Descriptive Criteria of nominal inflectional categories in Ancient Greek Grammar
Descriptive Criteria of nominal inflectional categories in Ancient Greek Grammar

Summary/Abstract: The present paper analyses the methodology adopted in the ancient Greek grammatical tradition to define and describe the nominal inflectional categories, i.e. gender, number, and case. The main source for the said analysis is the treatise Tekhne grammatike attributed to Dionysius Thrax, but references are also made to the works of Aristotle and some other authors. The research shows that semantic (functional) criteria played the principal part in describing the nominal inflectional categories, and especially that of the case. This does not mean, however, that the formal factor was completely absent: Aristotle’s determination in searching for formal criteria of gender classes of nouns is noteworthy in this respect, as well as the attempt to associate the number category with some formal factors, evidenced in the Tekhne.

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