CYPRIOT GRAMMAR

Chapter 10: Adjectives
In this chapter we shall be covering adjectives whose endings are inflected for both number and case.
I am sure that you are starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with endings but the big surprise is that you already know them if you studied
the noun endings well enough! All the endings are the same as standard nouns and therefore adjectives take a declension the same way
as the nouns are according to their ending.
10.1 Adjective endings
10.1.1 Male adjective endings: -ος, -ης, -ύς, -ας
Λογιασμένος = engaged
Ακριβής = accurate
Μακρύς = tall
Σ’ειλάς = someone who has big lips
10.1.2 Female: -α, –η, -έ
Καθαρή = clean
Ωραία = beautiful
Σ’ειλέ = a woman with big lips
Άσπρη = white
10.1.3 Neuter: -ον, -ύν
Αλαφρόν = light
Γλυτζ’ύν = sweet
Πλατύν = wide
Κακόν = bad
Examples
Έχω μιάν λογιασμένην αρφήν = I have an engaged sister
Έσ’ετε τούντες κατζ’ές γιαγιάες = You have these bad grandmothers
Τζ’είντα πασ’ά πράματα = Those fat/thick things.
10.2 Adjectival Gender Change
1. All the adjectives above are changed into from the masculine to the female and neuter by dropping the masculine ending and then by
simply adding the endings for female or neuter.
Masc.->Fem->Neuter
10.2.1 –ος -> –η -> -ον
Φερειπείν (for example)
Καθαρός -> Καθαρή -> Καθαρόν (Clean)
Όμορφος -> Όμορφη -> Όμορφον (handsome/beautiful)
When the adjective implies a disease the conversion is:
Κουτσός (crippled) -> κουτσάρα ->κουτσάρικον
Others: κουφός(deaf), πελλός (crazy), στραός (blinded), κομμένος (cut), λαομένος (frightened), αππομένος (worked up)
10.2.2 –ης -> –ισσα- > –ύν
Φερειπείν
Μισκίνης -> Μισκίνισσα -> Μισκίνικον (skinny)
Αζούλης -> Αζούλισσα -> Αζούλικον (jealous)
Irregularities
The nouns below are rather irregular and should be learned seperately as vocabulary. They have no Neuter forms!
Κασάπης (butcher) –> κασάπαινα
Others: Μαννάβης (grocer), μάειρος (cook), μαντζ’ίπας (baker), μπακκάλης (grocer), περβολάρης (farmer), ράφτης (tailor), φούρναρης
(baker), χανουτάρης (hotel manager).
Αρκάτης (worker) -> αρκατίνα
Others: ατζ’αμής (clumsy), καβετζ’ής (café owner), προξενιτής (match maker), τραουιστής (singer), ττερλακκής (addicted to smoking and
drinking), φουαρτάς (spender), χορευτής (dancer), χουιρλής (a person who has bad habits), κκεφλής (?)
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