CYPRIOT GRAMMAR

Chapter 3: Nouns and Articles (2)
In this chapter will be exploring how various articles and cases change the endings of masculine nouns. You shouldn’t be worried because
Cypriot tries to maintain a euphony and a poetic sound which will be evident in the following tables and there examples.
3.1 Masculine Nouns
Let us take the masculine nouns according to their ending which helps us categorize them into different types of declensions.
3.2 First Declension
3.2.1 Type Α –ος
_____________Article__Singular______Article____Plural
Nominative_____ο_____άδρωπος_______οι______αδρώποι
Accusative_____(ν)τον__άδρωπον____(ν)τους__αδρώπους
Genitive_______(ν)του__αδρώπου_____(ν)των__αδρώπων
Vocative_______ρε/ε___άδρωπε______ρε/ε_____αδρώποι
Irregularities
1. The words κατάπελλος (nutcase), ασυγχώρητος (unforgivable) do not experience a tone mark shift in the singular genetive. Eg. Του
κατάπελλου.
2. The word γείτος (neighbour) drops its final –ς in the Vocative. Eg. Ρε γείτο
3. The word μάστρος take the form μάστρε when preceding names in the nominative. Eg. Ο μάστρε Γιώρκος
4. κ/γγ + -ε/-οι -| τζ’ + ε/-οι Eg. (πχ.) Κακός -> Κατζ’οί (the evil man the evil men)
5. Irregular plural ο γρόνος -> τα γρόνια (year)
6. Irregular genetive plural ο λόος -> των λογιών (a reason/kind)
3.2.2 Type Β –ός
_____________Article__Singular______Article____Plural
Nominative_____ο_____πετεινός_______οι_____πετεινοί
Accusative_____(ν)τον__πετεινόν____(ν)τους__πετεινούς
Genitive_______(ν)του__πετεινού_____(ν)των__πετεινών
Vocative_______ρε/ε____πετεινέ_____ρε/ε_____πετεινοί
Irregularities
1. The words θκειός, αρφός, γιός, γαμπρός. (Uncle, brother, son, son in law) have an irregular ending in the genetive plural in order to
distinguish from the plural genetive of feminine nouns.
Των θκειούων, αρφούων, γιούων, γαμπρούων.
Irregulars for both declensions:
2. κ/γγ + -ε/-οι -> τζ’ + ε/-οι Eg. (πχ.) Τζ’υρκάκος -> Τζ’υρκάτζ’ε
3. Names such as Νικολός, Τζ’υρκάκος, Γιάννος have irregular forms in the vocative. They can either simply drop the final –ς or they can
take the ending –ε.
Ρε Νικολό/Νικολέ
Ρε Τζ’υρκάκο/ Ρε Τζ’υρκάτζ’ε
Ρε Γιάννο/ Ρε Γιάννε
4. Irregular plural ο πηλός -> τα πηλά (clay -> mud)
3.3 Second Declension
3.3.1 Type A –άς
____________Article__Singular______Article____Plural
Nominative_____ο_____γαλατάς_______οι______γαλατάες
Accusative_____(ν)τον__γαλατάν____(ν)τους____γαλατάες
Genitive_______(ν)του__γαλατά_____(ν)των____γαλατάων
Vocative_______ρε/ε___γαλατά_____ρε/ε______γαλατάες
Irregularities:
1. The word παπάς (father) has the irregular vocative of άπα.
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