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Latin Declension: Cases, Noun Classes, and Adjective Agreement

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Latin words can change their endings to show how they function in a sentence. This lesson introduces declension, grammatical cases, and the ways different cases can share the same form.

Declension is the set of patterns by which nouns, pronouns, and adjectives change form according to case, number, and gender. A word that changes in this way is said to be declined. Latin usually marks these differences by suffixation: attaching an ending to a word.

All flashcards

What is Latin declension?
The pattern by which nouns and related words change form according to case, number, and gender.
How do a noun’s principal parts help identify its declension?
The genitive singular ending identifies the declension and helps reveal the oblique stem.
What is an oblique stem?
The stem found by removing the genitive singular ending, used to form most other cases.
What is an i-stem in the third declension?
A noun with characteristic i-stem forms, such as genitive plural -ium.
How do Latin adjectives agree with nouns?
They match the noun in case, number, and gender, but need not share its declension.

Quiz questions

  1. Which genitive singular ending identifies a fourth-declension noun?Answer: -ūs
  2. What is the usual vocative singular form of the second-declension noun amīcus?Answer: amīce
  3. How is the stem of a regular third-declension consonant-stem noun found?Answer: Remove -is from its genitive singular.
  4. Which pair of endings is characteristic of pure third-declension i-stems?Answer: Genitive plural -ium and neuter plural -ia.
  5. Which statement about Latin cardinal numerals is accurate?Answer: Most are indeclinable, with exceptions such as ūnus, duo, and trēs.

Based on the Wikipedia article Latin declension, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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