THIRD DECLENSION. The genitive singular ends in is. Note 1. The genitive plural of this declension in some words makes um, in others ium, in the termination. Note 2. Nouns of the neuter gender, of whatever declension, make the nominative, accusative, and vocative alike, and these cases in the plural number end in a; in their other cases they follow the termination of their proper declension. This note is appended here, because nouns of the neuter gender, with but few exceptions, belong to the second or third declension. Note 3. When the nominative singular of a noun of the third declension ends in e, if it be of the neuter gender, the ablative will end in i; and the nominative plural of such will be formed by adding a to the ablative; the genitive plural also will end in ium thus, nominative, hastile; ablative, hastili; nominative plural, hastilia; genitive, hastilium. FIFTH DECLENSION. The genitive singular ends in ei. Notes on the five Declensions. 1. The nominative and vocative singular of a noun, with few exceptions, which obtain mostly in the second declension (see Notes 1 and 2, Second Declension), are alike, so are also the nominative and vocative plural. 2. The dative and ablative singular of the second declension are alike, so also are the dative and ablative plural of all declensions. The following table of the terminations of the several cases of nouns may serve in some measure to facilitate the learning thereof : EXERCISES ON THE DECLENSION OF NOUNS. Note. The learner will be careful to attend to the declension and gender of the following nouns: the former will be indicated by the genitive singular, and the latter by the initial letter of the gender of each noun. This, with attention to the notes already given, will be sufficient to ensure accuracy in every instance. Arbor, arboris, f. Vas, vasis, n. Currus, currus, m. Bacchus, Bacchi, m. Bacchus a tree Britannia, Britanniæ, f. Britain a vessel Conditor, conditoris, m. flesh Eboracum, Eboraci, n. a face Literæ, literarum, f. a hare a stone Pellis, pellis, f. Annus, anni, m. Anus, anus, f. Greece a Feriæ, feriarum, f. tree Iter, itineris, n. an old woman a she-goat Caulis, caulis, m. Notes.. a builder Apollo a paih York a desert a club an epistle trifles threats holidays a pulpit entrails f. Athens a journey an axle-tree the island Cyprus a stalk a. Proper names have no plural, except such as want the singular. b. When a noun has no singular, its declension may be ascertained by its genitive plural. c. Consult note a. Note also, some nouns are not declined; that is, have the same form in whatever case they may be used. Such nouns are mostly, if not always, used as nominatives and accusatives, as fas, nefas, nihil, &c. &c. Some nouns, moreover, are used in some cases and not in others: as, genitive, spontis; ablative, sponte, of one's own accord. Nominative, vis, force; accusative, vim; ablative, vi (the latter noun has all the cases in the plural number, and is regularly declined thus: Nom. vires Gen. virium Dat. viribus ON THE ADJECTIVE. The adjective expresses the state or quality of the noun. The English adjective is not inflected; the Latin adjective is inflected in gender, number, and case. The Latin adjective is declined according to the declension of nouns. The adjective in Latin is declined with three, two, and one termination. An adjective whose nominative case singular has three terminations, is declined like the first and second declension of nouns ; the adjective in the feminine form is declined like the first, in the masculine and neuter form like the second declension. An adjective whose nominative has two terminations or one, is inflected like the third declension of nouns. When an adjective in any of its cases has three terminations, the first is masculine, the second feminine, and the third neuter; when it has two terminations, the first is masculine and feminine, and the second neuter; and when it has only one termination, it is of all genders. Note 1. Ambo and duo have no singular, and have a declension peculiar to themselves. Note 2. Some adjectives of three terminations, as unus, totus, solus, ullus, nullus, alter, uter, neuter, unlike bonus, make the genitive in ius and the dative in i: thus, unus, una, unum; genitive, unius; dative, uni. In their other cases they follow the declension of bonus. COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES. Adjectives have three degrees of comparison-the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. The positive is the adjective in its simple state, as tristis. The comparative is formed from the first case of the positive which ends in i, by adding thereto or to make the masculine and feminine, and us for the neuter: thus, dative, tristi; comparative, tristior, tristius. Note 1. The first case of an adjective of one or two terminations which ends in i is the dative, of an adjective of three terminations is the genitive. The superlative is formed by adding ssimus to the same part; as, tristi, tristissimus. Note 2. The superlative degree is declined like bonus. The following is a model of the declension of the comparative :— Note 3. If a vowel precede us in the positive, the degrees are formed usually by prefixing the adverb magis for the comparative, and maxime for the superlative: as, pius, magis pius, maxime pius. Note 4. If the positive end in er, the superlative is formed by adding thereto rimus: as, teter; superlative, teterrimus. The following adjectives have a peculiar formation in the superlative : |