First declension (alpha-declension)

Most First declension nouns are feminine (about 11,000), whereas masculines amount to a quite smaller number (about 6,000). A similar proportion can be found also in the Latin first declension. Unlike 2nd declension, where all nouns follow the same case-ending pattern, 1st declension nouns follow different case-ending patterns in the Attic dialect. The table below shows all the patterns together with the criteria for classifying 1st declension nouns.

• First, nouns are classified according to nominative and accusative noun stems, which can end either withᾱ (long alpha) orᾰ (short alpha). As explained in the page on classification of vowels, in the Attic dialect, ᾱ (long alpha) shifts to η if not preceded by ε, ι or ρ and it is called pure alpha. As it can be inferred from the table, all masculine nouns stems end in ᾱ (long alpha).
• Besides, one must keep in mind that feminine and masculine nouns have different case- endings in the singular nominative, genitive and vocative. Typically, masculine singular nominative ends in -ς, while masculine singular genitive ends in -ου. This singular genitive ending (-ου) appeared at a relatively later stage, by analogy with 2nd declension nouns, whereas the original singular genitive ending was -ᾱϜο, which underwent various changes. The genitive ending -ᾱϜο was still present in Homer and archaic poetry in the form of -ᾱο (dropped digamma), -ηo (shift of ᾱ to -η), -εω (quantitative metathesis).
• Some more complications arise from the different length of ending syllables, which can lead to stress alterations both in type and position with regard to singular nominative.
• On this point, it has to be remembered that the plural nominative and vocative ending –αι, despite being a diphthong, is considered short for accent determining purposes.
• Moreover, as far as ending syllable length is concerned, all ending syllables are long with regard to accent position, except for the following:
1. plural nominative and vocative of all 1st declension nouns;
2. singular nominative, accusative and vocative of nouns ending in ᾰ;
3. singular vocative of masculine nouns in –της and compounds in -μέτρης, -πώλης, -τρίβης.
• all first declension nouns have the plural genitive in -ῶν and are always perispomenon, regardless of the singular nominative accent. This is due to etymological reasons: the original plural genitive case ending was *-άσων, which first changed to -άων owing to a dropped intervocalic sigma followed by contraction to -ῶν. It is the same Indo-European ending which originated the Latin first declension plural genitive case ending. The original archaic Latin form -asom became -arum, as a result of rhotacism and transformation of o into u.
• all singular nominative oxytone nouns have perispomenon ending in the genitive and dative cases of the singular, plural and dual.

Toggle option Highlight accent to see accent modifications with regard to singular nominative, according to accentuation rules.

If you feel like it, try the first declension self-assessment test.