12. Plural 13. Declensions. Filia donat puellam serv-ā. The daughter presents the girl with a slave. Here the object Slave is spoken of, not as acted on directly or indirectly by the daughter, but as accompanying, or telling something further about, the action of the daughter. Therefore its Noun is in the Ablative Case; which we see is formed by adding a to the root. In the preceding examples we have spoken of a single object out of a Class-one slave; and therefore the Noun Serva has been in the Singular Number. In the following example, we shall speak of more than one object out of a class of more slaves than one; and therefore the Noun Serva will be in the Plural Number. The circumstances of these objects (the slaves), whether spoken of alone, or in connexion with other objects, will be exactly the same as in the former examples; and therefore the Noun will be in the same Cases; but it will have different terminations to shew that it is in the Plural Number. N. Serv-a cantant. The slaves sing. G. Filiæ serv-arum cantant. The daughters of the slaves sing. A. Puellæ portant serv-as. The girls carry the slaves. V. Serv-a, cantatis. Slaves, ye sing. Ab. Filiæ donant puellas serv-is. The daughters present the girls with slaves. We thus see how, by changing the termination of the Noun Serva, we can shew whether we mean to speak of the object Slave as acting, or as acted upon, or as possessing, or as accompanying, or as addressed; and again, whether we wish to speak of one slave, or of more than one Slave, as in these circumstances. But we are not yet in a condition to shew this, when speaking of any objects whatever; because all Nouns do not form their Cases in the same way. As there are Five ways of forming the Cases of a Noun, Nouns are divided into Five Classes, called Declensions; and the sign or characteristic of each Declension is the termination of the Genitive Case. A Noun with its G. ending in æ is of the 1st Declension. 14. Five. We shall now give examples of the Five Declensions by declining, as it is called, a Noun in each. To decline a Noun is to make it pass through its Cases. Nouns of this declension are of the f. gender, except the names of males; as nauta, sailor. The N. ends in a, except of a few Proper3 Nouns; as Æneas, Anchises, which retain their Greek form. All Nouns ending in a are of the 1st D., except a few Greek Nouns; as poema, poem. If a Noun has its G. ending in æ, decline it like Rosa. That is, apply the same terminations through all the cases to its root. By the root of a Noun we mean that part of it which comes before the termination of the G. case. b. ሮ. d. e. Rule. 1 When going through Serva we put the A. before the D. for convenience of explanation, but in grammars the D. always stands first. 2 When going through Serva we gave with as one of the many prepositions which express in English the force of the Ab. case. By is another, and, perhaps, the most common. In no case do the English words express exactly the same as the Latin form. For the future, therefore, we shall not give them. 3 A noun is called Proper, when it is the proper or peculiar name of an individual, as Æneas, Thomas: Common, when it is common to a class, as man, dog. b. d. e. f. Neuter. g. h. This declension is not so uniform as the first. The N. does not always end in us, like Dominus. Some nouns end in er, as Liber, book. The G. is Libr-i, the e being dropped. Some few ending in er retain the e; as Puer, G. Puer-i, boy. In both, the V. is the same as the N. In all other respects these nouns are declined like Dominus. In all declensions, it must be remembered, the Vocative is the same as the N. in the P. number; and also in the S., except only when the noun is of the 2nd D. and ends in us; when the V. ends in e; as, Dominus, V. Domine. Proper names in ius, with Filius and Genius, have the V. contracted; as Filius, V. Fili. The G. also is often contracted; as Virgilius, G. Virgilî: Ingenium, G. Ingenî. Most nouns ending in us1 and er are of the m. gender. But the names of places and trees are generally feminine. Beside us and er, the N. also ends in um, and then the noun is of the n. gender. It is declined like Dominus, subject to the two following rules, which hold good for all nouns and adjectives of the n. gender. 1. The N. P. ends in a. 2. In each number, the A. and V. cases are the same as the N. A neuter noun therefore is declined thus: Singular. N. A. V. Regn-um, kingdom G. Regn-i D. Ab. Regn-o Plural. 1 Thus while the root serv with the ending a is of the 1st D. and f. gender, the same root with the ending us is of the 2nd D. and m. gender. That is, serv-a means female slave; serv-us, male slave. If a noun has its G. ending in i, decline it like Dominus, remembering the rule for the V. case; that terminations are sometimes contracted; and the rules for the n. gender. k. Rule. 17. Third. a. A. Lapid-em Ab. Lapid-e N. V. Nub-es, cloud G. Nub-is D. Nub-i A. Nub-em Ab. Nub-e Lapid-ibus Lapid-es Lapid-ibus Nub-es, clouds Nub-ibus Nub-es Nub-ibus If we This is the most variable of the declensions. The N. has many different endings, and the G. is formed in many different ways. And there is some variety in the other cases. look at the two examples, we see that the G. of Lapis is longer by a syllable than the N.; while the G. and N. of Nubes are of the same length. Hence the latter is called a Parisyllabic, the former an Imparisyllabic Noun. And we see that the G. P. of Lapis is formed by adding um: of Nubes, by adding ium to the root. Hence the rule: Nouns increasing in the G. take um in the G. P.; Nouns not increasing take ium. To this, however, there are several exceptions. Nouns ending in s after a consonant, and several monosyllables, though increasing in the G., take ium: while the following, though not increasing, take um: b. d. Likewise bird, or Volucris. e. f. g. Neuter. Some Parisyllabic Nouns, which end in is, retain the i in the A. and Ab. S.: as Vis, force; A. Vim; Ab. Vi: Sitis, thirst: and generally, the names of towns and rivers: as Tiberis, the Tiber. Some retain the i in the Ab. only as Canalis, canal. Some take e or i in both cases: as Clavis, key. Nouns of this declension are of all genders. The following are examples of Neuter Nouns : h. Rule. 18. Fourth. Neuter Nouns in e, al, and ar are for the most part declined like Mare; the rest like Os. Observe that, when the G. P., in accordance with the above rule (c), ends in ium, the N. P. ends in ia, and the Ab. S. (generally) in i. From what has been said it will appear that no absolute rule can be given for this declension. The following must therefore be considered as liable to exception. If a Noun has its G. case ending in is, decline it like Lapis; remembering the rules for the n. gender; and when the G. P. should end in ium, instead of um. FOURTH DECLENSION. b. ሮ. d. Neuter. This declension is a contracted form of the third: Gradus, G. Gradŭis, contracted into Gradūs; Ab. Gradue, contracted into Gradu. Some Nouns take ubus instead of ibus in D. and Ab.: as Portus, harbour; joint, or artus; Tribus, tribe; and birth, or partus. Also those which have c before u; as arcus, bow. The only terminations of the N. case are us, when the |