Linguist Forum

Specializations => Morphosyntax => Topic started by: Matt Longhorn on October 01, 2019, 12:48:34 AM

Title: 3rd declension adjectives in post-classical Greek
Post by: Matt Longhorn on October 01, 2019, 12:48:34 AM

Hi all, one for folks who have knowledge of post-classical Greek. I am trying to find out if there are any general rules / diachronic explanations for why some adjectives take a 3rd declension masculine/feminine and also a third declension neuter form. an example would be akrates
I found a general rule in the Brill Encyclopaedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics (which was eye wateringly expensive to buy) for why some adjectives only take a 2-2 form. Namely that they tend to be compound adjectives rather than simple e.g. apistos taking a 2-2 pattern and pistos taking a 2-1-2 pattern.

I am helping a small group of people through first year Greek at the moment and trying to find ways to make things more simple. Also, it would be quite interesting for me to know anyway