Historical Grammar
241. To decline a noun of the third declension correctly we must know whether or not it is an i-stem. Nouns with i-stems are
1. Masculines and feminines:
a. Nouns in -ēs and -īs with the same number of syllables in the genitive as in the nominative. Thus caedēs, caedis, is an i-stem, but mīles, mīlitis, is a consonant stem.
b. Nouns in -ns and -rs.
c. Nouns of one syllable in -s or -x preceded by a consonant.
2. Neuters in -e, -al, and -ar.
242. The declension of i-stems is nearly the same as that of consonant stems. Note the following differences:
a. Masculines and feminities have -ium in the genitive plural and -īs or -ēs in the accusative plural.
b. Neuters have -ī in the ablative singular, and an -i- in every form of the plural.
243. Masculine and Feminine I-Stems. Masculine and feminine i-stems are declined as follows:
| caedēs, f., slaughter | hostis, m., enemy | urbs, f., city | cliēns, m., retainer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stems | caedi- | hosti- | urbi- | clienti- | |
| Bases | caed- | host- | urb- | client- | |
| Singular | TERMINATIONS M. AND F. |
||||
| Nom. | caedēs | hostis | urbs | cliēns1 | -s, -is, or -ēs |
| Gen. | caedis | hostis | urbis | clientis | -is |
| Dat. | caedī | hostī | urbī | clientī | -ī |
| Acc. | caedem | hostem | urbem | clientem | -em (-im) |
| Abl. | caede | hoste | urbe | cliente | -e (-ī) |
| Plural | |||||
| Nom. | caedēs | hostēs | urbēs | clientēs | -ēs |
| Gen. | caedium | hostium | urbium | clientium | -ium |
| Dat. | caedibus | hostibus | urbibus | clientibus | -ibus |
| Acc. | caedīs, -ēs | hostīs, -ēs | urbīs, -ēs | clientīs, -ēs | -īs, -ēs |
| Abl. | caedibus | hostibus | urbibus | clientibus | -ibus |
1. avis, cīvis, fīnis, ignis, nāvis have the ablative singular in -ī or -e.
2. turris has accusative turrim and ablative turrī or turre.
244. Neuter I-Stems. Neuter i-stems are declined as follows:
| īnsigne, n., decoration | animal, n., animal | calcar, n., spur | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stems | īnsigni- | animāli- | calcāri- | |
| Bases | īnsign- | animāl- | calcār- | |
| Singular | TERMINATIONS | |||
| Nom. | īnsigne | animal | calcar | -e or— |
| Gen. | īnsignis | animālis | calcāris | -is |
| Dat. | īnsignī | animālī | calcārī | -ī |
| Acc. | īnsigne | animal | calcar | -e or— |
| Abl. | īnsignī | animālī | calcārī | -ī |
| Plural | ||||
| Nom. | īnsignia | animālia | calcāria | -ia |
| Gen. | īnsignium | animālium | calcārium | -ium |
| Dat. | īnsignibus | animālibus | calcāribus | -ibus |
| Acc. | īnsignia | animālia | calcāria | -ia |
| Abl. | īnsignibus | animālibus | calcāribus | -ibus |
1. Review § 74 and see how it applies to this declension.
2. The final -i- of the stem is usually dropped in the nominative. If not dropped, it is changed to -e.
3. A long vowel is shortened before final -l or -r. (Cf. § 12. 2.)
Historical Exercises & Reading
245. EXERCISES
First learn the special vocabulary, p. 292.
I. 1. Quam urbem vidēmus? Urbs quam vidētis est Rōma. 2. Cīvēs Rōmānī urbem suam turribus altīs et mūrīs longīs mūnīverant. 3. Ventī nāvīs longās prohibēbant fīnibus hostium adpropinquāre. 4. Imperātor a clientibus suīs calcāria aurī et alia īnsignia accēpit. 5. Mīlitēs Rōmānī cum hostibus bella saeva gessērunt et eōs caede
magnā superāvērunt. 6. Alia animālia terram, alia mare amant. 7. Nāvēs longae quae auxilium ad imperātōrem portābant ignī ab hostibus dēlētae sunt. 8. In eō marī avis multās vīdimus quae longē ā terrā volāverant. 9. Nōnne vīdistis nāvīs longās hostium et ignīs quibus urbs nostra vāstābātur? Certē, sed nec caedem cīvium nec fugam clientium vīdimus. 10. Avēs et alia animālia, ubi ignem vīdērunt, salūtem fugā petere celeriter incēpērunt. 11. Num. iūdex in peditum ōrdinibus stābat? Minimē, iūdex erat apud equitēs et equus eius īnsigne pulchrum gerēbat.
II. 1. Because of the lack of grain the animals of the village were not able to live. 2. When the general2 heard the rumor, he quickly sent a horseman to the village. 3. The horseman had a beautiful horse and wore spurs of gold. 4. He said to the citizens, “Send your retainers with horses and wagons to our camp, and you will receive an abundance of grain.” 5. With happy hearts they hastened to obey his words.3
LESSON XLIV
IRREGULAR NOUNS OF THE THIRD DECLENSION · GENDER IN THE THIRD DECLENSION
Loquentes Practice Reference
Our drill practices cīvis, urbs, and mare. D'Ooge models the masculine and feminine i-stems with caedēs, hostis, urbs, cliēns (§ 243) and the neuter i-stems with īnsigne, animal, calcar (§ 244); cīvis follows hostis and mare follows the neuter pattern of § 242 b.