====== Lesson 15: The Third Declension, Neuter ====== ===== Forms ===== Like all neuter nouns in Latin, neuter nouns of the third declension use the same form in the accusative as the nominative, and take the **-a** ending in the plural nominative and accusative. Otherwise, they are formed the same way as the masculine and feminine third declension nouns that we learned in the last lesson. ^ ^ Singular ^ Plural ^ | Nom. | **corpus** | **corpora** | | Gen. | corporis | corporum | | Dat. | corporī | corporibus | | Acc. | **corpus** | **corpora** | | Abl. | corpore | corporibus | ===== Syntax ===== ==== Ablative of Manner ==== When we describe the manner in which something was done, we use the ablative with the preposition **cum**. If the noun is modified by an adjective, **cum** may be omitted, or placed between the adjective and the noun in this order: adjective **cum** noun. * Aquam cum cura portavit. - //He carried the water with care.// * Aquam magna cum cura portavit. - //He carried the water with great care.// * Aquam magna cura portavit. - //He carried the water with great care.// We've learned several different uses of the ablative, so it may help to review the others. * Aquam carro portavit. - //He carried the water with a cart.// (Ablative of means, no preposition.) * Aquam cum amico portavit. - //He carried the water with a friend.// (Ablative of accompaniment, takes **cum**.) * Aquam in via portavit. - //He carried the water on the road.// (Ablative of place where, takes **in**.) * Aquam ex villa portavit. - //He carried the water out of the field.// (Ablative of place from which, takes a preposition like **ex**, **de**, etc.) ===== Vocabulary ===== * caput, capitis, n., //head// * carmen, carminis, n., //song, poem// * celeritās, celeritātis, f., //speed, quickness// * corpus, corporis, m., //body// * dīligentia, dīligentiae, f., //care, carefulness// * flūmen, flūminis, n., //river// * iter, itineris, n., //march, journey, route// * nōmen, nōminis, n., //name// * tempus, temporis, n., //time// * vulnus, vulneris, n., //wound// * Germānus, -a, -um, //German// * Graecus, -a, -um, //Greek// * Helvētius, -a, -um, //Helvetian// (Swiss, more or less) * Hispānus, -a, -um, //Spanish// * Rōmānus, -a, -um, //Roman// Note that there are a couple of feminine third declension nouns mixed in with those neuter ones, and the last four words are adjectives. ===== Exercises ===== === a. Decline these phrases: === - vulnus parvum - carmen pulchrum - corpus meum === b. Translate: === - Pueri frumentum magna cum diligentia trans flumen portaverunt. - Cur tempus cum celeritate volat? - Iter per silvam magnam longum erat. - Populus Romanus nomen Caesaris laudabat. - Carmina poetae erant pulchra et vera. - Caput inimici gladio vulneravi. - Nomen fratris regis erat Marcus; sororis Julia. - Pugnate, milites mei, cum audacia et celeritate. - Imperator noster clamavit, et tum oppidum oppugnavimus. - Dux viros feminasque Romanos convocavit. === c. Translate: === - Because of war, the soldiers and weapons were ready. - The Roman leader's name was Julius; his reign was long and good. - We walked to the river and carried water to the fields with a wagon. - A great king in Germany was a friend of the Roman people. - Your journey to the camp will be long; walk with great speed. - My horse's head was large but (his) body was small. - The teacher gave Marcus's little sister many beautiful gifts. - The boys and girls were praising (their) fathers and mothers. - We sailed on the river for a long time. - You fought with weapons and with great boldness. ===== Conclusion ===== We've covered the third declension nouns in all three genders, but we're not quite finished with it yet. Unfortunately there is another class of third declension nouns that work a bit differently. Next lesson: those third declension "I-stem" nouns. ===== Answers ===== === a. Decline these phrases: === Remember that these are third declension nouns and first/second declension adjectives. - vulnus parvum (small wound) ^ ^ Singular ^ Plural ^ | Nom. | vulnus parvum | vulnera parva | | Gen. | vulneris parvi | vulnerum parvorum | | Dat. | vulneri parvo | vulneribus parvis | | Acc. | vulnus parvum | vulnera parva | | Abl. | vulnere parvo | vulneribus parvis | - carmen pulchrum (beautiful song) | carmen pulchrum | carmina pulchra | | carminis pulchri | carminum pulchrorum | | carmini pulchro | carminibus pulchris | | carmen pulchrum | carmina pulchra | | carmine pulchro | carminibus pulchris | - corpus meum (my body) | corpus meum | corpora mea | | corporis mei | corporum meorum | | corpori meo | corporibus meis | | corpus meum | corpora mea | | corpore meo | corporibus meis | === b. Translate === - Pueri frumentum magna cum diligentia trans flumen portaverunt. - //The boys carried the grain across the river with great care.// - Cur tempus cum celeritate volat? - //Why does time fly with swiftness?// - Iter per silvam magnam longum erat. - //The journey through the great forest was long.// - Populus Romanus nomen Caesaris laudabat. - //The people of Rome used to praise the name of Caesar.// - Carmina poetae erant pulchra et vera. - //The poet's poems were beautiful and true.// - Caput inimici gladio vulneravi. - //I wounded the head of my enemy with a sword.// - Nomen fratris regis erat Marcus; sororis Julia. - //The name of the brother of the king was Marcus; his sister's name was Julia.// - Pugnate, milites mei, cum audacia et celeritate. - //Fight, my soldiers, with boldness and swiftness.// - Imperator noster clamavit, et tum oppidum oppugnavimus. - //Our general shouted, and then we attacked the town.// - Dux viros feminasque Romanos convocavit. - //The leader called together the men and women of Rome.// === c. Translate: === - Because of war, the soldiers and weapons were ready. - //Propter bellum milites et tela erant parata.// - The Roman leader's name was Julius; (his) reign was long and good. - //Nomen ducis Romani erat Julius; regnum erat longum et bonum.// - We walked to the river and carried water to the fields with a wagon. - //Ad flumen ambulavimus et aquam ad agros carro portavimus.// - A great king in Germany was a friend of the Roman people. - //Rex magnus in Germania erat amicus Populi Romani.// - Your journey to the camp will be long; walk with great speed. - //Iter tuum ad castra longum erit; ambula magna cum celeritate.// - My horse's head was large but (his) body was small. - //Caput equi mei erat magnum sed corpus parvum.// - The teacher gave Marcus's little sister many beautiful gifts. - //Magister sorori parvae Marci multa et pulchra dona dedit.// - The boys and girls were praising (their) fathers and mothers. - //Pueri et puellae patres et matres laudabant.// - We sailed on the river for a long time. - //Navigavimus in flumine diu.// - You fought with weapons and with great boldness. - //Pugnavisti telis et magna cum audacia.//