# Latin for beginners (1911)/Part II/Lesson XLIII

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LESSON XLIII
THE THIRD DECLENSION • Ī-STEMS
241. To decline a noun of the third declension correctly we must know whether or not it is an i-stem. Nouns with i-stems are
1. Masculines and feminines:
a. Nouns in -ēs and -īs with the same number of syllables in the genitive as in the nominative. Thus caedēs, caedis, is an i-stem, but mīles, mīlitis, is a consonant stem.
b. Nouns in -ns and -rs.
c. Nouns of one syllable in -s or -x preceded by a consonant.
2. Neuters in -e, -al, and -ar.
242. The declension of i-stems is nearly the same as that of consonant stems. Note the following differences:
a. Masculines and feminities have -ium in the genitive plural and -īs or -ēs in the accusative plural.
b. Neuters have -ī in the ablative singular, and an -i- in every form of the plural.
243. Masculine and Feminine I-Stems. Masculine and feminine i-stems are declined as follows:
| | caedēs, f., slaughter | hostis, m., enemy | urbs, f., city | cliēns, m., retainer | |
| Stems | caedi- | hosti- | urbi- | clienti- | |
| Bases | caed- | host- | urb- | client- | |
| | Singular | Singular | Singular | Singular | terminations m. and f. |
| Nom. | caedēs | hostis | urbs | cliēns | -s, -is, or -ēs |
| Gen. | caedis | hostis | urbis | clientis | -is |
| Dat. | caedī | hostī | urbī | clientī | -ī |
| Acc. | caedem | hostem | urbem | clientem | -em (-im) |
| Abl. | caede | hoste | urbe | cliente | -e (-ī) |
| | Plural | Plural | Plural | Plural | terminations m. and f. |
| Nom. | caedēs | hostēs | urbēs | clientēs | -ēs |
| Gen. | caedium | hostium | urbium | clientium | -ium |
| Dat. | caedibus | hostibus | urbibus | clientibus | -ibus |
| Acc. | caedīs, -ēs | hostīs, -ēs | urbīs, -ēs | clientīs, -ēs | -īs, -ēs |
| Abl. | caedibus | hostibus | urbibus | clientibus | -ibus |
* avis, cīvis, fīnis, ignis, nāvis have the ablative singular in -ī or -e.
* turris has accusative turrim and ablative turrī or turre.
244. Neuter I-Stems. Neuter i-stems are declined as follows:
| | īnsigne, n., decoration | animal, n., animal | calcar, n., spur | |
| Stems | īnsigni- | animāli- | calcāri- | |
| Bases | īnsign- | animāl- | calcār- | |
| | Singular | Singular | Singular | terminations |
| Nom. | īnsigne | animal | calcar | -e or— |
| Gen. | īnsignis | animālis | calcāris | -is |
| Dat. | īnsignī | animālī | calcārī | -ī |
| Acc. | īnsigne | animal | calcar | -e or— |
| Abl. | īnsignī | animālī | calcārī | -ī |
| | Plural | Plural | Plural | |
| Nom. | īnsignia | animālia | calcāria | -ia |
| Gen. | īnsignium | animālium | calcārium | -ium |
| Dat. | īnsignibus | animālibus | calcāribus | -ibus |
| Acc. | īnsignia | animālia | calcāria | -ia |
| Abl. | īnsignibus | animālibus | calcāribus | -ibus |
* Review § 74 and see how it applies to this declension.
* The final -i- of the stem is usually dropped in the nominative. If not dropped, it is changed to -e.
* A long vowel is shortened before final -l or -r. (Cf. § 1 2.)
245.
EXERCISES
First learn the special vocabulary, p. 292.
I.
* Quam urbem vidēmus? Urbs quam vidētis est Rōma.
* Cīvēs Rōmānī urbem suam turribus altīs et mūrīs longīs mūnīverant.
* Ventī nāvīs longās prohibēbant fīnibus hostium adpropinquāre.
* Imperātor a clientibus suīs calcāria aurī et alia īnsignia accēpit.
* Mīlitēs Rōmānī cum hostibus bella saeva gessērunt et eōs caede ​magnā superāvērunt.
* Alia animālia terram, alia mare amant.
* Nāvēs longae quae auxilium ad imperātōrem portābant ignī ab hostibus dēlētae sunt.
* In eō marī avis multās vīdimus quae longē ā terrā volāverant.
* Nōnne vīdistis nāvīs longās hostium et ignīs quibus urbs nostra vāstābātur? Certē, sed nec caedem cīvium nec fugam clientium vīdimus.
* Avēs et alia animālia, ubi ignem vīdērunt, salūtem fugā petere celeriter incēpērunt.
* Num iūdex in peditum ōrdinibus stābat? Minimē, iūdex erat apud equitēs et equus eius īnsigne pulchrum gerēbat.
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II.
* Because of the lack of grain the animals of the village were not able to live.
* When the general heard the rumor, he quickly sent a horseman to the village.
* The horseman had a beautiful horse and wore spurs of gold.
* He said to the citizens, “Send your retainers with horses and wagons to our camp, and you will receive an abundance of grain.”
* With happy hearts they hastened to obey his words.
* ↑ Observe that the vowel before -ns is long, but that it is shortened before -nt. Cf. §12.2,3.
* ↑ Place first.
* ↑ Not the accusative. Why?
References