-τερος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-teros.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /te.ros/ → /te.ros/ → /te.ros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /te.ros/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /te.ros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /te.ros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /te.ros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /te.ros/

Suffix

-τερος • (-teros) m (feminine -τέρᾱ, neuter -τερον); first/second declension

1. Used on adjectives that express some notion of contrast with an antonym

   ‎ἡμεῖς (hēmeîs, “we”) + ‎-τερος (-teros) → ‎ἡμέτερος (hēméteros, “our”)

2. Added to adjective stems to form comparative forms

   ‎δῆλος (dêlos, “clear”) + ‎-τερος (-teros) → ‎δηλότερος (dēlóteros, “clearer”)

   ‎σοφός (sophós, “wise”) + ‎-τερος (-teros) → ‎σοφώτερος (sophṓteros, “wiser”)

Declension

First and second declension of -τερος; -τερᾱ; -τερον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-τερος -teros	-τερᾱ -terā	-τερον -teron		-τερω -terō	-τερᾱ -terā	-τερω -terō		-τεροι -teroi	-τεραι -terai	-τερᾰ -tera
Genitive		-τερου -terou	-τερᾱς -terās	-τερου -terou		-τεροιν -teroin	-τεραιν -terain	-τεροιν -teroin		-τερων -terōn	-τερων -terōn	-τερων -terōn
Dative		-τερῳ -terōi	-τερᾳ -terāi	-τερῳ -terōi		-τεροιν -teroin	-τεραιν -terain	-τεροιν -teroin		-τεροις -terois	-τεραις -terais	-τεροις -terois
Accusative		-τερον -teron	-τερᾱν -terān	-τερον -teron		-τερω -terō	-τερᾱ -terā	-τερω -terō		-τερους -terous	-τερᾱς -terās	-τερᾰ -tera
Vocative		-τερε -tere	-τερᾱ -terā	-τερον -teron		-τερω -terō	-τερᾱ -terā	-τερω -terō		-τεροι -teroi	-τεραι -terai	-τερᾰ -tera
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-τερον -teron				—				—
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• -ίων (-íōn), -ων (-ōn)

Derived terms

Ancient Greek terms suffixed with -τερος

References

• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part II: Inflection”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 313

Greek

Suffix

-τερος • (-teros)

1. The ancient suffix which has formed absolute comparative adjectives; in Modern Greek they are reanalysed.

   See the modern suffixes for regular comparative adjectives: -ότερος (-óteros), -ύτερος (-ýteros), -έστερος (-ésteros)

Usage notes

• Note, that irregular comparative adjectives like κατώτερος (katóteros) were already formed in Ancient Greek; from adverb κάτω (kátō, “down”) + -τερος (-teros)
• The ancient differentiation of -ότερος / -ώτερος became -ότερος (-óteros) in Modern Greek.
• The -τερος (-teros) ending is a useful mnemonic aid to form Modern Greek absolute comparatives by adding it to the neuter nominative singular form of the regular positive adjectives.

See also

• -τερός (-terós)
• -ότατος (-ótatos) (a suffix for superlative adjectives)