Lesson XL (40) 3rd declension nouns

Third Declension Nouns! Latin has 5 declensions of nouns. Declensions are groups of nouns which share the same endings.

3rd declension nouns Third declension is the largest declension of nouns. Third declension includes masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns (we’ll work with the neuter nouns later on). Both masculine and feminine 3rd declension nouns use the same chart.

3rd declension nouns Third declension nouns are identified by the –is ending in the genitive singular. pax, pacis (f.) lex, legis (f.) salus, salutis (f.) dux, ducis (m.)

Nominative Genitive Dative Accusative Ablative -es -is -um -i -ibus 3rd Declension Endings Singular Plural Nominative Genitive Dative Accusative Ablative --- -es -is -um -i -ibus -em -es -e -ibus

pacis – is = pac Noun Stem Dictionary entry of a noun: Step 1 – Find the noun stem The noun stem is found by dropping the genitive singular ending from the noun. Dictionary entry of a noun: pax, pacis, f. peace Nominative singular Genitive singular Gender Meaning pacis – is = pac Noun Stem

Nominative Genitive Dative Accusative Ablative pax, pacis (f.) pax pac Step 2: Add the case endings to the noun stem. pax, pacis (f.) Singular Plural Nominative Genitive Dative Accusative Ablative pax pac pac pac pac pac pac pac pac pac ibus ibus e es is em es i um

Nouns and Adjectives The adjectives you have learned thus far are called “1st/2nd declension adjectives” Therefore, they do not use 3rd declension endings! But what if you need to use an adjective to describe a 3rd declension noun?!?!

Nouns and Adjectives Remember our old abbreviation G-N-C? Nouns and adjectives agree in gender, number, and case. They DO NOT have to agree in declension! This means: sometimes nouns and adjectives have endings that AGREE but don’t MATCH.

Nouns and Adjectives Let’s say we want to decline the pair of words “a good law.” Lex, legis (f.)---law bonus, BONA, bonum---good So, a good law is a “lex bona” Let’s see what it looks like…

Lex Bona “a good law” Singular Plural Nom. lex bona leges bonae Gen. legis bonae legum bonarum Dat. legi bonae legibus bonis Acc. legem bonam leges bonas Abl. lege bona legibus bonis