NOUNS

Ch. 2

6 Cases For Nouns

Noun = a person, place, thing, or idea
La=n nouns (like English pronouns) have 6
cases depending on the use of the noun in a
sentence.
Our model sentence:
Mom, Santas elves gave me coal tonight.

6 Cases For Nouns

NOMINATIVE CASE (Nom.)
Subject of the verb.

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^
This is the subject of the verb gave

6 Cases For Nouns

GENITIVE CASE (Gen.)
A noun used to modify or limit a noun.
Possession.

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^
Santa is the owner of the elves

6 Cases For Nouns

DATIVE CASE (Dat.)
Indirect object of verb (e.g., for whose benet is
the verb being done).

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^
This is the indirect object.
(The elves gave coal; they gave coal TO ME.)

6 Cases For Nouns

ACCUSATIVE CASE (Acc.)
#1: Direct object of verb.

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^
The elves gave coal. Coal is the object of the
verb gave.

6 Cases For Nouns

ACCUSATIVE CASE (Acc.)
#2: Object of some preposi=ons.
Preposi=onal phrase: a phrase that modies a
noun or verb.
I walk.
I walk to the store.
(to = preposi=on; the store = object of prep.)

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION
I fell into the river. (Preposi=onal phrase)
I run through the forest. (Preposi=onal phrase)
I walk to the store. (Preposi=onal phrase)
They gave coal to me. (Indirect object)
to (direc=onal) = preposi=on
to (benet) = indirect object
Rule of thumb: replace to with towardif it s=ll
makes sense, its a preposi=on; if not, Ind. Obj.

6 Cases For Nouns

RECAP:
Nomina=ve: subject
Geni=ve: possession
Da=ve: indirect object
Accusa=ve: direct object/object of prep.
Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^ ^ ^ ^
GEN NOM ACC DAT

6 Cases For Nouns

ABLATIVE CASE (Abl.)
Junk drawer: a variety of special situa=ons
#1: Object of some preposi=ons
(#2: Time When?)

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^
Answers the ques=on when?

6 Cases For Nouns

VOCATIVE CASE (Voc.)
The person being addressed by the speaker.
- Typically set o by commas and/or O

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
^
This is the person being addressed.

6 Cases For Nouns

Mom, Santas elves gave coal to me tonight.
VOC
GEN
NOM
(verb)
ACC
DAT
ABL

Verbs vs. Nouns

Verbs are grouped into CONJUGATIONS.
Nouns are grouped into DECLENSIONS.

Verb = STEM + ENDING
Noun = BASE + ENDING

First Declension Nouns

(CASE)

(NUMBER)

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

PLURAL
-ae
-rum
-s
-s
-s
-ae

st
1 Declension Noun Endings

-a
-ae
-ae
-am
-
(-a)

-ae
-rum
-s
-s
-s
(-ae)

Noun = BASE + ENDING

We know the endings; how do we nd the base?

Verb Stems

Verb Stems
Go to dic=onary lis=ng:
laud, laudre, laudv, laudtum praise

Verb Stems
Go to dic=onary lis=ng:
laud, laudre, laudv, laudtum praise
Take the 2nd principal part:
laudre

Verb Stems
Go to dic=onary lis=ng:
laud, laudre, laudv, laudtum praise
Take the 2nd principal part:
laudre
Cut o the re
Laud-

Verb Stems
Go to dic=onary lis=ng:
laud, laudre, laudv, laudtum praise
Take the 2nd principal part:
laudre
Cut o the re
laud-
Thats the verb stem

Dic=onary Lis=ng of Nouns

porta, portae, f. gate

Nom. Sing. Form
Gen. Sing. Form
Gender

Noun Bases
Go to dic=onary lis=ng:
porta, portae, f. gate
Take the Gen. sing. form (the 2nd word)
portae
Cut o the Gen. sing. Ending
port-
Thats the noun base

BASE
+
ENDING
=
NOUN

port-
+
-a, -ae, -ae, -am
=
porta (nom. sing.) = subject
Porta m terret.
portae
portae
portam

First Declension Nouns

(CASE)

(NUMBER)

Nom
Gen
Dat
Acc
Abl
Voc

SINGULAR
porta
portae
portae
portam
port
porta

PLURAL
portae
portrum
ports
ports
ports
portae

GENDER
Nouns in La=n all have GENDERS.
3 Genders: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
The gender of a noun is, for the most part,
totally random (e.g.: the word for manliness
is a feminine noun)
You will just need to memorize these
When you memorize vocab words, memorize
the ENTIRE dic=onary entry (nom. sing. form,
gen. sing. form, gender)

GENDER vs. DECLENSION

Every noun in the 1st Declension has the SAME
endings.
NOT every noun in a declension has the same
GENDER. (1st = mostly f., some m.)
NOT every noun of a par=cular gender has the
same endings. (1st declension masc. endings
are a, -ae etc. 2nd declension masc. endings
are us, -i etc.)

ADJECTIVES
Adjec=ves modify nouns/pronouns.
Adjec=ves must agree with the noun/
pronoun they are modifying in: 1) GENDER,
2) NUMBER, 3) CASE.
Adjec=ves do NOT need to share the same:
1) DECLENSION, 2) APPEARANCE.

Groupings of Adjec=ves
(Basically) two main groupings of adjec=ves:
#1: Adjec=ves of the 1st and 2nd Declension
#2: Adjec=ves of the 3rd Declension

We only care about #1 today.
They look like this in the dic=onary:

1st/2nd Declension Adjec=ve Endings

(FEMININE ENDINGS ONLY)

(CASE)

(NUMBER)

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

PLURAL
-ae
-rum
-s
-s
-s
-ae

Adjec=ve = BASE + ENDING

We have our endings. How do we nd the
base?

Adjec=ve Bases
Go to dic=onary lis=ng:
magnus, magna, magnum (m., f., n.)
Take the Fem. Nom. sing. form (the 2nd word)
magna
Cut o the Fem. Nom. sing. Ending
magn-
Thats the adjec=ve base

1st/2nd Declension Adjec=ves

(FEMININE ENDINGS ONLY)

(CASE)

(NUMBER)

Nom
Gen
Dat
Acc
Abl
Voc

SINGULAR
magna
magnae
magnae
magnam
magn
magna

PLURAL
magnae
magnrum
magns
magns
magns
magnae

IMPORTANT!
Adjec=ves must agree with the nouns/
pronouns they modify in GENDER, NUMBER,
and CASE.
Today we have only learned the FEMININE
endings (for 1st/2nd Declension adjs).
The 1st Declension of nouns contains BOTH
feminine AND masculine nouns.
Thus, you do not know yet how to make
adjec=ves for MASCULINE nouns (even 1st
declension masculine nouns).

IMPORTANT!
Example:
CORRECT: magna porta = Large gate
INCORRECT: magna nauta = Large sailor

porta is a feminine noun, so magna can
modify it.
nauta is a masculine noun, so magna can
NOT modify it.

Noun-Adj Paradigm
On an exam, I will ask give me a paradigm for
LARGE GATE
SINGULAR
PLURAL

Nom

magna porta

magnae portae

Gen

magnae portae

magnrum portrum

Dat

magnae portae

magns porps

Acc

magnam portam

magns ports

Abl

magn port

magns porps

Voc

magna porta

magnae portae

WEIRD VOCAB
Dat poenam =
LITERALLY he gives the penalty
TRANSLATED AS he pays the penalty

WEIRD VOCAB
et = and
etet = bothand
Et nauta et poeta = both the sailor and the
poet
MUST combine two words of the same CASE