First Declension nouns end in -a

These nouns have particular endings which determine the case.  There are several cases that a noun can have.  These nouns are usually feminine with exceptions as discussed in class.

1. Nominative - Subject

2. Genitive - shows possession

3. Dative - indirect object

4. Accusative - direct object

5. Ablative - noun in an adverbial phrase ~ a phrase which modifies a verb

All endings correspond to the particular case and number (singular or plural)

• Nominative - a

• Genitive - ae

• Dative - ae

• Accusative - as

• Ablative - a

N.B. The above are the singular endings. Plural are next!

• Nominative - ae

• Genitive - arum

• Dative - is

• Accusative - as

• Ablative - is

For example: the word puella - girl.  The stem for puella is puell- add the ending to this to create the particular case. 

• puell -a ~ nominative ~ puell -ae

• puell -ae ~ genitive ~ puell -arum

• puell -ae ~ dative ~ puell -is

• puell -as ~ accusative ~ puell -as

• puell -a ~ ablative ~ puell -is

The words on the left of the cases above are singular.  The words on the right of the cases above are plural.

Once you know the endings you can decline any noun in the first declension.  Try some!

First and Second Conjugation Verbs!

These verbs end with the ending -are or -ere.  For Example: portare, docere.

As in English verbs, Latin verbs can be conjugated.  That means they are given a particular number and person.  Number is singular or plural as always.  Person is First, Second, or Third.

In English for example

• I go - first person singular

• You go - second person singular

• he, she, it goes - third person singular

• We go - first person plural

• You go -  second person plural

• They go - third person plural

Same as in Latin, except there are no personal pronouns used in a sentence.

For example: portare - "to carry" - this is the infinitive form.

• porto ~ first person ~ portamus

• portas ~ second person ~ portatis

• portat ~ third person ~ portant

Remember these are not nouns but verbs.

How did we do this?  Endings...

• port -o ~ in this case the a is omitted in the verb stem when joining the stem with the ending for this example, the first person singular.

• N.B. You are adding the endings to the verb stem when you conjugate!

port -o ~ I carry

porta -s ~ you carry

 porta -t ~ he, she, or it carries

porta -mus ~ we carry

porta -tis - you (pl.) carry

porta -nt ~ they carry

Same with docere: "to teach" ~ N.B. docere is a second conjugation verb.  However, you are still adding the above endings.  However, these verbs end in -ere.

Drop the -re at the end of these verbs and add the endings.  When you drop the -re you have the verb stem.  For example, portare...the verb stem is porta....for docere the verb stem is doce....see below.

N.B. Latin does NOT USE personal pronouns.  i.e. you, we, they etc.

doce -o ~ I teach

doce -s ~ you teach

doce -t ~ he, she, it teaches

doce -mus ~ we teach

doce -tis ~ you (pl.) teach

doce -nt ~ they teach

Study the endings for both types of verbs. They are the same endings. The verb stems differ.   Once you know these endings, you can conjugate any verb of the first and second conjugations. 

That is, any word ending in -are or -ere.

DROP THE -RE FROM THE VERB AND YOU HAVE THE VERB STEM.  THEN, YOU CAN CONJUGATE THE PARTICULAR VERB BY COMBINING THE VERB STEM WITH THE ENDING AS ILLUSTRATED ABOVE.

Second Declension Nouns

Some second declension Nouns that end in -us

Some nouns in the second declension are: servus, carrus, equus.  To decline the noun, drop the ending (-us) to get to the root and then add the endings.

• servus, servi, m. slave

• serv -us ~ nominative ~ serv -i

• servi -i ~ genitive ~ serv -orum

• serv -o ~ dative ~ serv -is

• serv -um ~ accusative ~ serv -os

• serv -o ~ ablative ~serv -is

Other second declension nouns are: ager, puer, signum.  These nouns do not end in -us.  However, they are second declension nouns.

To decline ager ~ drop the -er.  The stem is changed to agri- except for the nominative singular it remains ager.

• ager, agri, m., field

• ager ~ nominative ~ agr -i

• agr -i ~ genitive ~ agr -orum

• agr -o ~ dative ~ agr -is

• agr -um ~ accusative ~ agr -os

• agr -o ~ ablative ~ agr -is

To decline puer ~ the nominative singular remains the same.  Just add the second declension endings to puer. 

• puer, pueri, m., boy

• puer ~ pueri

• pueri ~ puerorum

• puero ~ pueris

• puerum ~ pueros

• puero ~ pueris

To decline signum ~ drop the ending -um to get to the stem.  The second declension ending changes in a particular literary case.  These nouns are usually neuter in gender.

• signum, signi, n., sign

• sign -um ~ nominative ~ sign -a

• sign -i ~ genitive ~ sign -orum

• sign -o ~ dative ~ sign -is

• sign -um ~ accusative ~ sign -a

• sign -o ~ ablative ~ sign -is

N.B.  The nominative plural and the accusative plural have a different ending ~ -a for these neuter nouns.  However,  they are still considered second declension.

More information will be given in class.  You must memorize these endings!

Vocabulary

Please get an understanding of the meaning and spelling of the verbs and nouns in your notebooks, text, etc.

All the help you need is really in the text.  You'll see!

PLEASE KNOW ALL VOCABULARY!

DO NOT CRAM YOUR WORK! STUDY AT AN EVEN PACE.

WORD ORDER IN A SENTENCE IN LATIN MEANS NOTHING.  JUST LOOK FOR THE VERB AND THEN THE ENDINGS OF THE NOUNS.  WHICH ARE AGREEING? THEN MOVE TO THE NOUNS TO HELP YOU TRANSLATE.

Please study each night! Don't give up!  Remember you are honors freshman..

REMEMBER: Slow and steady wins the race!

Email me for assistance.