Lesson_021_Attic_Greek_Grammar

Question 1

In Attic Greek, τίς is a small but significant word When modifying a noun, it is an interrogative adjective meaning “what?” or “which?”. When used without a noun, i.e., as a substantive, it is an interrogative pronoun meaning “who?” or “which person?” or “what?” or “which thing?”. τίς has third-declension endings, one set for masculine and feminine, one set for neuter.

Answer 1

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #225

Question 2

In Attic Greek, The accents on τίς and τί remain forever acute even when they should, according to the general principles of accenting, change to grave (e.g., τίς ἵππος, not τὶς ἵππος; τί δῶρον, not τὶ δῶρον). The contracted forms of the genitive and dative singular, τοῦ (= τίνος) and τῷ (= τίνι), are common in Attic Greek, they look exactly like the genitive and dative masculine/neuter singular forms of the definite article. τίνα is written as τίν᾽ before a word beginning with a vowel, but τί and τίνι are never elided.

Answer 2

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #226

Question 3

In Attic Greek, When used as an adjective, τίς must agree with its noun in gender, number, and case (e.g., τίν᾽ ἐπιστολὴν πέμπεις; “What/Which letter are you sending?”). When used as pronoun, τίς takes masculine/feminine endings to indicate a human being, neuter endings to indicate an inanimate object (e.g., τίνα πέμπεις; “What person/Whom are you sending?” or “What things/What are you sending?”; τί πέμπεις; “What thing/What are you sending?”).

Answer 3

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #227

Question 4

In Attic Greek, The neuter singular accusative τί is frequently found as an adverb meaning “why?” (literally, “in respect to what?”). The context will show whether τί has this adverbial sense or means simply “what?”.

Answer 4

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #228

Question 5

In Attic Greek, When compared to English, Many speakers of English no longer pay attention to the distinction between who (in the subjective case, equivalent to Greek’s nominative case) and whom (in the objective case, equivalent to Greek’s genitive, dative, and accusative cases).

Answer 5

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #229

Question 6

In Attic Greek, Being an enclitic, τις prefers a position just after the word that is qualifies. The only occasion for it to come first in its clause is when its forms are combined with μέν and δέ to mean “some…others” (e.g., τινὲς μὲν…τινὲς δέ; cf. οἱ μὲν…οἱ δέ).

Answer 6

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #230

Question 7

In Attic Greek, Greek has no word that precisely corresponds to English indefinite article a/an, but τις, wen used as an indefinite adjective, comes close; it may mean “a,” “an,” “a certain,” “some,” or “any.” As an adjective, τις must agree with its noun in gender, number, and case.

Answer 7

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #231

Question 8

In Attic Greek, it has not adjectives meaning “his,” “his own,” “her,” “her own,” “its,” “its own,” or “their.”

Answer 8

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #232

Question 9

In Attic Greek, the reflexive pronoun ἡμῶν αὐτῶν and ὑμῶν αὐτῶν can be used in the attributive position to show possession. While this is true, a much more common (not to mention more elegant) way to express the notion of “our own” or “your more than one person’s] own” is to replace ἡμῶν or ὑμῶν with the possessive adjective ἡμέτερος, –α, -ον or ὑμέτερος, -α, -ον while retaining αὐτῶν (as if ἡμῶν or ὑμῶν were still there for αὐτῶν to modify). Examples: τὸ ἡμέτερον αὐτῶν βιβλίοιν = “our own book”; τὸ ὑμέτερον αὐτῶν βιβλίον = “your own book.”

Answer 9

Attic Greek Grammar Rule #233