Noun Declensions

1
Noun Declensions

• 1st mostly feminine, with a few masculine.
• ancilla, poeta, aqua
• 2nd masculine with a few feminine(-us, or -er)
  or neuter (-um)
• dominus, servus, templum, atrium
• 3rd all genders usually with one stem in the
  nominative (with neuters, nominative and
  accusative) and another for the other cases
• leo, leonis miles, militis custos,
  custodis
• 4th masculine (-us) and neuter (-u)
• gradus, portus, cornu
• 5th feminine, except for dies, which can be
  masculine or feminine

2
Dictionary Entries

• The dictionary will give you the nominative
  singular, genitive singular and gender of a noun.
  To save space, the genitive singular can be
  abbreviated
• ancilla, ancillae f. OR ancilla, -ae f.
• dominus, domini m. OR dominus, domini m.
• miles, militis m. OR miles, -itis m.
• The genitive singular lets you know how the stem
  changes in a 3rd declension noun and also tells
  you if a noun in us is 2nd, 3rd or 4th
  declension
• servus, -i m. v. vulnus, vulneris n. v. portus,
  -us m.
• The vocabulary at the back of Cambridge Book 1
  gives you the accusative singular instead because
  the genitive is not introduced until Book 2.

3
General Tips

• The accusative singular in masculine and feminine
  nouns always ends in m
• dominum, ancillam, mercatorem
• The accusative plural of masculine and feminine
  nouns always ends
• in -s
• dominos, ancillas, montes
• The genitive plural always ends in -um
• dominorum, ancillarum, montium
• Except in the 3rd declension, the ablative
  singular always ends with the declensions
  signature vowel in its long form
• domino, ancilla, gradu, die
• The dative and ablative plural are always the
  same and end in is or bus
• cum ancillis, cum dominis, sine militibus,
  omnibus credite
• The neuter nominative and accusative are always
  the same
• forum est pulchrum, forum spectamus

4
DERIVATION
LATIN ITALIAN SPANISH FRENCH ENGLISH
oculus occhio ojo œil
periculum pericolo peligro péril
veritas, veritatem verità verdad vérité
natio nationem nazione nación nation
actor, actorem attore actor acteur
5
DERIVATION
LATIN ITALIAN SPANISH FRENCH ENGLISH
oculus occhio ojo œil eye
periculum pericolo peligro péril peril
veritas, veritatem verità verdad vérité truth
natio nationem nazione nación nation nation
actor, actorem attore actor acteur actor
6
1st declension ancilla, -ae (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative ancilla ancillae
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
7
1st declension ancilla, -ae (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative ancilla ancillae
Accusative ancillam ancillas
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
8
1st declension ancilla, -ae (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative ancilla ancillae
Accusative ancillam ancillas
Genitive ancillae ancillarum
Dative
Ablative
9
1st declension ancilla, -ae (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative ancilla ancillae
Accusative ancillam ancillas
Genitive ancillae ancillarum
Dative ancillae ancillis
Ablative
10
1st declension ancilla, -ae (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative ancilla ancillae
Accusative ancillam ancillas
Genitive ancillae ancillarum
Dative ancillae ancillis
Ablative ancilla ancillis
11
1st DECLENSION IRREGULARITIES

• The Dat/Abl plural of filia (daughter) and dea
  (goddess) are filiabus and deabus to avoid
  confusions with filiis (lt filius, son) and deis
  (lt deus, god)
• With names of cities and small islands, the
  Locative endings ae (sing.) and is (plr) are
  used instead of prepositions to give the meaning
  in or at
• Romae, in Rome (but in urbe Roma, in the city of
  Rome)
• Athenis, in Athens (but in urbe Athenis

12
2nd declension dominus, -i (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative dominus domini
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
13
2nd declension dominus, -i (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative dominus domini
Accusative dominum dominos
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
14
2nd declension dominus, -i (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative dominus domini
Accusative dominum dominos
Genitive domini dominorum
Dative
Ablative
15
2nd declension dominus, -i (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative dominus domini
Accusative dominum dominos
Genitive domini dominorum
Dative domino dominis
Ablative
16
2nd declension dominus, -i (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative dominus domini
Accusative dominum dominos
Genitive domini dominorum
Dative domino dominis
Ablative domino dominis
17
2nd declension templum, -i (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative templum templa
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
18
2nd declension templum, -i (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative templum templa
Accusative templum templa
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
19
2nd declension templum, -i (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative templum templa
Accusative templum templa
Genitive templi templorum
Dative
Ablative
20
2nd declension templum, -i (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative templum templa
Accusative templum templa
Genitive templi templorum
Dative templo templis
Ablative
21
2nd declension templum, -i (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative templum templa
Accusative templum templa
Genitive templi templorum
Dative templo templis
Ablative templo templis
22
2nd DECLENSION - IRREGULARITIES

• With names of cities and small islands, the
  LOCATIVE endings i (sing.) and is (plr) are
  used instead of prepositions to give the meaning
  in or at
• Marcus Londinii et Pompeiis habitabat
• Nouns in us change to e when the person is
  being addressed but the us is simply dropped if
  i precedes it (VOCATIVE case)
• Ad urbem, Marce et Iuli, venite!
• A preceding i may be dropped before the i of
  the GENITIVE and LOCATIVE
• Pater Iuli Londini habitat
• The address (VOCATIVE) form of deus is the same
  as the nominative, while di is often used
  instead of dei in the NOM plural, deum instead of
  deorum in the GEN plural and dis for deis in the
  DAT and ABL plural.
• Di nobis favent
• vir (man) uses vir- as the stem for all cases
  after the NOM/VOC singular
• A few nouns in-er (eg. puer, magister, liber)
  similarly use that form for the NOM/VOC singular,
  then use this as the base for all the other
  endings, often dropping the e also
• Puer est in via. Puerum video (e retained)
• Magister est in taberna. Magistrum audio (e
  dropped)

23
3rd declension leo, leonis (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative leo leones
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
24
3rd declension leo, leonis (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative leo leones
Accusative leonem leones
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
25
3rd declension leo, leonis (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative leo leones
Accusative leonem leones
Genitive leonis leonum
Dative
Ablative
26
3rd declension leo, leonis (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative leo leones
Accusative leonem leones
Genitive leonis leonum
Dative leoni leonibus
Ablative
27
3rd declension leo, leonis (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative leo leones
Accusative leonem leones
Genitive leonis leonum
Dative leoni leonibus
Ablative leone leonibus
28
3rd declension nomen, nominis (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative nomen nomina
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
29
3rd declension nomen, nominis (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative nomen nomina
Accusative nomen nomina
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
30
3rd declension nomen, nominis (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative nomen nomina
Accusative nomen nomina
Genitive nominis nominum
Dative
Ablative
31
3rd declension nomen, nominis (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative nomen nomina
Accusative nomen nomina
Genitive nominis nominum
Dative nomini nominibus
Ablative
32
3rd declension nomen, nominis (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative nomen nomina
Accusative nomen nomina
Genitive nominis nominum
Dative nomini nominibus
Ablative nomine nominibus
33
3rd declension SeXy nouns

• 3rd declension nouns ending in s orx with the
  same number of syllables in nominative and
  genitive singular (e.g civis, civis, citizen
  ignis, ignis, fire) or with a one-syllable
  nominative singular and a stem for the genitive
  ending in two consonants (urbs, urbis or nox,
  noctis) have the genitive plural in ium e,g,
  civium, urbium
• These nouns also have an alternative accusative
  plural ending in is (e.g. civis video or cives
  video, I see the citizens). This ending, rarely
  used in beginners books, is quite common in
  Latin literature.
• If the nominative and genitive singular are
  exactly the same, the ablative singular can end
  in i as well as in e (e.g. cum civi or cum cive
  (with a citizen), sine igni or sine igne (without
  fire))

34
3rd declension civis, civis (m., f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative civis cives
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
35
3rd declension civis, civis (m., f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative civis cives
Accusative civem cives or civis
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
36
3rd declension civis, civis (m., f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative civis cives
Accusative civem cives or civis
Genitive civis civium
Dative
Ablative
37
3rd declension civis, civis (m., f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative civis cives
Accusative civem cives or civis
Genitive civis civium
Dative civi civibus
Ablative
38
3rd declension civis, civis (m., f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative civis cives
Accusative civem cives or civis
Genitive civis civium
Dative civi civibus
Ablative cive or civi civibus
39
3rd declension neuter nouns with ia plural

• Neuter nouns ending in e, -al or ar (e.g.
  mare, maris, sea animal, animalis, animal) also
  have genitive plural nominative in ium
• They have nominative and accusative plural in ia
• Their ablative singular ALWAYS ends in -i

40
3rd declension mare, maris (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative mare maria
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
41
3rd declension mare, maris (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative mare maria
Accusative mare maria
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
42
3rd declension mare, maris (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative mare maria
Accusative mare maria
Genitive maris marium
Dative
Ablative
43
3rd declension mare, maris (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative mare maria
Accusative mare maria
Genitive maris marium
Dative mari maribus
Ablative
44
3rd declension mare, maris (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative mare maria
Accusative mare maria
Genitive maris marium
Dative mari maribus
Ablative mari maribus
45
3rd DECLENSION IRREGULARITIES

• With names of cities and small islands, the
  Locative endings e or -i (sing.) and ibus (plr)
  are used instead of prepositions to give the
  meaning in or at
• Carthagine habitabamus
• Novendraconibus habitabam
• bos, bovis m/f, ox/cow GEN plr. bovum or boum,
  DAT/ABL plr. bovibus, bubus or bobus
• vis f, force only has ACCUS vim and ABL vi in
  singular regular plr vires, virium must be
  carefully distinguished from 2nd declension vir,
  viri (man).

46
4th declension gradus, gradus (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative gradus gradus
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
47
4th declension gradus, gradus (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative gradus gradus
Accusative gradum gradus
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
48
4th declension gradus, gradus (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative gradus gradus
Accusative gradum gradus
Genitive gradus graduum
Dative
Ablative
49
4th declension gradus, gradus (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative gradus gradus
Accusative gradum gradus
Genitive gradus graduum
Dative gradui gradibus
Ablative
50
4th declension gradus, gradus (m.)
Singular Plural
Nominative gradus gradus
Accusative gradum gradus
Genitive gradus graduum
Dative gradui gradibus
Ablative gradu gradibus
51
4th/2nd declension domus, domus (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative domus domus
Accusative domum domos/domus
Genitive domus domuum/domorum
Dative domui/domo domibus
Ablative domo/domu domibus
52
NOTES ON DOMUS

• The table of endings gives the commoner form
  first. Note that the genitive plural ending in
  orum is found only in poetry and late prose
  writers
• The table in Latin via Ovid (p.127) gives domi as
  an alternative for the genitive singular.
  However, this only occurs in the 2nd. Century
  B.C. dramatist Plautus, so the slide in this
  presentation (like many textbooks) omits it.
• domi is, however, used as locative singular,
  following the standard 2nd. declension pattern
  (there is no locative case in the 4th.
  declension). domus is one of three common nouns
  (ie. not place names) which have a locative, the
  others being humus (locative humi), ground, and
  rus (locative ruri), countryside.

53
4th declension cornu, cornus (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative cornu cornua
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
54
4th declension cornu, cornus (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative cornu cornua
Accusative cornu cornua
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
55
4th declension cornu, cornus (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative cornu cornua
Accusative cornu cornua
Genitive cornus cornuum
Dative
Ablative
56
4th declension cornu, cornus (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative cornu cornua
Accusative cornu cornua
Genitive cornus cornuum
Dative cornu(i) cornibus
Ablative
57
4th declension cornu, cornus (n.)
Singular Plural
Nominative cornu cornua
Accusative cornu cornua
Genitive cornus cornuum
Dative cornui? cornu? cornibus
Ablative cornu cornibus
58
5th declension res, rei (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative res res
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
59
5th declension res, rei (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative res res
Accusative rem res
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
60
5th declension res, rei (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative res res
Accusative rem res
Genitive rei rerum
Dative
Ablative
61
5th declension res, rei (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative res res
Accusative rem res
Genitive rei rerum
Dative rei rebus
Ablative
62
5th declension res, rei (f.)
Singular Plural
Nominative res res
Accusative rem res
Genitive rei rerum
Dative rei rebus
Ablative re rebus