Topic · from the English index · as printed
Plural
See also Agreement
: first person, used for dual
§364 aINFLECTION: PRELIMINARY REMARKS (355-380)Person.—There are three persons (first, second, and third) in the indicative, subjunctive, and optative. The imperative has only the second and third persons. a. Except in a few ca…
verb, with singular subject
§§950–953Subject in the Singular, Verb in the PluralWith singular collective substantives (996) denoting persons and with like words implying a plural, the verb may stand in the plural. Thus, τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐν αἰτίᾳ ἔχοντες τὸν Ἆγιν…
verb, with dual subject
§§954–957Subject in the Dual, Verb in the PluralThe first person dual agrees in form with the first person plural (462).
subject, with verb in singular
§§958–961Subject in the Plural, Verb in the SingularA neuter plural subject is regarded as a collective (996), and has its verb in the singular: καλὰ ἦν τὰ σφάγια the sacrifices were propitious X. A. 4.3.19. N.—The neuter plural see…
subject, with verb in dual
§962Subject in the Plural, Verb in the DualA plural subject may take a dual verb when the subject is a pair or two pairs: αἱ ἵπποι δραμέτην the span of mares ran Ψ 392. a. This is common when δύο, ἄμφω, ἀμφότεροι are used w…
verb, with two subjects in singular
§964WITH TWO OR MORE SUBJECTSWith two subjects in the singular, the verb may be dual or plural: Κριτίᾱς καὶ Ἀλκιβιάδης ἐδυνάσθην ἐκείνῳ χρωμένω συμμάχῳ τῶν ἐπιθῡμιῶν κρατεῖν Critias and Alcibiades were able to…
§965WITH TWO OR MORE SUBJECTSIn Homer the verb may intervene between the subjects (Alcmanic Construction): εἰς Ἀχέροντα Πυριφλεγέθων τε ῥέουσιν Κώκῡτός τε Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus flow into Acheron κ 513.
§967WITH TWO OR MORE SUBJECTS(II) With several subjects referring to different persons the verb is in the plural; in the first person, if one of the subjects is first person; in the second person, if the subje…
§971WITH TWO OR MORE SUBJECTSWhen the subjects are taken together, the plural occurs: ἃ Δημοφῶν ἢ Θηριππίδης ἔχουσι τῶν ἐμῶν what Demophon or Therippides have of my property D. 27.12. This is unusual.
distributive
§998PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERDistributive Singular.—The singular of abstract nouns may be used distributively (rarely with concrete substantives): ὅσοι δίκαιοι ἐγένοντο ἐν τῷ ἑαυτῶν βίῳ all who proved themselv…
§1004PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERDistributive Plural.—Abstract substantives are often used distributively in the plural: σῑγαὶ τῶν νεωτέρων παρὰ πρεσβυτέροις the silence of the younger men in the presence of their…
peculiarities in use
§§1000–1012PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERPlural.—The plural of proper names, of materials, and of abstracts is used to denote a class. (1) of proper names: Θησέες men like Theseus P. Th. 169b. (2) of materials: here the p…
of majesty
§1006PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERPlural of Majesty (poetic).—The plural may be used to lend dignity: θρόνοι throne S. Ant. 1041, σκῆπτρα scepter A. Ag. 1265, δώματα dwelling ε 6; παιδικά favourite in prose (only i…
allusive
§1007PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERHere belongs the allusive plural by which one person is alluded to in the plural number: δεσποτῶν θανάτοισι by the death of our lord A. Ch. 52, παθοῦσα πρὸς τῶν φιλτάτων I (Clytaem…
of modesty
§1008PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERPlural of Modesty.—A speaker in referring to himself may use the first person plural as a modest form of statement. In prose, of an author: ἔννοιά ποθ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐγένετο the reflection …
shifting with singular
§1012PECULIARITIES IN THE USE OF NUMBERGreek writers often shift from a particular to a general statement and vice versa, thus permitting a free transition from singular to plural, and from plural to singular: οὐδὲ τότε…
participle, with singular collective noun
§1044WITH ONE SUBJECTA circumstantial participle (2054) referring to a collective noun (996) may be plural: τὸ στράτευμα ἐπορίζετο σῖτον κόπτοντες τοὺς βοῦς the army provided itself with provisions by …
participle, with dual verb
§1045WITH ONE SUBJECTA plural participle may be used with a dual verb: ἐγελασάτην ἄμφω βλέψαντες εἰς ἀλλήλους both looked at each other and burst out laughing P. Eu. 273d. A dual participle may be used…
predicate adjective or participle, with dual subject
§1046WITH ONE SUBJECTA dual subject may be followed by a plural predicate adjective or participle: εἰ γάρ τις φαίη τὼ πόλει τούτω πλείστων ἀγαθῶν αἰτίᾱς γεγενῆσθαι if any one should assert that these t…
predicate adjective, with two or more substantives
§1053WITH TWO OR MORE SUBJECTSWith two or more substantives a predicate adjective is plural, except when it agrees with the nearer subject: φόβος καὶ νόμος ἱκανὸς ἔρωτα κωλῡ́ειν fear and the law are capable of …