1. Most nouns of the first declension are feminine. 2. The genitive and dative singular anciently ended in āi, which is occasionally found in a few words, as, aulai, of a hall. There is also an old genitive in ās, found in paterfamilias. 3. The genitive plural, especially of compounds with cola and gěna, signifying dwelling and descent, is sometimes contracted into ūm, as coelicŏlūm, of the heavenly ones. 4. The dative and ablative plural of dea, goddess, filia, daughter, and a few others, end in the old regular form ābés. 5. Some Greek nouns end in ās, ēs (masc.), and ē (fem.) in the nominative, and n in the accusative; those in e have the genitive in es: as, Aenēās, acc. Aenēăn, voc. Aenēā; Anchises, gen. Anchisae, acc. Anchisen, voc. Anchise; Pēnělõpē, Penelõpēs, Penelopēn; grammaticē or grammaticā, grammar. 10. SECOND DECLENSION. (0.) MOST nouns of the second declension ending in us (ŏs), ĕr, Ir, are masculine; those ending in ŭm (õn) are neuter. 1. Some Greek words end in Ŏs (M.) or on (N.); as, arctos, the Polar Bear; barbiton, lyre. The old form ŏs, ŏn, for us, um, after u or v, as in servos, and the gen. pl. ōn, are sometimes found. 2. Names of towns in us (os) are feminine: as, Corinthus. 3. The old form of the gen. sing. in īŭs (oius) and dative in i (oi) is found in a few adjectives (see § 16, 1). The locative singular ends in i: as, Corinthi, at Corinth. 4. The genitive of nouns in ius and ium is often written with a single i: as filī, of a son, ingĕ'nī, of genius. 5. Proper names in ius drop e in the vocative; as, Vergilius, voc. Vergi'li: also filius, son, and genius, divine guardian. 6. In the gen. plur. ōrum is often contracted into ūm or ōm. 7. Deus, God, has voc. deus; plural, n. v. dei, dii, or di; dat. abl. deis, diis, dīs. For the genitive plural, dīvum or divom is often used. 8. Nouns in er generally drop e in declining, as in ager, agri, field: but retain it in pŭěr, boy; gěněr, son-in-law; sŏcěr, father-in-law; vesper, evening; and a few others. 9. Vulgus, mob; pělăgés, sea; and vīrus, poison, are neuter. 11. THIRD DECLENSION. NOUNS of the third declension are classed according to their stems, whether ending in a Vowel, a Liquid, or a Mute Consonant. 1. A few nouns in ăl and ăr are properly neuters of adjectives in ālis, (omitting the final e), and belong to this class. They are declined like mare: as, ănămăl, ālis, pl. anim alia, living thing (from anima, breath); calcăr, āris, spur (from calx, heel). 2. The old forms of sing. acc. in îm, and abl. in ī, and of the plur. acc. in īs, are found in many words. In Adjectives of this form the nom. sing. Ĭs and abl. ī are always used. 3. Several names of towns, as Praeneste, Caere, and the mountain Soracte (N.), have the ablative ě. Sometimes, also, marě, sea, and rete, net. 4. A few nouns, as cănis, dog, jŭvěnis, youth, have the genitive plural in ūm. 5. Vis, force, has acc. vim, abl. vi, plur. vīrēs, vīrium, vīrībŭs. 6. Greek proper names in is have acc. im, and voc. I; as, Alexis, Alexim, Alexă. |