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Nominative Case

Nominative Case

The case of specific designation, the naming case.

The Subject Nominative

 

This use denotes more specifically who or what produces the action or presents the state expressed by the finite verb. It is otherwise known as the “Nominative of Apposition.”

The Predicate Nominative

This is the use of the Nominative case in apposition after copulative verbs, i.e. εἰμι , γίνομαι, etc. The verb is often left out and must be supplied from the context. This use is sometimes called the “subject compliment.” It occurs where one would expect to find the Accusative case.

The Nominative Absolute

Here the Nominative case stands without connection to the rest of the sentence. It is used in titles to call attention emphatically to the person or thing spoken of. It is also called “the suspended,” “independence” or “hanging” Nominative. It refers to an idea. Most of the examples could fit into other categories.

The Nominative in Exclamations

This use of the Nominative is a sort of interjectional Nominative, which expresses feeling. It occurs without a verb to stress the distinctiveness of a thought.

The Parenthetical Nominative

This use is very similar to the Nominative Absolute. Its function is to explain or expand. Dana and Mantey refer to it under the “Independent Nominative.” Cf. the Nominative Absolute above.

The Nominative of Apposition

This use denotes more specifically who or what produces the action or presents the state expressed by the finite verb. It is otherwise known as the “Subject Nominative.”

The Nominative of Appellation

In this use, a noun or title retains the Nominative form irrespective of contextual relationships. Sometimes it is practically equivalent to quotation marks.

The Nominative Case Unaltered

The noun is not altered to the case of the noun with which it stands in apposition. […]

Nominative Case2023-12-11T12:16:34-08:00

Vocative Case

Vocative Case

The case of direct address.

Direct Address

Direct address is the idea in each construction. This is the only use of the Vocative Case.

The Use of the Interjection ὦ with the Vocative

This use gives a kind of solemnity where it is found. It expresses feeling in most of its occurrences. It may have a tone of censure. It was sometimes used in formal address. In the N.T. it adds emphasis. It only occurs 17 times in the N.T.

Apposition to the Vocative

The Nominative and Vocative are freely used side by side in apposition. Two Vocative forms may also be used appositionally.

The Vocative in the Predicate

This use is rarely found in the N.T. and then only in the nature of quotations or translation.

Vocatively Adjectives

Occasionally an adjective in the vocative case is found.

The Article Used with the Vocative

The article is used with the Vocative to ascribe special definiteness to the object of address. This use occurs 60 times in the N.T.

© 2017 Luther Walker | All Rights Reserved | ISBN-10: 0-9993211-0-2, ISBN-13: 978-0-9993211-0-2 | This book or any potion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

Vocative Case2023-12-11T12:16:55-08:00

Nouns, Articles, and Cases

Nouns, Articles, and Case Endings

Case is determined by function, not form

In the Greek language, it is important to understand that the relationship of the noun to the other words in the sentence always governs the case. Hence, although Genitive and Ablative share the same endings, they are clearly distinguished within the context and function of the sentence. There are eight cases in the Greek language: Nominative, Genitive, Ablative, Dative, Locative, Instrumental, Accusative, and Vocative.

Vocative Case

The case of direct address.

The Nominative Case

The case of specific designation, the naming case.

The Genitive Case

The case of definition or description.

The Dative Case

The case of personal interest. It expresses the indirect object.

The Locative Case

The case of position or location.

The Instrumental Case

The case of means or association.

The Accusative Case

The case of limitation or extension.

© 2017 Luther Walker | All Rights Reserved | ISBN-10: 0-9993211-0-2, ISBN-13: 978-0-9993211-0-2 | This book or any potion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

Nouns, Articles, and Cases2023-12-11T12:23:52-08:00

Biblical Greek First Year Lesson 10

Class Notes

First Declension Nouns

The First Declension

The first declension encompasses primarily feminine nouns because they are characterized by certain endings and follow a specific pattern in their cases.

First Declension Endings:

 

Case Singular Plural
Nominative α / η αι
Genitive/Ablative ας / ης ῶν
Dative/Locative/Instrumental ᾳ / ῃ αις
Accusative αν / ην ας
Vocative

 

 α / η αι

Nominative Singular: Ends in α or η. The naming case, typically used for the subject.

Genitive/Ablative Singular: ας or ης. Genitive expresses limitation. Ablative emphasizes source or separation.

Dative/Locative/Instrumental Singular: ᾳ or ῃ, used for indirect objects. It is the case of personal association.

Accusative Singular: αν or ην, the direct object form.

Vocative Singular: Usually identical to the nominative and used for direct address.

Plural Forms: The nominative and vocative plural end is αι, genitive/ablative is ῶν, dative/locative/instrumental is αις (for indirect objects), and accusative plural is ας.

The Article Agreement

Nouns take articles and adjectives that agree in gender, number, and case. Feminine nouns take the feminine forms of articles and adjectives, and masculine nouns take masculine forms.

Feminine Definite Article Forms:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative ἡ αἱ
Genitive/Ablative τῆς τῶν
Dative/Locative/Instrumental τῇ ταῖς
Accusative τήν τάς

 

Masculine Definite Article Forms:

Although the First Declension is primarily feminine, a few masculine nouns belong to this declension (e.g., μαθητής, “disciple”; νεανίας, “young man”).

The masculine article forms applied to First Declension nouns are as follows:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative ὁ οἱ
Genitive/Ablative τοῦ τῶν
Dative/Locative/Instrumental τῷ τοῖς
Accusative τόν τούς

 

 

Examples of the article with First Declension Nouns:

  1. Feminine First Declension Example (χώρα – “country”):
    • Singular:
      • Nominative: ἡ χώρα – “the country”
      • Genitive/Ablative: τῆς χώρας – “of/from the country”
      • Dative/Locative/Instrumental: τῇ χώρᾳ – ” for/with/by the country”
      • Accusative: τήν χώραν – “the country” (direct object)
    • Plural:
      • Nominative: αἱ χῶραι – “the countries”
      • Genitive/Ablative: τῶν χωρῶν – ” of/from the countries”
      • Dative/Locative/Instrumental: ταῖς χώραις – ” for/with/by the countries”

        • […]

Biblical Greek First Year Lesson 102024-11-10T07:07:03-08:00

Biblical Greek First Year Lesson 8

Class Notes

Prepositions

Prepositions are adverbs specialized to define more clearly the meaning of case, many of which came to be used in composition with verbs. When the word functions as an adverb it does not need an object; however, when serving as a preposition it required an object.

Some words can function as either prepositions or adverbs, depending on whether they have an object:

 

Preposition: “She walked across the bridge.” (“Across” is a preposition because it relates to “the bridge.”)

 

Adverb: “She walked across.” (“Across” functions as an adverb because it has no object and modifies the verb “walked.”)

The Greek preposition is used to better define the idea of case. They assist the cases by aiding in clarifying the meaning of the case. The case governs the meaning of the preposition. Therefore, the preposition does not give the meaning to the case, for they do not govern the case.

As an example for how the meaning of the preposition is governed by the case it is used with we can examine the different meanings of παρά (para) based upon what case the noun is expressing.  παρά (para) primarily means “beside,” “alongside,” or “near. The English word parallel is derived from παράλληλος (parallēlos), which is a compound of two parts: παρά (para): Meaning “beside” or “alongside.” ἀλληλος (allēlos): Meaning “one another.”

Ablative: from the side of.

Locative: by the side of.

Accusative: beside, beyond, against (contrary to).

By the nature of the Nominative and Vocative cases, they do not use prepositions. Therefore, the cases that use prepositions are the genitive, ablative, dative, locative, instrumental, and accusative.

When used in compound with the verbs the prepositions have two common uses.

The preposition is merely local. I throw out combines ἐκ […]

Biblical Greek First Year Lesson 82024-10-25T14:28:29-07:00
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