Template:Short description Template:Latin grammar
Latin declension is the set of patterns according to which Latin words are declined—that is, have their endings altered to show grammatical case, number and gender. Nouns, pronouns, and adjectives are declined (verbs are conjugated), and a given pattern is called a declension. There are five declensions, which are numbered and grouped by ending and grammatical gender. Each noun follows one of the five declensions, but some irregular nouns have exceptions.
Adjectives are of two kinds: those like Template:Wikt-lang 'good' use first-declension endings for the feminine, and second-declension for masculine and neuter. Other adjectives such as Template:Wikt-lang belong to the third declension. There are no fourth- or fifth-declension adjectives.
Pronouns are also of two kinds, the personal pronouns such as Template:Wikt-lang 'I' and Template:Wikt-lang 'you (Template:Abbr)', which have their own irregular declension, and the third-person pronouns such as Template:Wikt-lang 'this' and Template:Wikt-lang 'that' which can generally be used either as pronouns or adjectivally. These latter decline in a similar way to the first and second noun declensions, but there are differences; for example the genitive singular ends in -īus or -ius instead of -ī or -ae and the dative singular ends in -ī..
The cardinal numbers Template:Wikt-lang 'one', Template:Wikt-lang 'two', and Template:Wikt-lang 'three' also have their own declensions (ūnus has genitive -īus and dative -ī like a pronoun). However, numeral adjectives such as Template:Wikt-lang 'a pair, two each' decline like ordinary adjectives.
Grammatical casesEdit
A complete Latin noun declension consists of up to seven grammatical cases: nominative, vocative, accusative, genitive, dative, ablative and locative. However, the locative is limited to a few nouns: generally names of cities, small islands and a few other words.
Order of casesEdit
The Roman grammarian Aelius Donatus (4th century AD), whose work was used as standard throughout the Middle Ages, placed the cases in this order:
- {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}<ref>Aelius Donatus, Ars Major, 2.8.</ref>
- "there are six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative and ablative."
This order was based on the order used by earlier Greek grammarians, with the addition of the ablative, which does not exist in Greek. The names of the cases also were mostly translated from the Greek terms, such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} from the Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.
This traditional order was formerly used in England, such as in The School and University Eton Latin Grammar (1861).<ref>Mongan, James Roscoe (1861). The School and University Eton Latin Grammar, Explanatory and Critical. London 1861.</ref> That order is still followed in most other European countries. Gildersleeve and Lodge's Latin Grammar (1895) also follow this order. More recent Latin grammars published in the United States, such as Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar (1903) and Wheelock's Latin (first published in 1956) follow this order except they list the vocative last.
However, in Britain and countries influenced by Britain other than the United States, the Latin cases are usually given in the following order: nominative, vocative, accusative, genitive, dative, ablative. This order was introduced in Benjamin Hall Kennedy's Latin Primer (1866), with the aim of making tables of declensions easier to recite and memorise (the first three and the last two cases having identical forms in several declensions).Template:Full citation needed It is also used in France<ref>Paul Crouzet (1902), Grammaire Latine, simple et complète, p. 7.</ref> and Belgium. In Rosa (1962), a song in French by the Belgian singer Jacques Brel, Brel sings the declension of "rosa" as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, following the British order of cases.Template:Full citation needed
SyncretismEdit
Syncretism, where one form in a paradigm shares the ending of another form in the paradigm, is common in Latin. The following are the most notable patterns of syncretism:
Gender-specificEdit
- For neuter nouns, the nominative, vocative, and accusative cases are identical. The nominative, vocative, and accusative plural almost always ends in -a. (Both of these features are inherited from Proto-Indo-European, and so no actual syncretism is known to have happened in the historical sense, since these cases of these nouns are not known to have ever been different in the first place.)
Case-specificEdit
- The vocative form is always the same as the nominative in the plural, and usually the same as the nominative in the singular except for second-declension nouns ending in -us and a few nouns of Greek origin. For example, the vocative of the first-declension Template:Wikt-lang is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.
- The genitive singular is the same as the nominative plural in first-, second-, and fourth-declension non-neuter Latin nouns.
- The dative singular is the same as the genitive singular in first- and fifth-declension pure Latin nouns.
- The dative is always the same as the ablative in the singular in the second declension, the third-declension full i-stems (i.e. neuter i-stems, adjectives), and fourth-declension neuters.
- The dative, ablative, and locative are always identical in the plural.
- The locative singular is identical to the genitive in the 1st and 2nd declensions; to the dative or ablative in the 3rd declension; to the ablative in the 5th declension.
- The nominative and accusative plurals are identical for all nouns of the 4th declension (in -ūs) and 5th declension (in -ēs), and for many nouns of the 3rd declension (in -ēs; but a distinct accusative plural in -īs can be used in Classical Latin for some i-stem nouns).
History of casesEdit
Old Latin had essentially two patterns of endings. One pattern was shared by the first and second declensions, which derived from the Proto-Indo-European thematic declension. The other pattern was used by the third, fourth and fifth declensions, and derived from the athematic PIE declension.
NounsEdit
There are two principal parts for Latin nouns: the nominative singular and the genitive singular. Each declension can be unequivocally identified by the ending of the genitive singular (-ae, -i, -is, -ūs, -ei). The stem of the noun can be identified by the form of the genitive singular as well.
There are five declensions for Latin nouns:
Template:AnchorTemplate:Anchor First declension (a stems)Edit
Nouns of this declension usually end in -a in the nominative singular and are mostly feminine, e.g. Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('road') and Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('water'). There is a small class of masculine exceptions generally referring to occupations, e.g. Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('poet'), Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('farmer'), Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('auriga, charioteer'), Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('pirate') and Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('sailor').
The predominant letter in the ending forms of this declension is a. The nominative singular form consists of the stem and the ending -a, and the genitive singular form is the stem plus -ae.
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
Nominative, Vocative | -a | -ae |
Accusative | -am | -ās |
Genitive | -ae | -ārum |
Dative | -īs | |
Ablative | -ā | |
Locative | Gen. | Dat. |
Template:Wikt-lang table Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang poet Template:Abbr | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | mensa | mensae | poēta | poētae |
Accusative | mensam | mensās | poētam | poētās |
Genitive | mensaeTemplate:Efn-lr | mensārum | poētae | poētārum |
Dative | mensīs | poētīs | ||
Ablative | mensā | poētā |
Template:Notelist-lr The locative endings for the first declension are -ae (singular) and -īs (plural), similar to the genitive singular and ablative plural, as in Template:Wikt-lang 'in war' and Template:Wikt-lang 'at Athens'.<ref>Allen and Greenough. §43 c.</ref>
Template:Anchor First declension Greek nounsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
The first declension also includes three types of Greek loanwords, derived from Ancient Greek's alpha declension. They are declined irregularly in the singular, but sometimes treated as native Latin nouns, e.g. nominative Template:Wikt-lang ('athlete') instead of the original athlētēs. Archaic (Homeric) first declension Greek nouns and adjectives had been formed in exactly the same way as in Latin: nephelēgeréta Zeus ('Zeus the cloud-gatherer') had in classical Greek become nephelēgerétēs.
For full paradigm tables and more detailed information, see the Wiktionary appendix First declension.
Template:AnchorTemplate:Anchor Second declension (o stems)Edit
The second declension is a large group of nouns consisting of mostly masculine nouns like Template:Wikt-lang ('horse') and Template:Wikt-lang ('boy') and neuter nouns like Template:Wikt-lang ('fort'). There are several small groups of feminine exceptions, including names of gemstones, plants, trees, and some towns and cities.
In the nominative singular, most masculine nouns consist of the stem and the ending -us, although some end in -er, which is not necessarily attached to the complete stem. Neuter nouns generally have a nominative singular consisting of the stem and the ending -um. However, every second-declension noun has the ending -ī attached as a suffix to the root of the noun in the genitive singular form. The predominant letter in the ending forms of this declension is o.
Singular | Plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Masculine | Neuter | Masculine | Neuter | |
Nominative | -us | -um | -ī | -a |
Vocative | -e | |||
Accusative | -um | -ōs | ||
Genitive | -ī | -ōrum | ||
Dative, Ablative | -ō | -īs | ||
Locative | Gen. | Dat. |
Template:Wikt-lang master Template:Abbr | ||
---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | dominus | dominī |
Vocative | domine | |
Accusative | dominum | dominōs |
Genitive | dominī | dominōrum |
Dative, Ablative | dominō | dominīs |
Template:Wikt-lang war Template:Abbr | ||
---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative, Accusative | bellum | bella |
Genitive | bellī | bellōrum |
Locative | bellīs | |
Dative, Ablative | bellō |
The locative endings for the second declension are -ī (singular) and -īs (plural); Template:Wikt-lang "at Corinth", Template:Wikt-lang "at Milan", and Template:Wikt-lang "at Philippi".<ref>Allen and Greenough. §49 a.</ref>
Template:Anchor Second-declension -ius and -ium nounsEdit
Nouns ending in -ius and -ium have a genitive singular in -ī in earlier Latin, which was regularized to -iī in the later language. Masculine nouns in -ius have a vocative singular in -ī at all stages. These forms in -ī are stressed on the same syllable as the nominative singular, sometimes in violation of the usual Latin stress rule. For example, the genitive and vocative singular Vergilī (from Template:Wikt-lang) is pronounced Vergílī, with stress on the penult, even though it is short.<ref>Gildersleeve & Lodge §15, Allen & Greenough §12, §49c</ref> In Old Latin, however, the vocative was declined regularly, using -ie instead, e.g. fīlie "[O] son", archaic vocative of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.
There is no contraction of -iī(s) in plural forms and in the locative.
Template:Wikt-lang son Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang aid, help Template:Abbr | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | lang}} | {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} | {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} | {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} |
Vocative | lang}} | |||
Accusative | lang}} | lang}} | ||
Genitive | lang}} | lang}} | lang}} | lang}} |
Dative, Ablative | lang}} | lang}} | lang}} | lang}} |
In the older language, nouns ending with -vus, -quus and -vum take o rather than u in the nominative and accusative singular. For example, Template:Wikt-lang ('slave') could be servos, accusative servom.
Template:Anchor Second-declension -r nounsEdit
Some masculine nouns of the second declension end in -er or -ir in the nominative singular. The declension of these nouns is identical to that of the regular second declension, except for the lack of suffix in the nominative and vocative singular.
Some (but not all) nouns in -er drop the e in the genitive and other cases. For example, Template:Wikt-lang ('father-in-law') keeps its e. However, the noun Template:Wikt-lang ('(school)master') drops its e in the genitive singular.
For declension tables of second-declension nouns, see the corresponding Wiktionary appendix.
Template:Wikt-lang boy Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang field Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang man Template:Abbr | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative,Vocative | puer | puerī | ager | agrī | vir | virī |
Accusative | puerum | puerōs | agrum | agrōs | virum | virōs |
Genitive | puerī | puerōrum | agrī | agrōrum | virī | virōrum (virum) |
Dative, Ablative | puerō | puerīs | agrō | agrīs | virō | virīs |
The vocative puere is found but only in Plautus.<ref>Perseus database.</ref> The genitive plural virum is found in poetry.<ref>Gildersleeve & Lodge, Latin Grammar 3rd ed., p. 17.</ref>
Template:Anchor Second-declension Greek nounsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
The second declension contains two types of masculine Greek nouns and one form of neuter Greek noun. These nouns are irregular only in the singular, as are their first-declension counterparts. Greek nouns in the second declension are derived from the Omicron declension.
Some Greek nouns may also be declined as normal Latin nouns. For example, Template:Wikt-lang can appear as theātrum.
Template:Anchor Irregular formsEdit
DeusEdit
The inflection of Template:Wikt-lang ('god') is irregular. The vocative singular of deus is not attested in Classical Latin. In Ecclesiastical Latin the vocative of Deus ('God') is Deus.
In poetry, -um may substitute -ōrum as the genitive plural ending.
deus, deī god Template:Abbr | ||
---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | deus | deī diī dī |
Accusative | deum | deōs |
Genitive | deī | deōrum deum |
Dative, Ablative | deō | deīs diīs dīs |
VirusEdit
Three words, although second declension neuter, end in -us. These are {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "common people, crowd", {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "slime, poison", and (borrowed from Greek) {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} "sea".<ref>Ernout (1953), p. 34.</ref>
The word {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} means "1. slimy liquid, slime; 2. poison, venom", denoting the venom of a snake. This Latin word is probably related to the Greek Template:Wikt-lang (ios) meaning "venom" or "rust" and the Sanskrit word Template:Wikt-lang Template:Transliteration meaning "toxic, poison".<ref>Chambers' Etymological Dictionary Enlarged Edition 1931.</ref>
Since {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in antiquity denoted something uncountable, it was a mass noun. Mass nouns pluralize only under special circumstances, hence the non-existence of plural forms in the texts.<ref>June 1999 issue of ASM News by the American Society for Microbiology</ref>
In Neo-Latin, a plural form is necessary in order to express the modern concept of 'viruses', which leads to the following declension:<ref>Nuntii Latini: Finnish Broadcasting Company (Radiophonia Finnica Generalis). Archiv I. 19.5.2000 – 6.12.2002: "NOVUM VIRUS COMPUTATORIUM
Novum viri computatorii genus nomine Code Red in praesenti in Interreti grassatur, ut nuntiavit institutum SANS, cuius est securitati retis informatici providere. Code Red II, quod per cursum electronicum diffunditur, priore viro acerbius est et, postquam in servitoria penetravit, in systema lacunam facit. Ita fieri potest, ut alia vira eaque etiam periculosiora in machinas computatorias irrepant. Iam vermis Code Red I molestissimus fuit, cum biduo in trecenta milia computatrorum in omni orbe terrarum invasit."</ref><ref>Pons: virus</ref><ref>William T. Stearn: Botanical Latin. History, Grammar, Syntax, Terminology and Vocabulary. David & Charles, third edition, 1983. Quote: "Virus: virus (s.n. II), gen. sing. viri, nom. pl. vira, gen. pl. vīrorum (to be distinguished from virorum, of men)."</ref>
Template:Wikt-lang poison, venom, virus Template:Abbr | ||
---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative, Accusative | vīrus | vīra |
Genitive | vīrīTemplate:Efn-lr | vīrōrum |
Dative, Ablative | vīrō | vīrīs |
Template:Anchor Third declensionEdit
The third declension is the largest group of nouns. The nominative singular of these nouns may end in -a, -e, -ī, -ō, -y, -c, -l, -n, -r, -s, -t, or -x. This group of nouns includes masculine, neuter, and feminine nouns.
Consonant stemsEdit
The stem of a consonant-stem noun may be found from the genitive case by removing the ending -is. For example, the stem of Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr 'peace' is pāc-, the stem of Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr 'river' is flūmin-, and the stem of Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr 'flower' is flōr-.
Masculine, feminine and neuter nouns often have their own special nominative singular endings. For instance, many masculine nouns end in -or (Template:Wikt-lang, 'love'). Many feminine nouns end in -īx (Template:Wikt-lang, 'phoenix'), and many neuter nouns end in -us with an r stem in the oblique cases (Template:Wikt-lang 'burden'; Template:Wikt-lang 'time').
Masculine & feminine |
Neuter | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | (-s) | -ēs | —Template:Efn-lr | -a |
Accusative | -em | |||
Genitive | -is | -um | -is | -um |
Dative | -ī | -ibus | -ī | -ibus |
Ablative | -e | -e | ||
Locative | Dat./Abl. | Dat. | Dat./Abl. | Dat. |
Template:Wikt-lang leader Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang virtue Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang name Template:Abbr | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | dux | ducēs | virtūs | virtūtēs | nōmen | nōmina |
Accusative | ducem | virtūtem | ||||
Genitive | ducis | ducum | virtūtis | virtūtum | nōminis | nōminum |
Dative | ducī | ducibus | virtūtī | virtūtibus | nōminī | nōminibus |
Ablative | duce | virtūte | nōmine |
The locative endings for the third declension are -ī or -e (singular) and -ibus (plural), as in Template:Wikt-lang 'in the country' and Template:Wikt-lang 'at Tralles'.<ref>Allen and Greenough. §80.</ref>
Template:Anchor Third declension i-stem and mixed nounsEdit
The third declension also has a set of nouns that are declined differently. They are called i-stems. i-stems are broken into two subcategories: pure and mixed. Pure i-stems are indicated by special neuter endings. Mixed i-stems are indicated by the double consonant rule. Stems indicated by the parisyllabic rule are usually mixed, occasionally pure.
- Masculine and feminine
- Parisyllabic rule: Some masculine and feminine third-declension i-stem nouns have the same number of syllables in the genitive and the nominative. For example: Template:Wikt-lang ('ship'); Template:Wikt-lang ('cloud'). The nominative ends in -is or -ēs.
- Double consonant rule: The rest of the masculine and feminine third-declension i-stem nouns have two consonants before the -is in the genitive singular. For example: Template:Wikt-lang ('part').
- Neuter
- Special neuter ending: Neuter third-declension i-stems have no rule. However, all of them end in -al, -ar or -e. For example: Template:Wikt-lang ('animal'); Template:Wikt-lang ('spoon'); Template:Wikt-lang ('sea').
The mixed declension is distinguished from the consonant type only by having -ium in the genitive plural (and occasionally -īs in the accusative plural). The pure declension is characterized by having -ī in the ablative singular, -ium in the genitive plural, -ia in the nominative and accusative plural neuter, and -im in the accusative singular masculine and feminine (however, adjectives have -em).
The accusative plural ending -īs is found in early Latin up to Virgil, but from the early empire onwards it was replaced by -ēs.<ref name=":0">Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 18.</ref>
The accusative singular ending -im is found only in a few words: always in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'cough', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'thirst', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'River Tiber'; usually in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'axe', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'tower', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'poop', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'fever'; occasionally in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'ship'. Most nouns, however, have accusative singular -em.<ref>Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 27.</ref> The ending -im is not found in any adjectives, even those that have a separate feminine such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'swift' or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'keen',<ref>Ernout, A. (1953), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, p. 50.</ref> or in any masculine common nouns.
The ablative singular -ī is found in nouns which have -im, and also, optionally, in some other nouns, e.g. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'in the fire'.
There are two mixed-declension neuter nouns: Template:Wikt-lang ('heart') and Template:Wikt-lang ('bone'). The mixed declension is also used in the plural-only adjective Template:Wikt-lang ('most').
Masculine & Feminine |
Neuter | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | — | -ēs | — | -ia |
Accusative | -em -im |
-ēs -īs | ||
Genitive | -is | -ium | -is | -ium |
Dative | -ī | -ibus | -ī | -ibus |
Ablative | -e -ī | |||
Locative | Dat./Abl. | Dat. | Dat./Abl. | Dat. |
Masculine & Feminine |
Neuter | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | — | -ēs | — | -a |
Accusative | -em | -ēs -īs | ||
Genitive | -is | -ium | -is | -ium |
Dative | -ī | -ibus | -ī | -ibus |
Ablative | -e | -e | ||
Locative | Dat./Abl. | Dat. | Dat./Abl. | Dat. |
Template:Wikt-lang tower Template:Abbr (pure) |
Template:Wikt-lang part, piece Template:Abbr (mixed) |
Template:Wikt-lang animal, living being Template:Abbr (pure) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parisyllabic rule | Double consonant rule | Special neuter ending | ||||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | turris | turrēs | pars | partēs | animal | animālia |
Accusative | turrem turrim |
turrēs turrīs |
partem | partēs partīs | ||
Genitive | turris | turrium | partis | partium | animālis | animālium |
Dative | turrī | turribus | partī | partibus | animālī | animālibus |
Ablative | turre turrī |
parte (partī) |
The rules for determining i-stems from non-i-stems and mixed i-stems are guidelines rather than rules: many words that might be expected to be i-stems according to the parisyllabic rule actually are not, such as Template:Wikt-lang ('dog') or Template:Wikt-lang ('youth'), which have genitive plural {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'of dogs' and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'of young men'. Likewise, Template:Wikt-lang ('father'), Template:Wikt-lang ('mother'), Template:Wikt-lang ('brother'), and Template:Wikt-lang ('parent') violate the double-consonant rule. This fluidity even in Roman times resulted in much more uncertainty in Medieval Latin.
Some nouns in -tāt-, such as Template:Wikt-lang 'city, community' can have either consonant-stem or i-stem genitive plural: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'of the cities'.<ref name=":0"/>
PeculiaritiesEdit
In the third declension, there are four irregular nouns.
Case | Template:Wikt-lang force, power Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang swine, pig, hog Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang ox, bullock Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang Jupiter Template:Abbr | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | |
Nominative, Vocative | vīs | vīrēs | sūs | suēs | bōsTemplate:Efn-lr | bovēs | Iuppiter IūpiterTemplate:Efn-lr |
Accusative | vim | vīrēs vīrīs |
suem | bovem | Iovem | ||
Genitive | vīsTemplate:Efn-lr | vīrium | suis | suum | bovis | boum bovum |
Iovis |
Dative | vīTemplate:Efn-lr | vīribus | suī | suibus sūbus |
bovī | bōbus būbusTemplate:Efn-lr |
Iovī |
Ablative | sue | bove | Iove |
Template:AnchorTemplate:Anchor Fourth declension (u stems)Edit
The fourth declension is a group of nouns consisting of mostly masculine words such as Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('wave') and Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('port') with a few feminine exceptions, including Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('hand') and Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('house'). The fourth declension also includes several neuter nouns including Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('knee'). Each noun has the ending -ūs as a suffix attached to the root of the noun in the genitive singular form. The predominant letter in the ending forms of this declension is u, but the declension is otherwise very similar to the third-declension i stems.
-us ending nouns | -ū ending nouns | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | -us | -ūs | -ū | -ua |
Accusative | -um | |||
Genitive | -ūs | -uum | -ūs | -uum |
Dative | -uī | -ibus -ubusTemplate:Efn-lr |
-ū | -ibus |
Ablative | -ū | |||
Locative | -ī | Dat. | -ī | Dat. |
Template:Wikt-lang port Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang knee Template:Abbr | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | portus | portūs | genū | genua |
Accusative | portum | |||
Genitive | portūs | portuum | genūs | genuum |
Dative | portuī | portibus | genū | genibus |
Ablative | portū |
- In the genitive singular, cornūs may in later times be replaced by cornū.
- The locative endings for the fourth declension are -ī (singular) and -ibus (plural); Template:Wikt-lang "at [the] senate", Template:Wikt-lang "at home".
DomusEdit
Template:Wikt-lang ('house, dwelling, building, home, native place, family, household, race') is an irregular noun, mixing fourth and second declension nouns at the same time (especially in literature). However, in practice, it is generally declined as a regular -us stem fourth declension noun, except for ablative singular -ō, accusative plural -ōs, and the use of the locative.<ref>The Fourth Declension – tutorial by Ben Johnson of LatinTutorial</ref>
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr | ||
---|---|---|
All possible declensions | ||
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | domus | domūs |
Accusative | domum | domōs |
domūs | ||
Genitive | domūs | domuum |
domī | domōrum | |
Dative | domuī | domibus |
domō | ||
domō | ||
Ablative | ||
domū | ||
Locative | domī |
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr | ||
---|---|---|
Most common paradigm | ||
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | domus | domūs |
Accusative | domum | domōs |
Genitive | domūs | domuum |
Dative | domuī | domibus |
Ablative | domō | |
Locative | domī |
Template:AnchorTemplate:Anchor Fifth declension (e stems)Edit
The fifth declension is a small group of nouns consisting of mostly feminine nouns like Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('affair, matter, thing') and diēs, diēī Template:Abbr ('day'; but Template:Abbr in names of days).
-iēs ending nouns | -ēs ending nouns | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | -iēs | -iēs | -ēs | -ēs |
Accusative | -iem | -em | ||
Genitive | -iēī | -iērum | -eī | -ērum |
Dative | -iēbus | -ēbus | ||
Ablative, Locative | -iē | -ē |
Template:Wikt-lang day Template:Abbr, Template:Abbr |
Template:Wikt-lang thing Template:Abbr | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative, Vocative | diēs | diēs | rēs | rēs |
Accusative | diem | rem | ||
Genitive | diēī | diērum | reī | rērum |
Dative | diēbus | rēbus | ||
Ablative, Locative | diē | rē |
Nouns ending in -iēs have long ēī in the dative and genitive, while nouns ending in a consonant + -ēs usually have short eī in these cases. Other forms of the genitive singular are also found, such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Aeneid 1.636), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Georgic 1.208), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Ennius).<ref>Ernout (1953), p. 69.</ref>
The locative ending of the fifth declension was -ē (singular only), identical to the ablative singular, as in Template:Wikt-lang ('today').
PronounsEdit
Personal pronounsEdit
The first and second persons are irregular, and both pronouns are indeclinable for gender; and the third person reflexive pronoun sē, suī always refers back to the subject, regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.
First Person | Second Person | Third Person | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang I, we |
Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang you |
Template:Wikt-lang himself, herself, itself, oneself, themselves | ||||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Vocative | — | tū | vōs | — | ||
Nominative | ego egō |
nōs | ||||
Accusative | mē | tē | sē sēsē | |||
Genitive complements |
meī | nostrī | tuī | vestrī | suī | |
Genitive partitive | — | nostrum | — | vestrum | — | |
Dative | mihi mihī |
nōbīs | tibi tibī |
vōbīs | sibi sibī | |
Ablative | mē | tē | sē sēsē |
The genitive forms Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang are used as complements in certain grammatical constructions, whereas Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang are used with a partitive meaning ('[one] of us', '[one] of you'). To express possession, the possessive pronouns (essentially adjectives) Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang are used, declined in the first and second declensions to agree in number and case with the thing possessed, e.g. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'my father', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'my mother'. The vocative singular masculine of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'my dear Atticus'.<ref>Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum 6.1.20 etc.</ref>
Possessive pronouns' declensionsEdit
Template:Wikt-lang my, mine | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | meus | mea | meum | meī | meae | mea |
Vocative | mī
(& meus) | |||||
Accusative | meum | meam | meōs | meās | ||
Genitive | meī | meae | meī | meōrum | meārum | meōrum |
Dative | meō | meō | meīs | |||
Ablative | meā |
Template:Wikt-lang your, yours (for singular possessor) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | tuus | tua | tuum | tuī | tuae | tua |
Accusative | tuum | tuam | tuōs | tuās | ||
Genitive | tuī | tuae | tuī | tuōrum | tuārum | tuōrum |
Dative | tuō | tuō | tuīs | |||
Ablative | tuā |
Template:Wikt-lang his, her, its, theirs (reflexive) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | suus | sua | suum | suī | suae | sua |
Vocative | ||||||
Accusative | suum | suam | suōs | suās | ||
Genitive | suī | suae | suī | suōrum | suārum | suōrum |
Dative | suō | suō | suīs | |||
Ablative | suā |
Template:Wikt-lang our, ours | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | noster | nostra | nostrum | nostrī | nostrae | nostra |
Accusative | nostrum | nostram | nostrōs | nostrās | ||
Genitive | nostrī | nostrae | nostrī | nostrōrum | nostrārum | nostrōrum |
Dative | nostrō | nostrō | nostrīs | |||
Ablative | nostrā |
The possessive adjective {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} has an archaic variant, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; similar to {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. Vocative of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is usually {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and rarely {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} also, like the nominative.
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Wikt-lang your, yours (for plural possessor) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | vester voster |
vestra vostra |
vestrum vostrum |
vestrī vostrī |
vestrae vostrae |
vestra vostra |
Accusative | vestrum vostrum |
vestram vostram |
vestrōs vostrōs |
vestrās vostrās | ||
Genitive | vestrī vostrī |
vestrae vostrae |
vestrī vostrī |
vestrōrum vostrōrum |
vestrārum vostrārum |
vestrōrum vostrōrum |
Dative | vestrō vostrō |
vestrō vostrō |
vestrīs vostrīs | |||
Ablative | vestrā vostrā |
Usually, to show the ablative of accompaniment, Template:Wikt-lang would be added to the ablative form. However, with personal pronouns (first and second person), the reflexive and the interrogative, -cum is added onto the end of the ablative form. That is: Template:Wikt-lang 'with me', Template:Wikt-lang 'with us', Template:Wikt-lang 'with you', Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang and Template:Wikt-lang (sometimes Template:Wikt-lang).
Pronouns have also an emphatic form bi using the suffix -met (Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang/Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang), used in all cases, except by the genitive plural forms.
In accusative case, the forms mēmē and tētē exist as emphatic, but they are not widely used.
Template:Wikt-lang has a possessive adjective: Template:Wikt-lang, meaning 'his/her/its/their own':
- {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Cicero)<ref>Cicero, Pro Rabirio Postumo 4</ref>
- "He had never seen his [own] father."
When 'his' or 'her' refers to someone else, not the subject, the genitive pronoun {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (as well as eōrum and eārum) 'of him' is used instead of suus:
- {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Cicero)<ref>Cicero, Pro Milone 29</ref>
- "He met Clodius in front of the latter's farm."
Despite its resemblance to the possessive adjectives {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} does not decline in agreement with the noun it refers to, in the way that an adjective would. For instance, "his father" in the accusative is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (literally, "father of him"), not {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} *eium, in contrast with the reflexive formation {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("his [own] father").
When one sentence is embedded inside another with a different subject, sē and suus can refer to either subject:
- {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Nepos)<ref>Cornelius Nepos, Hannibal 12.2</ref>
- "The senators ... sent ambassadors to Bithynia, who were to ask the king not to keep their greatest enemy with him but hand him over to them."
For the third-person pronoun Template:Wikt-lang 'he', see below.
Demonstrative pronouns and adjectivesEdit
Relative, demonstrative and indefinite pronouns are generally declined like first and second declension adjectives, with the following differences:
- the nominatives are often irregular
- the genitive singular ends in -īus rather than -ae or -ī.
- the dative singular ends in -ī: rather than -ae or -ō.
These differences characterize the pronominal declension, and a few special adjectives (Template:Wikt-lang 'whole', Template:Wikt-lang 'alone', Template:Wikt-lang 'one', Template:Wikt-lang 'no', Template:Wikt-lang 'another', Template:Wikt-lang 'another [of two]', etc.) are also declined according to this pattern.
All demonstrative, relative, and indefinite pronouns in Latin can also be used adjectivally, with some small differences; for example in the interrogative pronoun, Template:Wikt-lang 'who?' and Template:Wikt-lang 'what?' are usually used for the pronominal form, Template:Wikt-lang and Template:Wikt-lang 'which?' for the adjectival form.
Third person pronounEdit
The weak demonstrative pronoun Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang 'that' also serves as the third person pronoun 'he, she, it':
Third person | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang he, she, it | ||||||
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | is | ea | id | eī iī |
eae | ea |
Accusative | eum | eam | eōs | eās | ||
Genitive | eius | eōrum | eārum | eōrum | ||
Dative | eī | eīs iīs | ||||
Ablative | eō | eā | eō |
This pronoun is also often used adjectivally, e.g. is homo 'that man', ea pecunia 'that money'. It has no possessive adjective; the genitive is used instead: pater eius 'his/her father'; pater eōrum 'their father'.
Declension of īdemEdit
The pronoun or pronominal adjective Template:Wikt-lang means 'the same'. It is derived from is with the suffix -dem. However, some forms have been assimilated.
Template:Wikt-lang the same, same as | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | īdem | eadem | idem | eīdem īdem iīdem |
eaedem | eadem |
Accusative | eundem | eandem | eōsdem | eāsdem | ||
Genitive | eiusdem | eōrundem | eārundem | eōrundem | ||
Dative | eīdem | eīsdem īsdem iīsdem | ||||
Ablative | eōdem | eādem | eōdem |
Other demonstrative pronounsEdit
Template:Wikt-lang this, this one (proximal) |
Template:Wikt-lang that, that one (distal) |
Template:Wikt-lang that of yours (medial) | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |||||||||||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | hic | haec | hoc | hī | hae | haec | ille | illa | illud | illī | illae | illa | iste | ista | istud | istī | istae | ista |
Accusative | hunc | hanc | hōs | hās | illum | illam | illōs | illās | istum | istam | istōs | istās | ||||||
Genitive | huiusTemplate:Efn-lr | hōrum | hārum | hōrum | illīus | illōrum | illārum | illōrum | istīus | istōrum | istārum | istōrum | ||||||
Dative | huic | hīs | illī | illīs | istī | istīs | ||||||||||||
Ablative | hōc | hāc | hōc | illō | illā | illō | istō | istā | istō |
Template:Notelist-lr Similar in declension is Template:Wikt-lang 'another'.
Intensive pronounEdit
Template:Wikt-lang himself, herself, itself | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | ipse | ipsa | ipsum | ipsī | ipsae | ipsa |
Accusative | ipsum | ipsam | ipsōs | ipsās | ||
Genitive | ipsīus | ipsōrum | ipsārum | ipsōrum | ||
Dative | ipsī | ipsīs | ||||
Ablative | ipsō | ipsā | ipsō |
Interrogative pronounsEdit
The interrogative pronouns are used strictly for asking questions. They are distinct from the relative pronoun and the interrogative adjective (which is declined like the relative pronoun). Interrogative pronouns rarely occur in the plural. The plural interrogative pronouns are the same as the plural relative pronouns.
Template:Wikt-lang who?, what? | ||
---|---|---|
Masculine & Feminine |
Neuter | |
Nominative | quis? | quid? |
Accusative | quem? | |
Genitive | cuius?Template:Efn-lr | |
Dative | cui? | |
Ablative | quō? |
Relative pronounsEdit
Template:Wikt-lang who, which, that | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | quī | quae | quod | quī | quae | quae |
Accusative | quem | quam | quōs | quās | ||
Genitive | cuiusTemplate:Efn-lr | quōrum | quārum | quōrum | ||
Dative | cui | quibus | ||||
Ablative | quō | quā | quō |
AdjectivesEdit
First- and second-declension adjectivesEdit
First- and second-declension adjectives are inflected in the masculine, the feminine and the neuter; the masculine form typically ends in -us (although some end in -er, see below), the feminine form ends in -a, and the neuter form ends in -um. Therefore, some adjectives are given like Template:Wikt-lang.
Adjectives ending -ius use the vocative -ie (ēbrie, "[O] drunk man", vocative of ēbrius), just as in Old Latin all -ius nouns did (fīlie, "[O] son", archaic vocative of fīlius).
Template:Wikt-lang high, long, tall | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | altus | alta | altum | altī | altae | alta |
Vocative | alte | |||||
Accusative | altum | altam | altōs | altās | ||
Genitive | altī | altae | altī | altōrum | altārum | altōrum |
Dative | altō | altō | altīs | |||
Ablative | altā |
First- and second-declension -r adjectivesEdit
Some first- and second-declension adjectives' masculine forms end in -er. As with second-declension -r nouns, some adjectives retain the e throughout inflection, and some omit it. Template:Wikt-lang omits its e while Template:Wikt-lang keeps it.
Template:Wikt-lang sad, poor, unhappy | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | miser | misera | miserum | miserī | miserae | misera |
Vocative | ||||||
Accusative | miserum | miseram | miserōs | miserās | ||
Genitive | miserī | miserae | miserī | miserōrum | miserārum | miserōrum |
Dative | miserō | miserō | miserīs | |||
Ablative | miserā |
Template:Wikt-lang sacred, holy | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | sacer | sacra | sacrum | sacrī | sacrae | sacra |
Vocative | ||||||
Accusative | sacrum | sacram | sacrōs | sacrās | ||
Genitive | sacrī | sacrae | sacrī | sacrōrum | sacrārum | sacrōrum |
Dative | sacrō | sacrō | sacrīs | |||
Ablative | sacrā |
First and second declension pronominal adjectivesEdit
Nine first and second declension pronominal adjectives are irregular in the genitive and dative singular in all genders. They can be remembered by using the mnemonic acronym {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. They are:
- Template:Wikt-lang 'any';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'no, none';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'which [of two], either';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'sole, alone';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'neither';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'another' (the genitive singular alīus is often replaced by alterīus or by aliēnus 'of another');<ref>Gildersleeve & Lodge (1903), Gildersleeve's Latin Grammar, p. 39.</ref>
- Template:Wikt-lang 'one';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'whole';
- Template:Wikt-lang 'other [of two]'.
Template:Wikt-lang any | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | ūllus | ūlla | ūllum | ūllī | ūllae | ūlla |
Accusative | ūllum | ūllam | ūllōs | ūllās | ||
Genitive | ūllīus | ūllōrum | ūllārum | ūllōrum | ||
Dative | ūllī | ūllīs | ||||
Ablative | ūllō | ūllā | ūllō |
Third-declension adjectivesEdit
Third-declension adjectives are normally declined like third-declension i-stem nouns, except for the fact they usually have -ī rather than -e in the ablative singular (unlike i-stem nouns, in which only pure i-stems have -ī). Some adjectives, however, like the one-ending Template:Wikt-lang ('old, aged'), have -e in the ablative singular, -um in the genitive plural, and -a in the nominative and accusative neuter plural.
Third-declension adjectives with one endingEdit
These have a single nominative ending for all genders, although as usual the endings for the other cases vary. As with nouns, a genitive is given for the purpose of showing the inflection.
Template:Wikt-lang terrible, mean, cruel | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | atrōx | atrōx | atrōcēs | atrōcia |
Accusative | atrōcem | atrōcēs atrōcīs | ||
Genitive | atrōcis | atrōcium | ||
Dative, Ablative | atrōcī | atrōcibus |
Non-i-stem variantEdit
Template:Wikt-lang old, aged | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | vetus | vetus | veterēs | vetera |
Accusative | veterem | |||
Genitive | veteris | veterum | ||
Dative | veterī | veteribus | ||
Ablative | vetere |
Third-declension adjectives with two endingsEdit
Third-declension adjectives that have two endings have one form for the masculine and feminine, and a separate form for the neuter. The ending for the masculine and feminine is -is, and the ending for the neuter is -e. It is not necessary to give the genitive, as it is the same as the nominative masculine singular.
Template:Wikt-lang nimble, swift | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | agilis | agile | agilēs | agilia |
Accusative | agilem | agilēs agilīs | ||
Genitive | agilis | agilium | ||
Dative, Ablative | agilī | agilibus |
Third-declension adjectives with three endingsEdit
Third-declension adjectives with three endings have three separate nominative forms for all three genders. Like third and second declension -r nouns, the masculine ends in -er. The feminine ends in -ris, and the neuter ends in -re. The genitive is the same as the nominative feminine singular.
Template:Wikt-lang swift, rapid, brash | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | celer | celeris | celere | celerēs | celeria | |
Accusative | celerem | |||||
Genitive | celeris | celerium | ||||
Dative, Ablative | celerī | celeribus |
Template:Wikt-lang lively, jovial, animated | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | alacer | alacris | alacre | alacrēs | alacria | |
Accusative | alacrem | alacrēs alacrīs | ||||
Genitive | alacris | alacrium | ||||
Dative, Ablative | alacrī | alacribus |
Comparative and superlative forms of adjectivesEdit
As in English, adjectives have superlative and comparative forms. For regular first and second declension and third declension adjectives with one or two endings, the comparative is formed by adding -ior for the masculine and feminine, and -ius for the neuter to the stem. The genitives for both are formed by adding -iōris. Therefore, they are declined in the third declension, but they are not declined as i-stems. Superlatives are formed by adding -issimus, -issima, -issimum to the stem and are thus declined like first and second declension adjectives.
General pattern for comparativesEdit
Template:Wikt-lang higher, deeper (comparative of Template:Wikt-lang) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | altior | altius | altiōrēs | altiōra |
Accusative | altiōrem | |||
Genitive | altiōris | altiōrum | ||
Dative | altiōrī | altiōribus | ||
Ablative | altiōre |
Template:Wikt-lang highest, deepest (superlative of Template:Wikt-lang) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | altissimus | altissima | altissimum | altissimī | altissimae | altissima |
Vocative | altissime | |||||
Accusative | altissimum | altissimam | altissimōs | altissimās | ||
Genitive | altissimī | altissimae | altissimī | altissimōrum | altissimārum | altissimōrum |
Dative | altissimō | altissimō | altissimīs | |||
Ablative | altissimā |
Comparatives and superlatives with normal endingsEdit
Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('clear, bright, famous') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('cold, chilly') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('pugnacious') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('kind, benevolent') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('strong, robust') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('equal, even') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Comparatives and superlatives of -er adjectivesEdit
Adjectives (in the first and second as well as third declensions) that have masculine nominative singular forms ending in -er are slightly different. As with normal adjectives, the comparative is formed by adding -ior to the stem, but for the superlative, -rimus is added to the nominative masculine singular.
Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('pretty, beautiful') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('sacred, holy') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('delicate, tender') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('valliant, fierce') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('celebrated, famous') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('quick, fast') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Comparatives and superlatives of -lis adjectivesEdit
Some third declension adjectives with two endings in -lis in the masculine–feminine nominative singular have irregular superlative forms. The following are the only adjectives that do.
Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('easy') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('hard, difficult') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('similar, like) | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('unlike, dissimilar') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('slender, slim') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('low, humble') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Comparatives and superlatives of -eus/-ius adjectivesEdit
First and second declension adjectives that end in -eus or -ius are unusual in that they do not form the comparative and superlative by taking endings at all. Instead, Template:Wikt-lang ('more') and Template:Wikt-lang ('most'), the comparative and superlative degrees of Template:Wikt-lang ('much, greatly'), respectively, are used.
Many adjectives in -uus, except those in -quus or -guus, also follow this rule.
Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('suitable, fitting, proper') | magis idōneus | maximē idōneus |
Template:Wikt-lang ('solitary, lonely') | magis sōlitārius | maximē sōlitārius |
Template:Wikt-lang ('drunk') | magis ebrius | maximē ebrius |
Template:Wikt-lang ('meritorious') | magis meritōrius | maximē meritōrius |
Template:Wikt-lang ('grassy') | magis grāmineus | maximē grāmineus |
Template:Wikt-lang ('warlike, bellicose') | magis bellātōrius | maximē bellātōrius |
Template:Wikt-lang ('lofty, steep') | magis arduus | maximē arduus |
Irregular comparatives and superlativesEdit
As in most languages, Latin has adjectives that have irregular comparatives and superlatives.
Declension of numeralsEdit
There are several different kinds of numeral words in Latin: the two most common are cardinal numerals and ordinal numerals. There are also several more rare numerals, e.g., distributive numerals and adverbial numerals.
Cardinal numeralsEdit
All cardinal numerals are indeclinable, except Template:Wikt-lang ('one'), Template:Wikt-lang ('two'), Template:Wikt-lang ('three'), plural hundreds Template:Wikt-lang ('two hundred'), Template:Wikt-lang ('three hundred') etc., and Template:Wikt-lang ('thousand'), which have cases and genders like adjectives. Template:Wikt-lang is declined like a first- and second-declension pronoun with -īus or -ius in the genitive, and -ī in the dative. Template:Wikt-lang is declined irregularly, Template:Wikt-lang is declined like a third-declension plural adjective, -centī ('hundred') numerals decline like first- and second-declension adjectives, and Template:Wikt-lang is invariable in the singular and declined like a third-declension i-stem neuter noun in the plural:
The plural endings for ūnus are used with plūrālia tantum nouns, e. g. ūna castra (one [military] camp), ūnae scālae (one ladder).
Template:Wikt-lang one | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | ūnus | ūna | ūnum | ūnī | ūnae | ūna |
Vocative | ūne | |||||
Accusative | ūnum | ūnam | ūnōs | ūnās | ||
Genitive | ūnīus / ūnius | ūnōrum | ūnārum | ūnōrum | ||
Dative | ūnī | ūnīs | ||||
Ablative | ūnō | ūnā | ūnō |
The word Template:Wikt-lang ('both'), is declined like duo except that its o is long. Both declensions derive from the Indo-European dual number, otherwise defunct in Latin, rather than the plural.
Template:Wikt-lang two | |||
---|---|---|---|
Plural | |||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | duo | duae | duo |
Accusative | duō(s) | duās | |
Genitive | duōrum | duārum | duōrum |
Dative, Ablative | duōbus | duābus | duōbus |
Template:Wikt-lang both | |||
---|---|---|---|
Plural | |||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | ambō | ambae | ambō |
Accusative | ambō(s) | ambās | |
Genitive | ambōrum | ambārum | ambōrum |
Dative, Ablative | ambōbus | ambābus | ambōbus |
Template:Wikt-lang three | ||
---|---|---|
Plural | ||
Masculine, Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | trēs | tria |
Accusative | trēs / trīs | |
Genitive | trium | |
Dative, Ablative | tribus |
The numeral Template:Wikt-lang ('one hundred') is indeclinable, but all the other hundred numerals are declinable (Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang).
Template:Wikt-lang two hundred | |||
---|---|---|---|
Plural | |||
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative, Vocative | ducentī | ducentae | ducenta |
Accusative | ducentōs | ducentās | |
Genitive | ducentōrum | ducentārum | ducentōrum |
Dative, Ablative | ducentīs |
The word mīlle 'thousand' is a singular indeclinable adjective. However, its plural, mīlia, is a plural third-declension i-stem neuter noun. To write the phrase "four thousand horses" in Latin, the genitive is used: quattuor mīlia equōrum, literally, "four thousands of horses".
Template:Wikt-lang (one) thousand |
Template:Wikt-lang x thousand, thousands | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nominative, Vocative | mīlle | mīl(l)ia | -ia |
Accusative | |||
Genitive | mīl(l)ium | -ium | |
Dative, Ablative | mīl(l)ibus | -ibus |
The rest of the numbers are indeclinable whether used as adjectives or as nouns.
For further information on the different sets of Latin numerals, see Latin numerals (linguistics).
Adverbs and their comparatives and superlativesEdit
Adverbs are not declined. However, adverbs must be formed if one wants to make an adjective into an adverb.
Adverbs from first- and second-declension adjectivesEdit
First and second declension adjectives' adverbs are formed by adding -ē onto their stems.
Adjective | Adverb |
---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('clear, famous') | Template:Wikt-lang ('clearly, famously') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('strong, robust') | Template:Wikt-lang ('strongly, robustly') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('weak') | Template:Wikt-lang ('weakly') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('complete, firm') | Template:Wikt-lang ('completely, firmly') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('whole, fresh') | Template:Wikt-lang ('wholly, freshly') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('free') | Template:Wikt-lang ('freely') |
Adverbs from third declension adjectivesEdit
Typically, third declension adjectives' adverbs are formed by adding -iter to the stem. However, most third declension adjectives with one ending simply add -er to the stem.
Adjective | Adverb |
---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('prudent') | Template:Wikt-lang ('prudently') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('bold') | Template:Wikt-lang ('boldly') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('courageous, spirited') | Template:Wikt-lang ('courageously, spiritedly') |
Template:Wikt-lang ('wholesome') | Template:Wikt-lang ('wholesomely') |
Comparative and superlative of adverbsEdit
Adverbs' comparative forms are identical to the nominative neuter singular of the corresponding comparative adjective. Adverbs' superlative forms are simply formed by attaching the regular ending -ē to the corresponding superlative adjective. As with their corresponding adjectival forms, first and second declensions adjectives ending in -eus or -ius use Template:Wikt-lang and Template:Wikt-lang as opposed to distinct endings.
Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
---|---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang ('clearly, famously') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('completely, firmly') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('suitably, properly') | magis idōneē | maximē idōneē |
Template:Wikt-lang ('prudently') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Template:Wikt-lang ('wholesomely') | Template:Wikt-lang | Template:Wikt-lang |
Irregular adverbs and their comparative and superlative formsEdit
As with adjectives, there are irregular adverbs with peculiar comparative and superlative forms.
Peculiarities within declensionEdit
Irregularity in numberEdit
Some nouns are only used in the singular (singulare tantum) such as:
- materials, such as Template:Wikt-lang 'gold'
Some nouns are only used in the plural (plurale tantum), or when plural have a singular meaning such as:
- many festivals, such as Template:Wikt-lang 'Saturnalia'
- Template:Wikt-lang 'camp' and Template:Wikt-lang 'arms'; Template:Wikt-lang 'a letter' (cf. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'letter of the alphabet')
- a few geographical names are plural such as Template:Wikt-lang 'Thebes' (both the Greek and the Egyptian cities)
Indeclinable nounsEdit
Indeclinable nouns are nouns which only have one form in all cases (of the singular).
- Template:Wikt-lang ('divine law')
- Template:Wikt-lang ('likeness')
- Template:Wikt-lang ('morning')
- Template:Wikt-lang ('sin, abomination')
- Template:Wikt-lang ('(male or female) sex')
Heterogeneous nounsEdit
Heterogeneous nouns are nouns which vary in respect to gender.
- A few nouns in the second declension occur in both the neuter and masculine. However, their meanings remain the same.
- Some nouns are one gender in the singular, but become another gender in the plural. They may also change in meaning.
Singular | Plural |
---|---|
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('bath') | balneae Template:Abbr or balnea Template:Abbr ('bathhouse') |
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('feast, banquet') | epulae Template:Abbr ('feast, banquet') |
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('bridle, curb') | frēnī Template:Abbr ('bridle, curb') |
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('joke, jest') | ioca Template:Abbr or ioci Template:Abbr ('jokes, fun') |
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('place, location') | loca Template:Abbr ('region'); locī Template:Abbr ('places in books, arguments') |
Template:Wikt-lang Template:Abbr ('hoe, rake') | rāstrī Template:Abbr ('hoes, rakes') |
Plurals with alternative meaningsEdit
See alsoEdit
- Declension of Greek nouns in Latin
- Latin conjugation
- Latin mnemonics
- William Whitaker's Words
- Greek declension
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
- New Latin Grammar, an eBook, originally written by Charles Edwin Bennett, at the Project Gutenberg
- Interactive Latin Word Endings
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Ernout, A. (1953). {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. Klincksieck, Paris.
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