Wheelock Caput II

Latin Nouns Part I: The Elements of a Noun

When you are given a Latin Noun, you are given four pieces of information that together define the noun. These identifying elements are:

1. Nominative Singular

2. Genitive Singular or Genitive Singular Ending

3. Gender

4. Meaning in English

These four elements together tell us how to use any given noun.

Latin Nouns

Parts of a Noun: Example: Puella, -ae (f) Girl Nom. S. Gen. S. Gender Meaning

Latin Nouns Parts of a Noun: NB: Gender Gender is simply an attribute of a noun and must

be learned and memorized along with the other elements.

As a general rule: 1st Declension nouns are feminine, but there are

masculine exceptions.

Latin Nouns

Part II: Using Nouns

In order to use a noun correctly in Latin, you must know how that noun forms the different case endings.

The DECLENSION a noun belongs to tells us how it forms the endings.

Latin Nouns

Part II: Using Nouns Step 1: Identify the Declension To identify the declension of a Latin noun, you must first look at the genitive singular, the second element given with a noun. The Genitive singular will tell you which Declensional pattern that noun follows.

Latin Nouns

Part II: Using Nouns Step 1: Identify the Declension Here is the rule for identifying the Declensions:

Genitive S. –ae = 1st Declension

Latin Nouns If you’re still not sure which Declension the

noun is from, go to your noun chart and move to the right along the row marked “Genitive Singular”.

When you find the form of the Genitive

singular that matches the Genitive singular of the noun you’ve been given, trace the column up to find the Declension.

Latin Nouns Part II: Using Nouns NB: For the 2nd Declension, you will have to

know the gender as well as the Genitive singular in order to choose the right column.

The Rule on the Gender of the 2nd Declension is:

Nom. S. –us/-r = Masculine Nom. S. –um = Neuter

Latin Nouns Part II: Using Nouns NB: There is no easy way to know

whether a noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter by looking at the Nominative and Genitive singular. For this reason,

THE GENDER MUST ALWAYS BE MEMORIZED ALONG WITH THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF A NOUN.

Latin Nouns

Part II: Using Nouns Once you’ve identified the Declension, you go

to your noun ending chart and find the column for that Declension.

Once you have the correct column, remember that

THE WORD WILL NEVER HAVE AN ENDING THAT IS NOT IN THAT COLUMN. IT STAYS LOCKED IN.

Case Usage

The Cases:

� Nominative: Subject (a, an, the) � Genitive: Possession (of)

� Dative: Indirect Object (to/for)

� Accusative: Direct Object (a, an, the)

� Ablative: Object of Prepositions (by/with)

� Vocative: Direct Address (Oh, !)

The Declension Endings 1st

Sing

Nom - a Gen - ae Dat - ae Acc - am Abl - ā Voc - a

Pl

Nom - ae Gen - ārum Dat - īs Acc - ās Abl - īs Voc - ae

Latin Nouns

Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the Noun

Once you have identified the Declension of a noun, you have the endings we add to that noun to put it into the various cases. The next step is correctly adding the case endings to the noun.

Latin Nouns

Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the Noun

Case endings are added to what we call the NOUN STEM.

The Noun Stem is distinct and different from the Nominative Singular.

You form the Noun Stem by dropping the ending from the Genitive Singular of a noun.

Latin Nouns Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the

Noun Examples: Puella, Puellae à Drop Genitive à Puell- Noun Stem Puer, Pueri à Drop Genitive à

Puer- Noun Stem

Latin Nouns Step II: Adding the Case Endings to the Noun NB: The noun stem is used in all cases except

the Nominative Singular. The Nominative Singular may be based on a form that is not the same as the noun stem.

You do NOT change the nominative singular to make it match the Noun Stem and you never add anything to the Nominative Singular.

You use the Noun Stem from the Genitive Singular on down the chart.