Latin Nouns - Declensions - Stjohns

Wheelock Caput II
Latin Nouns
Part I: The Elements of a Noun
When you are given a Latin Noun, you are given
four pieces of information that together define the
noun. These identifying elements are:
1. Nominative Singular
2. Genitive Singular or Genitive Singular Ending
3. Gender
4. Meaning in English
These four elements together tell us how to use any
given noun.
Latin Nouns
Parts of a Noun:
Example:
Puella,
Nom. S.
-ae
Gen. S.
(f)
Gender
Girl
Meaning
Latin Nouns
Parts of a Noun:
NB: Gender
Gender is simply an attribute of a noun and must
be learned and memorized along with the other
elements.
As a general rule:
1st Declension nouns are feminine, but there are
masculine exceptions.
Latin Nouns
Part II: Using Nouns
In order to use a noun correctly in
Latin, you must know how that noun
forms the different case endings.
The DECLENSION a noun belongs
to tells us how it forms the endings.
Latin Nouns
Part II: Using Nouns
Step 1: Identify the Declension
To identify the declension of a Latin
noun, you must first look at the genitive
singular, the second element given with
a noun. The Genitive singular will tell
you which Declensional pattern that
noun follows.
Latin Nouns
Part II: Using Nouns
Step 1: Identify the Declension
Here is the rule for identifying the
Declensions:
Genitive S. –ae = 1st Declension
Latin Nouns
If you’re still not sure which Declension the
noun is from, go to your noun chart and
move to the right along the row marked
“Genitive Singular”.
When you find the form of the Genitive
singular that matches the Genitive
singular of the noun you’ve been given,
trace the column up to find the
Declension.
Latin Nouns
Part II: Using Nouns
NB: For the 2nd Declension, you will have to
know the gender as well as the Genitive
singular in order to choose the right
column.
The Rule on the Gender of the 2nd Declension
is:
Nom. S. –us/-r = Masculine
Nom. S. –um
= Neuter
Latin Nouns
Part II: Using Nouns
NB: There is no easy way to know
whether a noun is masculine, feminine,
or neuter by looking at the Nominative
and Genitive singular. For this reason,
THE GENDER MUST ALWAYS BE
MEMORIZED ALONG WITH THE
OTHER ELEMENTS OF A NOUN.
Latin Nouns
Part II: Using Nouns
Once you’ve identified the Declension, you go
to your noun ending chart and find the
column for that Declension.
Once you have the correct column,
remember that
THE WORD WILL NEVER HAVE AN
ENDING THAT IS NOT IN THAT COLUMN.
IT STAYS LOCKED IN.
Case Usage
The Cases:
ž Nominative:
Subject (a, an, the)
ž Genitive:
Possession (of)
ž Dative:
Indirect Object (to/for)
ž Accusative: Direct Object (a, an, the)
ž Ablative:
Object of Prepositions (by/with)
ž Vocative:
Direct Address (Oh,
!)
The Declension Endings
1st
Sing
Nom
Gen
Dat
Acc
Abl
Voc
-a
- ae
- ae
- am
-ā
-a
Pl
Nom
Gen
Dat
Acc
Abl
Voc
- ae
- ārum
- īs
- ās
- īs
- ae
Latin Nouns
Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the
Noun
Once you have identified the
Declension of a noun, you have the
endings we add to that noun to put it into
the various cases. The next step is
correctly adding the case endings to the
noun.
Latin Nouns
Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the
Noun
Case endings are added to what we call
the NOUN STEM.
The Noun Stem is distinct and different
from the Nominative Singular.
You form the Noun Stem by dropping the
ending from the Genitive Singular of a
noun.
Latin Nouns
Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the
Noun
Examples:
Puella, Puellae à Drop Genitive à PuellNoun
Stem
Puer, Pueri
à Drop Genitive à
PuerNoun
Stem
Latin Nouns
Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the Noun
NB: The noun stem is used in all cases except
the Nominative Singular. The Nominative
Singular may be based on a form that is not
the same as the noun stem.
You do NOT change the nominative singular to
make it match the Noun Stem and you never
add anything to the Nominative Singular.
You use the Noun Stem from the Genitive
Singular on down the chart.