ’ and ταῦτ’ before initial smooth vowel, and τοῦθ’ and ταῦθ’ before initial rough vowel.
- after τοῦτ’, ἐστί is accented on the penult (ἔστι), just as it is after οὐκ, μή, καί, and ἀλλ’
Meaning of ἐκεῖνος, ἐκείνη, ἐκεῖνο
(“that,” “those”) Points out someone or something far away from the speaker or labels someone or something as well-known or means “the former” (as opposed to “the latter”).
Paradigm for ἐκεῖνος, ἐκείνη, ἐκεῖνο
Sg Nom ἐκεῖνος ἐκείνη ἐκεῖνο Gen ἐκείνου ἐκείνης ἐκείνου Dat ἐκείνῳ ἐκείνῃ ἐκείνῳ Acc ἐκεῖνον ἐκείνην ἐκεῖνο Pl Nom ἐκεῖνοι ἐκεῖναι ἐκεῖνα Gen ἐκείνων ἐκείνων ἐκείνων Dat ἐκείνοις ἐκείναις ἐκείνοις Acc ἐκείνους ἐκείνᾱς ἐκεῖνα
Linguistic characteristics of ἐκεῖνος, ἐκείνη, ἐκεῖνο
ἐκεῖνος, ἐκείνη, ἐκεῖνο has normal endings except in the neuter nominative and accusative singular (-ο, not -ον).
The accent is persistent.
There is no vocative.
Position of Demonstratives
In Greek a demonstrative adjective may come either before or after the noun with which it agrees, but since it does not show a trait or characteristic—it simply calls attention to the person or thing—, it is never used in the attributive position.
Not like this: “the this person” or “the things the those,”
Rather, like this: “this the person” or “the things those.”
βλέπω
βλέπω, βλέψοµαι see, behold; (with εἰς + acc.) look (at)
If it means “see” or “behold,” βλέπω may take a direct object (e.g., βλέπω τὴν οἰκίᾱν, “I see the house”).
If it means “look (at),” it will be combined with a prepositional phrase such as εἰς + accusative (e.g., βλέπω εἰς τὴν οἰκίᾱν, “I look at the house”).
The future form βλέψομαι, like ἀκούσομαι, ἔσομαι, and φεύξομαι, is deponent.
σοφίᾱ
σοφίᾱ, -ᾱς, ἡ wisdom
