by Lumen_et_umbra » Mon Aug 18, 2003 1:23 am
First off, don't be intimidated; it's easy.<br />Second, the original copy of this miniature guide of mine is on the third page of the 'Casa' thread.<br /><br />The regular rules for the third declension are:<br />(Note: to recognize a third declension noun, you must look at the genitive singular, not the nominative, because sometimes the nominative sg. of a noun resembles that of a noun of another declension. i.e., scelus (neuter) - sin, wrongdoing, evil)<br /><br />Regular MASCULINE/FEMININE nouns of the 3rd declension<br />Nom (whatever) -es<br />Gen -is -um<br />Dat -i -ibus<br />Acc -em -es<br />Abl -e -ibus<br /><br />e.g.<br /><br />Virtus, Virtutis - Virtue/Bravery/Masculinity<br /><br />Virtus Virtutes<br />Virtutis Virtutum<br />Virtuti Virtutibus<br />Virtutem Virtutes<br />Virtute Virtutibus<br /><br />Regular NEUTER nouns of the 3rd declension<br />Nom -(whatever) -a<br />Gen -is -um<br />Dat -i -ibus<br />Acc (same as the nom.) -(same as nom pl.)<br />Abl -e -ibus<br /><br />Scelus, Sceleris<br /><br />Scelus Scelera<br />Sceleris Scelerum<br />Sceleri Sceleribus<br />Scelus Scelera<br />Scelere Sceleribus<br /><br />-I stem nouns (-ium nouns) of the 3rd declension:<br /><br />There are special 3rd declension nouns, which end with -ium in the genitive plural case. Here are the rules for those:<br /><br />If a feminine or masculine noun has the same number of syllables in the nominative singular as in the genitive singular, the noun is an I-stem noun.<br /><br />Nubes (nom), Nubis(gen) Cloud<br /><br />Nubes Nubes<br />Nubis Nubium<br />Nubi Nubibus<br />Nubem Nubes<br />Nube Nubibus<br /><br />CANIS (dog) and IUVENIS (youth) are two exceptions to this rule.<br /><br />If a feminine or masculine noun ends with -s or -x in the nominative sg. and has two consonants in its stem, it ends with -ium in the gen. plural. Note: you do not often see the stem in the nominative.<br /><br />Arx, Arcis (see the two bolded consonants which comprise the stem?)<br /><br />Arx Arces<br />Arcis Arcium<br />Arci Arcibus<br />Arcem Arces<br />Arce Arcibus<br /><br />However...<br /><br />Rex, Regis - King, Ruler<br /><br />Notice that the stem does not have two consonants!<br /><br />Rex Reges<br />Regis Regum<br />Regi Regibus<br />Regem Reges<br />Rege Regibus<br /><br />NEUTER I-STEM NOUNS<br />Any third declenion neuter noun, ending with -al, -ar, or -e, will have a different ablative singular, accusative singular, nominative pl, and a different accusative pl., and, also, it will have -ium in the gen. pl.<br /><br />Animal, Animalis<br /><br />Animal Animalia<br />Animalis Animalium<br />Animali Animalibus<br />Animal Animalia<br />Animali Animalibus<br /><br />Mare, Maris<br /><br />Mare Maria<br />Maris Marium<br />Mari Maribus<br />Mare Maria<br />Mari Maribus<br /><br /><br />Summarized rules for I-stem nouns of the third declension<br /><br />Masculine and Feminine Nouns<br />Nom (blah) -es<br />Gen -is -ium<br />Dat -i -ibus<br />Acc -em -es<br />Abl -e -ibus<br /><br />Neuter Nouns<br />Nom (-al, -ar, or -e) -ia<br />Gen -is -ium<br />Dat -i -ibus<br />Acc -(same as nom.) -(same as nom. pl.)<br />Abl -i -ibus<br /><br /><br /><br />I hope this helps!
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<br />It will take quite a while to get up to it, concentrate on what you're doing now as each page is so important that you must not be distracted. <br />It hurt me when I was; the passive stopped me for a while.