DECLENSION OF NOUNS
[*] 36.
Declension is produced by adding terminations originally significant to
different forms of stems, vowel or consonant. The various phonetic
corruptions in the language have given rise to the several declensions. Most
of the case-endings, as given in Latin, contain also the final letter of the
stem.
Adjectives are, in general, declined like nouns, and are etymologically to be
classed with them; but they have several peculiarities of inflection (see
§ 109 ff.).
[*] 37.
Nouns are inflected in five Declensions, distinguished by the final letter
(
characteristic) of the Stem, and by the case-ending of
the Genitive Singular.
| DECL. 1 |
CHARACTERISTIC
ā
|
GEN. SING.
ae
|
| 2 |
ŏ
|
ī
|
| 3 |
ĭ or a Consonant |
ĭs
|
| 4 |
ŭ
|
ūs
|
| 5 |
ē
|
ēī
|
[*] a.
The Stem of a noun may be found, if a consonant stem, by omitting the
case-ending; if a vowel stem, by substituting for the case-ending the
characteristic vowel.
[*] 38.
The following are General Rules of Declension:—
[*] a.
The Vocative is always the same as the Nominative, except in the singular of
nouns and adjectives in
-us of the second
declension, which have
-e in the vocative. It
is not included in the paradigms, unless it differs from the nominative.
[*] b.
In neuters the Nominative and Accusative are always alike, and in the plural
end in
-ă.
[*] c.
The Accusative singular of all masculines and feminines ends in
-m; the Accusative plural in
-s.
[*] d.
In the last three declensions (and in a few cases in the others) the Dative
singular ends in
-ī.
[*] e.
The Dative and Ablative plural are always alike.
[*] f.
The Genitive plural always ends in
-um.
[*] g.
Final
-i,
-o,
-u of inflection are always
long; final
-a is
short, except in the Ablative singular of the first
declension; final
-e is
long in the first and fifth
declensions,
short in the second and third. Final
-is and
-us
are
long in plural cases.
Case-endings of the Five Declensions
[*] 39.
The regular Case-endings of the several declensions are the
following:—
1
| DECL. I |
|
DECL. II |
|
DECL. III |
|
DECL. IV |
|
|
DECL. V |
|
|
|
|
SINGULAR |
|
F. |
M. N. |
M.,F. |
|
N. |
M. |
|
N. |
F. |
| NOM. |
-a
|
-us -um
|
-s
|
|
|
-us
|
|
-ū
|
-ēs
|
|
|
---- |
|
(modifled stem) |
| GEN. |
-ae
|
-ī
|
|
-is
|
|
|
-ūs
|
|
-ēī (
-ē
） |
| DAT. |
-ae
|
-ō
|
|
-ī
|
|
-uī (
-ū
） |
|
-ū
|
-ēī (
-ē
） |
| ACC. |
-am
|
-um -um
|
-em (
-im
） |
|
(like nom.) |
-um
|
|
-ū
|
-em
|
| ABL. |
-ā
|
-ō
|
|
-e (
-ī
） |
|
|
-ū
|
|
-ē
|
| VOC. |
-a
|
-e -um
|
|
(like nom.) |
|
-us
|
|
-ū
|
-ēs
|
|
|
|
|
PLURAL
|
| N.V. |
-ae
|
-ī -a
|
-ēs
|
|
-a, -ia
|
-ūs
|
|
-ua
|
-ēs
|
| GEN. |
-ārum
|
-ōrum
|
|
-um, -ium
|
|
|
-uum
|
|
-ērum
|
| D.AB. |
-īs
|
-īs
|
|
-ibus
|
|
-ibus (
-ubus
） |
|
|
-ēbus
|
| ACC. |
-ās
|
-ōs -a
|
-ēs (
-īs
） |
|
-a, -ia
|
-ūs
|
|
-ua
|
-ēs
|
