4th DECLENSION

1
4th DECLENSION

• GM 7

2
Content

• Introductory information.
• Paradigm.
• Examples of use.
• Vocabulary.

3
Introductory information

• 4th declension together with the 5th one
  represent a similar unit as we can see in case of
  the 1st and 2nd declensions. This means that they
  cover all three genders and their endings show
  certain similarities.
• 4th declension contains (with few exceptions)
  nouns of masculine and neutral gender.
• It has two separate paradigms. One for masculines
  and one for very small group of neutrals.

4
Paradigm
masculines
neutrals
Sg. Pl. Sg. Pl.
Nom. stat- us stat- us corn- u corn- ua
Gen. stat- us stat- uum corn- us corn- uum
Acc. stat- um stat- us corn- u corn- ua
Abl. stat- u stat- ibus corn- u corn- ibus
Beware of similar endings which can lead to
confusion for example in an give opposite
grammatical number exercise.
5
Comments

• There are only two nouns of neutral gender in the
  4th declension cornu, us n. (horn, corner) and
  genu, us n. (knee or knee-like structure).
• There is one noun that is inflected according to
  status but it is a feminine manus, us f.
• Majority of nouns from the 4th declension was
  created from verbs therefore you will find
  related verbs in your vocabulary. For our purpose
  however this fact has no significance.

6
Use with adjectives
If we connect a noun from the 4th decl. with an
adjective, the adjective will preserve its
original set of endings from the 1st or 2nd
declension
noun
adjective
optical tract tractus opticus tractus
optici tractum opticum tractu optico ? tractus
optici tractuum opticorum tractus
opticos tractibus opticis
calfknee genu valgum genus valgi genu
valgum genu valgo ? genua valga genuum
valgorum genua valga genibus valgis
7
Textbook

• Explanation of the 4th declension p. 88 - 90.
• Vocabulary 90 - 91.
• Add also another set of adjectives on the page 92.