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Identifying Stems

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 6:36 am
by TheBard
Hi,
I'm currently looking at declining nouns, I understand the concept of cases and declensions well enough but I am struggling to find anything that talks about the actual stems! How do you identify the root stem of a noun? Is the dictionary definition the one? Sorry for such a basic question, just struggling with stems. Any help very much appreciated.

Regards

Re: Identifying Stems

Posted: March 23rd, 2014, 5:12 pm
by Barry Hofstetter
TheBard wrote:Hi,
I'm currently looking at declining nouns, I understand the concept of cases and declensions well enough but I am struggling to find anything that talks about the actual stems! How do you identify the root stem of a noun? Is the dictionary definition the one? Sorry for such a basic question, just struggling with stems. Any help very much appreciated.

Regards
Get a knife. Grab the noun and hold it down (they tend to struggle and squeal). Then cut of it's genitive. What's left is the stem.

ανθρὠπου, άνθρωπ | ου so that άνθρωπ is the stem. Similarly:
νυκτὀς, νυκτ | ος so that νυκτ- is the stem.

Oh, and a reminder to send an administrator your first/last name information so that we can fulfill B-Greek policy.

Re: Identifying Stems

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 6:42 am
by TheBard
I actually sorted this problem out just after posting that message. It's actually quite easy, adjectives too. I read something in an old grammar book that was very awkwardly worded that confused me, so I'm still in search of that elusive book that resonates with me.