1 Subject and object: recap
Before introducing complements, let us review subjects and objects.
Activity 1 Complete the sentence
Which word or phrase could complete the following sentence?
ἡ Ἀφροδίτη φιλεῖ __________
- Vocabulary
- Ἀφροδίτη, -ης, ἡ Aphrodite
- φιλεῖ loves (from φιλέω, I love)
- κόρη, -ης, ἡ girl
- Ξάνθιππος, -ου, ὁ Xanthippos
Discussion
The sentence starts with a noun in the nominative case, ἡ Ἀφροδίτη. The nominative case ending shows that Aphrodite is the subject. The sentence continues with a verb (φιλεῖ), showing what Aphrodite is doing. The meaning of the verb prompts a question: ‘who or what does Aphrodite love?’, which raises the expectation of an object. A noun in the accusative case would satisfy this expectation and complete the sentence.
OpenLearn - Getting started on ancient Greek
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