11
Introduction to Pronouns
Pronouns in Greek for the most part work much as they do in English: they replace nouns. Since Greek nouns are distinguished by gender, number, and case, it is logical that the pronouns that replace them inflect to represent these same qualities. You have already seen this basic mechanism in practice: the definite article is the same gender, number, and case as the noun that it modifies.
Most Greek pronouns closely resemble the definite article. Let us review forms of the definite article (S 332; GPH p. 41):
Masculine:
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | ὁ | οἱ |
| Genitive | τοῦ | τῶν |
| Dative | τῷ | τοῖς |
| Accusative | τόν | τούς |
Feminine:
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | ἡ | αἱ |
| Genitive | τῆς | τῶν |
| Dative | τῇ | ταῖς |
| Accusative | τήν | τάς |
Neuter:
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | τό | τά |
| Genitive | τοῦ | τῶν |
| Dative | τῷ | τοῖς |
| Accusative | τό | τά |
3rd Person Personal Pronoun
Our first pronoun is the Greek equivalent he/she/it. Greek uses a single pronoun for all of these, and declines it by gender, number, and case. While the definite article has the stem τ-, this pronoun has the stem αὐτ-. The forms of αὐτός use the same endings with one exception: The masculine nominative singular of the pronoun ends in –ς. Note also the accent pattern, which is similar to that of the definite article (S 327; GPH p. 43).
Singular:
| M | F | N | |
| Nominative | αὐτός | αὐτή | αὐτό |
| Genitive | αὐτοῦ | αὐτῆς | αὐτοῦ |
| Dative | αὐτῷ | αὐτῇ | αὐτῷ |
| Accusative | αὐτόν | αὐτήν | αὐτό |
Plural:
| M | F | N | |
| Nominative | αὐτοί | αὐταί | αὐτά |
| Genitive | αὐτῶν | αὐτῶν | αὐτῶν |
| Dative | αὐτοῖς | αὐταῖς | αὐτοῖς |
| Accusative | αὐτούς | αὐτάς | αὐτά |
Depending on its placement in a sentence, the αὐτός αὐτή αὐτό has three possible translations (S 328).
1. He/she/it
When the pronoun is standing on its own in any case except for the nominative, it is used as a 3RD PERSON PERSONAL PRONOUN. The form of the pronoun must correspond in gender, number, and case to the noun that it is replacing.
- οἱ ἄρχοντες διδόασι τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῖς παισίν.
- The rulers give hope to the children.
- οἱ ἄρχοντες διδόασιν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς.
- The rulers are giving it to them.
2. Self
When this pronoun is used on its own in the NOMINATIVE case, it is emphatic and reflexive, much like ἐγώ,”I,” is emphatic when used in a Greek sentence. It is also emphatic if a form of the pronoun is used as an ADJECTIVE in the PREDICATE POSITION to modify a noun of any case.
- ἀποδίδομεν τὰ χρήματα, ἀλλ’ οὐκ αὐτοὶ ἀποδιδόασιν.
- We give money back, but they themselves do not give (it) back.
- αὐτοὶ is in the NOMINATIVE case.
- οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτοὶ διδόασιν αὐτὴν τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῖς.
- The rulers themselves give hope itself to the children themselves.
- αὐτοὶ/αὐτὴν/αὐτοῖς are adjectives in the PREDICATE position.
3. Same
When this pronoun is used instead as an ADJECTIVE in the ATTRIBUTIVE POSITION, it means “same.”
- οἱ