Greek 1 Ch. 9 Adjectives

Greek 1 Ch. 9 Adjectives

English Review

Adjectives: a word that modifies a noun or pronoun, or another adjective. Ex. Alert, awful, beautiful, better, brave, etc.

Three Functions:

Attributive: gives a quality (an attribute) to the word that it is modifying. This is the normal use of an adjective. Ex. He drove through a large wooden structure.

The term that the adjective modifies is referred to as the “head term.” What is the head term in the previous example? Structure. Large and wooden both modify that noun.

Substantival: an adjective can function as if it was a noun.

Ex. The arrogant and bored can stay home. The eager and determined can come to class.

Note: In these examples the noun that the adjectives modify are assumed (student). This is typical of the substantival use, and so (as your textbook notes) “the substantival function is really a subset of the attributive” (80).

Predicate: asserts something about the subject, and the verb “to be” is either stated or implied.

Ex. Jason is cool.

Greek:

Adjectives: function like English adjectives.

Form: Adjectives are declined in all three genders (masc, fem, neut) just like the article. In this chapter, the adjectives that you will learn take the same case endings that you are familiar with (1st and 2nd declension noun case endings).

2 1 2

Masc Fem Neut

Nom Sg ἀγαθος ἀγαθη ἀγαθον

Gen Sg ἀγαθου ἀγαθης ἀγαθου

Dat Sg ἀγαθῷ ἀγαθῇ ἀγαθῷ

Acc Sg ἀγαθον ἀγαθην ἀγαθον

Nom Pl ἀγαθοι ἀγαθαι ἀγαθα

Gen Pl ἀγαθων ἀγαθων ἀγαθων

Dat Pl ἀγαθοις ἀγαθαις ἀγαθοις

Acc Pl ἀγαθους ἀγαθας ἀγαθα

Lexical Form: The lexical form of any word that can appear in more than one gender is the nominative singular masculine.

Functions of the adjective:

Attributive: When an adjective functions as an attributive, it agrees with the word it modifies in case, number, and gender. This is the most common use of the adjective in Greek.

Ex. ἀπῆλθεν (he went) εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κἀκεῖ (and there) προσηύχετο (he prayed) Mk 1:35.

Because nouns can be in three different genders, and because an attributive adjective must agree with the noun it modifies in gender (as well as case and number), an adjective must be able to be masculine, feminine, or neuter. (Knowing the gender of the noun will help you determine which noun the adjective is modifying).

Ex. ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπαισχυνθήσεται (will be ashamed of) αὐτὸν ὅταν ἔλθῃ (he comes) ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων Mk 8:38.

Substantival: Greek adjectives can function as nouns. The case of the adjective is determined by its function (just like any noun). If the adjective is the subject of the verb it will be in what case? Nominative.

Its gender and number are determined by what it stands for. If the entity is plural and masculine, then the adjective used will be plural and masculine.

Ex. οἱ μεγάλοι αὐτῶν κατεξουσιάζουσιν (exercise authority over) αὐτῶν. Mk 10:42.

When translating substantival adjectives, ask these questions:

What case is it? This will determine its function in the sentence.

What gender and number is it? You can often follow natural gender in deciding how to translate by adding an extra word that makes sense in English.

Ex. ἀγαθος masc. singular translation: a good man (person)

Your turn. ἀγαθους what case is it? Acc. What gender? Masc. What number? Pl. How would you translate it if it was functioning as a substantival? “good men.”

Predicate: When an adjective functions as a predicate, it does not modify another word but rather asserts (predicates) something about the subject. If the verb εἰμί is implied (rather than explicitly stated), you may have to supply the verb in your translation.

Ex. καλὸν τὸ ἅλας (salt. Nom. Sing. Neut). Translation: Salt is good.

Recognition of the Adjective

Identifying what function an adjective is performing depends on whether the article is present or not.

Anarthrous: The article is not present

Articular: The article is present

Presence of the article: if the article occurs immediately before the adjective (it is an articular adjective), then you have either an attributive or substantival adjective.

Attributive: If there is a noun to modify, then the adjective is attributive. The adjective can come before or after the noun; there is no significant difference in meaning. However, the adjective must be articular.

Ex. τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν Mk 4:8 “the good soil.” You could also have: τὴν καλήν γῆν

Substantival: If there is no noun for the adjective to modify (and it is articular), then it is probably functioning substantivally.

Ex. τὴν καλήν The good thing

Predicate: If the noun is articular but the adjective is anarthrous, then the adjective is a predicate adjective. In this case you may need to supply the verb “is” if εἰμί is not present.

Ex. καλὸν τὸ ἅλας

Absence of the Article: if there is no article before the article or the adjective (both are anarthrous), then you must determine it by the context. You must decide whether the adjective is giving an attribute to a noun or is asserting something about the noun. Again, if the εἰμί verb is not present but is implied, then supply it in your translation.

Ex. καλὸν ἅλας “good salt” “salt is good” ἅλας καλὸν “good salt” “salt is good”

An anarthrous adjective may function substantivally; however, it is unusual.

Article and a Prepositional Phrase: You will often find the article followed by a prepositional phrase. These will generally be translated as relative clauses (a type of dependent clause).

This usually occurs in the “article-noun-article-modifier” construction where the second article tells you the prepositional phrase is modifying the noun.

Ex. τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλέεμ Mt 2:16. (In this example, think of the article as “the ones.” So we would translate: “the children, the ones in Bethlehem”). That article tells you that the prepositional phrase ἐν Βηθλέεμ is modifying the head noun παῖδας.

Other times the article is in effect turning the prepositional phrase into a substantive.

Ex. 32 καὶ ἐλάλησαν (they spoke) αὐτῷ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Acts 16:32.

Neuter Plural Subjects: Greek normally uses a singular verb when the subject is neuter plural. It is an indication that the writer is viewing the plural subject not as a collection of items but as a single group. To keep proper English, you will use a plural verb.

Ex. Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα (acc pl) εἰ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν (3rd S). 1 Jn 4:1.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the Spirits (and see) if they are from God.

Translation: Keep the adjective with the noun it is modifying because they form a unit of thought.

Practice: καὶ οὐδεὶς βάλλει οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς (wineskins) παλαιούς Mk 2:22.