REM.-The declension of Greek nouns presents some exceptions. 2. Nominative endings: Latin, er, ir, us, um; Greek, os and on. 3. Grammatical gender: um and on, neut.; the rest masculine, except, 1) Alvŭs, dŏmůs, humus, and vannŭs, which are feminine; pělăgus and virus, neuter; and vulgus, generally neuter, but sometimes masculine. 2) Such as come under previous rules. 2. Nominative endings a, e, i, o, y, c, l, n, r, s, t, x. 3. Table of gender in the third declension. 4. Classification of nouns of the third declension, according to the formation of root from nominative ending. Root like Nom. Root adds a let- Root drops nom. ending. ter. REM. 1.-The inclosed endings im and i belong only to a few words. REM. 2.-The ending iùm of the genitive plural occurs in the following classes of nouns; viz., 1) Neuters in e, al, and ar; as, mărē, măriŭm; ănămăl, ănīmāliùm. 2) Nouns in is and es of Class III.; as, hostis, hostiūm; nūbēs, nūbiŭm. 3) All monosyllables in & or preceded by a consonant; as, urbs, urbiŭm; crz, arcium. 4) Nouns in ns and rs (though in these um is sometimes used); as, cliens, clientium; cohors, cohortium. REM.-The inclosed endings belong to neuters in e, al, and ar. 571. CLASS I. comprises nouns in c,* l, n, r, t, and y. These either have the root the same as the nominative singular, or form it (with a few exceptions) by one of the following slight vowel-changes: 1) Nouns in ter and běr generally drop e in the root: as, pătĕr, a father; root, patr. 2) Nouns in ĕn generally change ě into i in the root; as, flumen, a river; root, flumin. 3) Nouns in ut change u into ì in the root; as, căpăt, a head; root, căpit. REM.-The quantity of the radical vowel is sometimes changed; this is the case in most nouns in ǎl and or, which generally lengthen the vowel in the root. 572. CLASS II. comprises nouns of the third declension in a, o, and a few in i. These form the root by adding a letter to the nominative singular. 1) Nouns in a, and a few in i, add t; as, poēmă, a poem; root, poēmăt: hydrěmělí, mead; root, hydrŏmělit. 2) Nouns in o add n; as, leð, a lion; root, leōn. REM. 1.-O is long in the root. REM. 2.-Nouns in do and go change o into t, before n in the root; as, virgo, a virgin; root, virgin. * There are only two nouns of this ending, one of which belongs to Class II. 573. CLASS III. comprises nouns of the third declension in bs, ms, ps, x (=cs or gs), is, ys, e, a few in i,* and a few in es. They form the root by dropping the nominative ending. 1) Nouns in bs, ms, ps, and ys, drop s; as, urbs, a city; root, urb; hiems, winter; root, hiem. 2) Nouns in x (=cs or gs) drop the s in x; as, vox (cs), a voice; root, vōc; rex (gs), a king; root, rēg. 3) Nouns in is, e, and a few in es, drop those endings; as, hostis, an enemy; root, host: nūbēs, a cloud; root, nūb: mărě, a sea; root, măr. 574. CLASS IV. comprises nouns of the third declension in as, os, us, ls, ns, rs, and most of those in es. These form the root by changing s into r, t, or d. 1) Nouns in as, ls, ns, rs, and most of those in es, generally change s into t; as, piētās, piety; root, pietāt: mons, a mountain; root, mont: ăbiēs, a fir-tree; root, ăbiēt: mīlēs, a soldier; root, mīlīt. (See REM. 2, below.) REM. 1.—Masculines in as, of Greek origin, insert n before t in the root; as, ēlēphas, an elephant; root, éléphant. REM. 2.-Many nouns in es change e into i, before t, in the root; as, mīlēs; root, milit. 2) Nouns in os and us generally change s into r or t; as, flōs, a flower; root, flōr: săcerdos, a priest; root, săcerdōt: virtūs, virtue; root, virtut: genus, a kind; root, gěněr: tempus, time; root, tempor. REM.-Most nouns in us change s into, and u of the nominative becomes è or Ŏ in the root, as in these examples. * Nouns in i are of Greek origin: most of these are indeclinable; a few form the root by dropping i, and a few by adding t (572, 1). |