Questions tagged [declension]
For questions about declension—the inflection of Latin nouns and adjectives to mark grammatical features such as case and number.
143
questions
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Both 'masculus' and 'vir' mean man/male: what's the difference?
In Latin, masculus means male.
Noun masculus m (genitive masculī); second declension
a male (of humans or other animals)
In Latin, vir also means male.
Noun vir m (genitive virī); second ...
- 83
3
votes
1
answer
90
views
Do fourth-declension neuter nouns end in -ŭ or -ū?
From this answer:
Note that the nominative neuter ending -u might have been pronounced either as -ŭ or -ū; it seems that we don't have any clear evidence either way for the quality of the vowel in ...
- 65.1k
3
votes
3
answers
177
views
How to identify the noun declension
I am just beginning to learn.
The issue I run into is that I learned that identifying the declension of a noun means I need to know the genitive. Well…if all I have is the noun as it is written, how ...
- 101
1
vote
1
answer
107
views
Is there an online tool for the declension of 3rd declension words?
I have a hard time remembering which words are attested with a -ium gentivie plural, which words can take an accusative in -im etc, so I was looking for an online tool to help me.
The Olivetti ...
user12055
10
votes
4
answers
955
views
Is any word attested in both vocative and locative?
Both the vocative and the locative are pretty rare cases, and not found in all kinds of words.
Is there any word that is attested in both cases in classical Latin?
I prefer the vocative to be distinct ...
- 111k
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are the cases in Latin always six?
In a book about linguistics I've read this sentence:
Each word has up to six different such 'cases', and each case has distinct endings for singular and plural.
Now I'm pretty sure that when I ...
- 143
3
votes
1
answer
194
views
What is the -ē form in “Latīnē loquor”?
To say you speak in Latin or in Greek, you say “Latīne” or “Graecē”. What is that -ē form? I cannot figure it out from any declension table I am aware of.
Does the same -ē ending work for any other ...
- 423
5
votes
1
answer
335
views
'Aurifer' or 'Auriferus'?
What is the masculine form of "Aurifera" ?
I supposed it was "auriferus":
Tibicen auriferus is like a goldish beetle.
http://www.masscic.org/sightings/cicadas/tibicen-auriferus-in-...
- 471
8
votes
4
answers
531
views
Do common nominative adjective endings also work with neuter nouns?
The -or ending for some first and second declension adjectives like maior and minor can be used with both masculine and feminine words. Can that ending also be used with neuter words or would another ...
- 8,430
5
votes
1
answer
134
views
Declension usage for the King on a diploma
In my PhD diploma, the first lines are the following:
D D
IMPERANTE AUGUSTISSIMO
CAROLO XVI GUSTAVO
SUECORUM REGE
DOMINO NOSTRO CLEMENTISSIMO
IUSSU FACULTATIS SCIENTARUM UPSALIENSIS
EGO
<name of &...
- 233
1
vote
2
answers
155
views
How would the Ancient Greek noun λόρδων decline, and is the LSJ's definition of it correct?
I'm very familiar with Latin declensions, and have the resources necessary for that, but I have found nothing for Ancient Greek that I am able to make use of, especially considering my lack of ...
Qaos
4
votes
1
answer
114
views
How are multiple, hyphenated, or compound adjectives declined [in botanical latin]?
I'm studying some old plant cultivar names. One of the rules for botanical latin is that if an epithet is a latin adjective, it has to agree with the gender of the genus. I'm not sure how to apply ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
145
views
Is the use of "copia verae" correct?
The sentence is:
Copia verae virtutis multas culpas superare poterat. It is from Wheelock's Latin by Frederic M. Wheelock, 6th edition, revised by Richard A. LaFleur. It is the number 5 sentence in ...
- 43
5
votes
2
answers
235
views
First Declension Singular, Gen or Dat?
I'm learning the first declension and I am confused on how the word "terrae" is used as a genitive but can be used as a dative. How do I translate if I am given just the word "terrae?&...
- 51
10
votes
1
answer
624
views
Why is "O felicem virum, beatum Ioseph" in the accusative case here?
This is one part of a prayer traditionally said before Mass, in honour of St. Joseph:
O felicem virum, beatum Ioseph, cui datum est Deum, quem multi reges voluerunt videre et non viderunt, audire et ...
- 101
-1
votes
2
answers
231
views
good books for latin noun declensions?
I am looking for a book which gives comprehensive noun declensions, any suggestions?
update: I may need 2 recommendations, one which just gives noun lists and enough info to unambiguously compute all ...
- 43
-1
votes
2
answers
156
views
plural of nouns, example: malum: mala or malums or both?
I am teaching myself Latin. Right now I study how to make plural of nouns. I have found some rules online, depending on the ending of a noun in a nominative singular form. The website says that most ...
- 23
9
votes
2
answers
454
views
What is the gender and singular declension of the scientific Latin suffix -idae?
The scientific suffix -idae is used to form names of subclasses of plants or families of animals, e.g. Bovidae. In scientific writing (in English and German), the resulting words are treated as plural ...
- 193
4
votes
1
answer
524
views
Why is there no case agreement between "magni" and "poetae"?
Shouldn't "magni" be "magnae" as it is modifying "poetae"?
Fīliae vestrae dē libris magnī poētae saepe cogitābant.
The quote is from Wheelock's Latin, chapter 6.
- 43
4
votes
1
answer
265
views
Feminine forms of adjectives in -ων: why ἀέκουσα, but not ἀπείρουσα, ἀμύμουσα?
The wiktionary entry for -ων says it's an ending cognate with stuff like Latin -ens, -iens, and gives the feminine as -ουσα. Therefore it makes sense that we get ἀέκων, ἀέκουσα. But then we have ...
user3597
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why does domus have masculine forms?
The word domus is normally a feminine, IVth declension noun and hence the adjectives that modify it are feminine.
However, sometimes domus appears to take masculine forms in some cases. For example, ...
- 6,534
4
votes
1
answer
183
views
What is wanting in Gildersleeve's declension charts?
In Gildersleeves Latin Grammar you can find declension charts with the word wanting inserted in 3 places
I
II
III
Nom. a.
us (os) ; wanting ; um (om).
s ; wanting.
Gen. ae (ās, āī, āi).
ī (ēī).
is ...
7
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is "victurus" a future participle of "vivo" and "vinco"?
I find this hard to believe, but these pages regarding vivo and vinco confirm this to be the case. This also seems to be confirmed on this website. I cannot link directly to the words vivo and vinco, ...
- 2,269
3
votes
1
answer
333
views
How to you convert a Latin word, such as voluntas, into a name, specifically a surname?
I've been wondering how to properly convert Latin words into names to signify the importance of certain concepts to a person, and met conflicting information online. My default assumption would be to ...
- 33
9
votes
2
answers
856
views
Is "Io" accusative case in "Iuppiter, rex deorum, pulchram Io amabat"?
In The Adventures of Io, a story found in Thirty-eight Latin Stories, Designed to Accompany Wheelock's Latin, the first sentence of the story is as follows:
Iuppiter, rēx deōrum, pulchram Iō amābat, ...
- 8,430
6
votes
1
answer
256
views
Why is it "Discipulus pulcher est" and not "Discipulus pulchrus est"?
I think its something with declension, but can't quite wrap my head around why it would be pulcher instead of pulchrus for that phrase.
- 377
12
votes
1
answer
422
views
Alternative methods of ordering declensions
Are there other ways to organize declensions other than the traditional numerical method? If so, what are the pro and cons of that system as compared to the standard system of the first declension, ...
- 8,430
4
votes
1
answer
195
views
How do you say "Forum Friends" in Latin?
In English, if you have people you are friends with from a forum (online or otherwise), you could call them "forum friends". How would you say this in Latin? Can you decline forum as a ...
- 8,430
5
votes
3
answers
651
views
Why is *dōna* the plural acc. Instead of *donos* like the rest of the 2nd declensions?
I am currently studying the declensions for nouns (currently on the 2nd one) and saw this difference.
amīcōs, fīliōs, agrōs
VS
dōna
- 1,779
4
votes
1
answer
633
views
Plural for Succubus and Incubus
Succubus & incubus don't show up in the Latin dictionaries I've searched. I'm wondering what the plurals would be. I did find succuba, 1st decl fem. Could it be that it didn't morph into a 2nd ...
- 43
1
vote
1
answer
133
views
Suffixes and different stem words in transversarium and transversus?
The difference between transversarium and transversus confuses me, this occurs with
processus (masculine) transversus
foramen (neutri) transversarium
where the endings, sus and sa-ri-um, are ...
- 171
12
votes
0
answers
226
views
Why is "porticus, porticūs" a feminine fourth-declension noun?
The fourth declension was one of the less common inflection pattern for Latin nouns, and the vast majority of fourth declension nouns are masculine nouns ending in the deverbal abstract noun suffix -...
- 27.3k
5
votes
1
answer
146
views
Are there ever separate number and case markers in Latin?
It seems to me that in Latin the case endings in singular and plural have very little in common.
For an example of singular–plural pairs: puella–puellae, puellam–puellas, puellae–puellarum, puellae–...
- 111k
8
votes
2
answers
554
views
Does an irregular word decline regularly if it is used as a proper name?
Does an irregular word decline regularly if it is used as a proper name? For example, imagine there is a dog name Rex (=King). We might have:
Vide Regem currentem.
See Rex run. However, since Rex is ...
- 6,534
5
votes
1
answer
181
views
How to decline Greek proper nouns ending in -ēs in Latin?
I was browsing the OLD today and then I noticed the following entry:
Stagīrītēs, Stagē- ~-ae m. A person who originates from Stagira in Macedonia.
Two examples are given there:
Aristotelem ~em Cic. Ac....
- 11.6k
5
votes
1
answer
427
views
Is unius an irregular genitive?
I notice that the genitive of unus can apparently be either the regular uni, or can also be unius.
Is this form, unius, just a completely irregular oddity, or is there some logical precedent for it? ...
- 6,534
6
votes
1
answer
498
views
What is the etymology of 'cuius' and is it different from 'quis'?
'cuius' (and 'cui') is an interesting word in that it stands out as different from the other terms in the declension of 'quis'.
It seems to be pronounced differently. 'quis' is /kwis/ but 'cuius' is /...
- 727
6
votes
2
answers
701
views
What is the difference between ἐκκλησίας and ἐκκλησίαν?
I know the root word is ἐκκλησία, but I don't understand the declensions.
- 193
4
votes
2
answers
622
views
In "fortis fortuna adiuvat" is "fortis" accusative plural?
Fortis fortuna adiuvat, is fortis accusative plural here?
Fortis has different forms for the same conjugation as I see at Wiktionary, and I couldn't find which forms adiuvare takes as an exhaustive ...
- 295
4
votes
1
answer
131
views
Deponent verb participle gender
If we consider a deponent verb such as arbitrārī in the perfect tense, hence arbitrātus sum/es/est, is the participle arbitrātus supposed to be declined like a regular adjective? For example if one ...
- 177
13
votes
1
answer
643
views
Why are so many Latin men's names (cognomina) in the usually-feminine first declension?
The first declension, with the -a ending, is usually feminine.
Why are so many men's names (cognomina), however, in the first declension -- Seneca, Cinna, Aggrippa, Sulla, and more? This is far out of ...
- 545
1
vote
1
answer
71
views
Carpe sciurum (sieze/harvest the squirrel?)
Would 'carpe sciurum' be a functional translation of 'seize the squirrel'?
(As in to 'harvest' or 'pluck' the squirrel?)
- 13
6
votes
1
answer
120
views
Nepos' Themistocles: ut ingratis omnes ad depugnandum cogerentur?
I am reading the biography of Themistocles by Cornelius Nepos. He recounts the story of how Themistocles used a deceit to bring about the naval engagement that went down in history as the famous ...
3
votes
3
answers
540
views
What case does 'plus' take?
I don't have any information about what case to use with 'plus' (or 'magis'). In dictionaries usually only prepositions take some case, and it is showed in parentheses.
In my language, 'more' takes ...
- 329
9
votes
1
answer
469
views
How did the fourth declension neuter dative singular become different from the non-neuter ending?
Usually, when a neuter case ending is different from the non-neuter ending in the same declension, the difference is in the nominative or accusative case (e.g. -us and -um in the second declension ...
- 191
5
votes
1
answer
139
views
Where does the -τ- come from in the oblique stem of some Greek neuter nouns with nom/acc sing forms in -ς?
I just learned that some Greek neuter nouns of the third declension with a nominative/accusative singular form ending in -ς have oblique stems in -τ-, which surprised me.
I expected τ-stem neuter ...
- 27.3k
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Sentence which includes an example of each case
I'm looking for a sentence which includes the usage of each case of Latin. For example, a student could mark each word in the sentence to indicate its case and function for ease of learning.
Extreme ...
- 8,430
15
votes
4
answers
8k
views
Meaning of "dies illa" from Dies Irae
The first verse from "Dies Irae" goes like
Dies irae, dies illa
I'm trying to understand what "illa" is referring to.
According to the declension table for pronouns, "illa" corresponds either to ...
- 599
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How should one latinize this name?
A friend of mine, whose name is Raoni (he's brazilian, his name comes from a native root, also the tonic vowel is the very last [i]), started learning latin and I've been studying for a while. I ...
- 559
17
votes
1
answer
749
views
What are the relative frequencies of cases in Latin?
Latin has seven cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, ablative, vocative, locative.
What are their relative frequencies in classical Latin?
I suppose an answer would have to be based on ...
- 111k