Editing Word stem (section)

== Oblique stem {{anchor|Oblique stem}}==
Both in [[Latin]] and  [[Greek language|Greek]], the [[declension]] (inflection) of some [[noun]]s uses a different stem in the [[oblique case]]s than in the [[nominative]] and [[vocative]] singular cases. Such words belong to, respectively, the so-called [[Latin declension#Third declension (i and consonant stems)|third declension]] of the Latin grammar and the so-called [[Ancient Greek nouns#Third declension|third declension]] of the Ancient Greek grammar. For example, the [[genitive]] singular is formed by adding ''-is'' (Latin) or -ος (Greek) to the oblique stem, and the genitive singular is conventionally listed in Greek and Latin dictionaries to illustrate the oblique.

===Examples===

{{col-begin|width=100%}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Latin word
! meaning
! oblique stem
|-
| ''[[wikt:adeps#Latin|adeps]]''
| fat
| ''adip-''
|-
| ''[[wikt:altitudo#Latin|altitudo]]''
| height
| ''altitudin-''
|-
| ''[[wikt:index#Latin|index]]''
| pointer
| ''indic-''
|-
| ''[[wikt:rex#Latin|rex]]''
| king, ruler
| ''reg-''
|-
|''supellex''
|equipment, furniture
| ''supellectil-''
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Greek word
! meaning
! oblique stem
|-
| [[wikt:ἄναξ#Ancient Greek|ἄναξ]] (ánax)
| lord
| ἄνακτ- (ánakt-)
|-
| [[wikt:ἀνήρ#Ancient Greek|ἀνήρ]] (anḗr)
| man
| ἀνδρ- (andr-)
|-
| [[wikt:κάλπις#Ancient Greek|κάλπις]] (kálpis)
| jug
| κάλπιδ- (kálpid-)
|-
| [[wikt:μάθημα#Ancient Greek|μάθημα]] (máthēma)
| learning
| μαθήματ- (mathḗmat-)
|}
{{col-end}}

English words derived from Latin or Greek often involve the oblique stem: ''[[wikt:adipose|<u>adip</u>ose]]'', ''[[wikt:altitudinal|<u>altitudin</u>al]]'', ''[[wikt:android|<u>andr</u>oid]]'', and ''[[wikt:mathematics|<u>mathemat</u>ics]]''.

Historically, the difference in stems arose due to sound changes in the nominative. In the Latin third declension, for example, the nominative singular suffix ''-s'' is combined with a stem-final consonant. If that consonant was ''c'', the result was ''x'' (a mere orthographic change), while if it was ''g'', the ''-s'' caused it to [[voicing (phonetics)|devoice]], again resulting in ''x''. If the stem-final consonant was another [[alveolar consonant]] (''t, d, r''), it elided before the ''-s''. In a later era, ''n'' before the nominative ending was also lost, producing pairs like ''atlas, atlant-'' (for English [[Atlas]], [[Atlantic]]).