section_path: Characteristics/Morphology
section_name: Morphology
paragraph_text: Morphology
  
  In all its stages, the morphology of Greek shows an extensive set of productive derivational affixes, a limited but productive system of compounding and a rich inflectional system. Although its morphological categories have been fairly stable over time, morphological changes are present throughout, particularly in the nominal and verbal systems. The major change in the nominal morphology since the classical stage was the disuse of the dative case (its functions being largely taken over by the genitive). The verbal system has lost the infinitive, the synthetically -formed future, and perfect tenses and the optative mood. Many have been replaced by periphrastic (analytical) forms.