vetus, veteris

[phil]

Stuck on 3rd decl adjectives again!<br /><br />vetus, veteris - old.<br /><br />I'm working through both Wheelock and Beginner's Latin Book (downloaded from Textkit), and BLB has declined vetus with an ablative singular vetere, gen plural veterum and neuter nom/acc vetera.<br /><br />Wheelock has it that all 3rd decl adjectives have ablative singular -i, gen plural -ium and neuter nom/acc -ia.<br /><br />Has wheelock oversimplified? If so, how can one tell how 3rd decl adjectives are declined? i.e. which have abl sg in -e, and which in -i?<br /><br />

[benissimus]

Yes, if Wheelock has said that all are declined like that, then he oversimplified. He has given you the standard rule and whatever words are differently will (hopefully) be specifically stated as such.

[Magistra]

Hmmmm.... What exact time period is being addressed? Languages change with time (Chaucer -> Shakespeare -> Prince Andrew, etc.) and with place (London, New York, Atlanta, Toronto, Sidney, etc..).<br /><br />Latin has changed too. I believe Weelock has given the usual rules for the Classical period. That does not mean that there were not variations.<br /><br />"If youse don't want to say it ain't possible t' talk like 'dat,"... well you get the idea. There's the standard/normal/classical method of speech & that which is totally acceptable in a specific time & place.<br /><br />Go with the standard (Weelock), but accept the fact that there are variations among the authors.<br /><br />Magistra

[phil]

Okey dokey<br /><br />Thanks for your help, I shall keep my eyes peeled for exceptions.<br /><br />Interestingly, Wheelock mentions vetus later on in chapter 34, but there's no indication that it declines differently. ???<br /><br />Maybe it is a time/location thing. Perhaps I just need to get over it and move on!

[benissimus]

This is what larger grammar books like A&G are for. You will be shocked to see how much you were not taught, and how words that you thought you knew occur in ways that you were never aware of. Finish on your grammar and then fill in the missing pieces (although it can't hurt to check out a nice grammar book right now!).

[Episcopus]

Is vetus a one ending 3rd dec adjective?<br /><br />-er - 3<br />-is - 2<br />- whatever - 1<br /><br />?

[phil]

vetus is one nominative ending for masc/fem/neut; veteris is the genitive singular, to show that veter- is the true stem for all the other cases. <br />

[Episcopus]

Yeah I know that <br /><br />So yes one ending