Download A Summary of the Principles of the Latin Noun

A Summary of the Principles of the Latin Noun as Presented in Unit 1 of the Cambridge Latin Course
•
Every Latin noun includes a case-ending.
o By indicating the case of the noun, the case-ending indicates the grammatical role that the noun plays in the sentence.
•
Grammatically, the noun may be a subject, a subjective complement, a direct object, an indirect object, or the object of a preposition.
o A subjective complement may be an adjective as well as a noun.
§ When a noun, the subjective complement is called a predicate nominative.
§ When an adjective, the complement is called a predicate adjective.
•
You have learned three cases of the noun: the nominative case, the accusative case, and the dative case.
o The subject and the subjective complement are always in the nominative case.
§ The subjective complement must be in the nominative case because it is further defining the meaning of the subject.
o The direct object is always in the accusative case.
o The object of some prepositions also occurs in the accusative case.
o The indirect object is always in the dative case. (A noun in the dative case is usually best translated with “to” or “for”.)
•
Since you know these basic principles concerning the significance of the case-forms, you can always deduce that a noun in the nominative
case must be either the subject or the subjective complement in the sentence or clause. You may have to experiment to decide which it is.
•
By the same token, when you are looking for the subject, you must look for a noun in the nominative case.
o More often than not, a noun in the nominative case will prove to be the subject, but you must remember that it may be a complement.
§ The sentence is most likely to include a complement when its main verb is a form of the verb to be.
§ If more than one noun occurs in the nominative case, you must determine for each noun whether it is a subject or a complement.
• In order to make this determination, you may have to experiment by testing each noun separately, first as a subject, then as a
complement, and asking yourself which use makes the best sense in the context of the sentence or paragraph or story as a whole.
•
The same principles of logic allow you to deduce that a noun in the accusative case, if it is not the object of a preposition, is most likely to
be the direct object of the verb; and they compel you, when you are looking for the direct object, to look for a noun in the accusative case.
•
Similarly, you can deduce that a word in the dative case is very likely to be the indirect object; and, when you are looking for a possible
indirect object, you must look for a word in the dative case.
•
Without being aware of it, you have also been seeing a fourth case of the noun since the very beginning of Unit 1. Although you have not
been formally introduced to it, you have seen many words in the ablative case, and you have been understanding them without difficulty.
o The objects of some prepositions are found in the ablative case.
o The meaning of the preposition guides you in translating the ablative form of the noun.
1 Grammar . Latin . Noun 2 . Latin I.A
Copyright 2013
The Lancaster Center for Classical Studies
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Lancaster, PA 17603
The Cases of the Latin Noun and their Grammatical Functions: Unit 1, Cambridge Latin Course
CASE
GRAMMATICAL FUNCTION
NOMINATIVE
SUBJECT or SUBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT
DATIVE
INDIRECT OBJECT
ACCUSATIVE
DIRECT OBJECT or OBJECT of a PREPOSITION
ABLATIVE
OBJECT of a PREPOSITION
Examples
SUBJECT and SUBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT
Mark is a boy.
Mark: (Nominative): Subject
boy: (Nominative): Complement
[Predicate Nominative]
Mark is loyal.
Mark: (Nominative): Subject
loyal: (Nominative): Complement
[Predicate Adjective]
Marcus est puer.
Marcus: Nominative: Subject
puer: Nominative: Complement
[Predicate Nominative]
Marcus est fidēlis.
Marcus: Nominative: Subject
fidēlis: Nominative: Complement
[Predicate Adjective]
DIRECT OBJECT and INDIRECT OBJECT
Mark gives his friend a gift. OR Mark gives a gift to his friend.
Mark: (Nominative): Subject
gift: (Accusative): Direct Object
friend: (Dative): Indirect Object
Marcus amicō dōnum dat.
Marcus: Nominative: Subject
dōnum: Accusative: Direct Object.
amicō: Dative: Indirect Object.
OBJECT of a PREPOSITION
Mark walks behind his friend.
Mark: (Nominative): Subject
friend: (Accusative) Object of Preposition
Marcus post amīcum ambulat.
Marcus in lectō sedet.
Marcus: Nominative Subject
Marcus: Nominative Subject
amīcum: Accusative Object of Preposition lectō: Ablative Object of Preposition
Mark is sitting on the couch.
Mark: (Nominative): Subject
couch: (Ablative) Object of Preposition
2 Grammar . Latin . Noun 2 . Latin I.A
Copyright 2013
The Lancaster Center for Classical Studies
910 Marietta Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
The First, Second, and Third Declensions of the Latin Noun: Unit 1, Cambridge Latin Course [Omitting Ablative]
Number
Singular
CASE
FIRST DECLENSION
SECOND DECLENSION
Case-ending
THIRD DECLENSION
Case-ending
Case-ending
Nominative
puella
-a
servus
-us
leō
---
Dative
puellae
-ae
servō
-ō
leōnī
-ī
Accusative
puellam
-am
servum
-um
leōnem
-em
Nominative
puellae
-ae
servī
-ī
leōnēs
-ēs
puellīs
-īs
servīs
-īs
leōnibus
-ibus
puellās
-ās
servōs
-ōs
leōnēs
-ēs
Plural
Dative
Accusative
The First, Second, and Third Declensions of the Latin Noun: Unit 1, Cambridge Latin Course [Including Ablative]
Number
Singular
CASE
THIRD DECLENSION
Case-ending
Case-ending
puella
-a
servus
-us
leō
---
puellae
-ae
servō
-ō
leōnī
-ī
Accusative
puellam
-am
servum
-um
leōnem
-em
Ablative
puellā
-ā
servō
-ō
leōne
-e
Nominative
puellae
-ae
servī
-ī
leōnēs
-ēs
Dative
puellīs
-īs
servīs
-īs
leōnibus
-ibus
Accusative
puellās
-ās
servōs
-ōs
leōnēs
-ēs
puellīs
-īs
servīs
-īs
leōnibus
-ibus
Dative
Ablative
SECOND DECLENSION
Case-ending
Nominative
Plural
FIRST DECLENSION
3 Grammar . Latin . Noun 2 . Latin I.A
Copyright 2013
The Lancaster Center for Classical Studies
910 Marietta Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
The First, Second, and Third Declensions of the Latin Noun
Nominative, Dative, and Accusative Cases, Singular and Plural
A Basic Study-Chart for the Case-forms of the Noun Introduced in Unit 1 of the Cambridge Latin Course
Number
CASE
FIRST DECLENSION
Singular
SECOND DECLENSION
Case-ending
THIRD DECLENSION
Case-ending
Case-ending
Nominative
puella
-a
servus
-us
leō
---
Dative
puellae
-ae
servō
-ō
leōnī
-ī
Accusative
puellam
-am
servum
-um
leōnem
-em
Nominative
puellae
-ae
servī
-ī
leōnēs
-ēs
Dative
puellīs
-īs
servīs
-īs
leōnibus
-ibus
Accusative
puellās
-ās
servōs
-ōs
leōnēs
-ēs
Plural
Nota bene: Study the case-forms of the three declensions of the noun shown in the three foregoing charts by periodically reviewing
them in a thoughtful, observant manner, by turns 1.) mentally (reading them silently to yourself), 2.) orally (reading them aloud to
yourself or to a parent or sibling), and 3.) in writing (writing out the full chart in an organized manner, including the labels). Then,
periodically quiz yourself, now mentally, now orally, now in writing, until you truly know the system thoroughly, not by rote, but by
heart. As you conduct your periodic reviews, always be thinking of the meaning and function of each word in each particular form.
4 Grammar . Latin . Noun 2 . Latin I.A
Copyright 2013
The Lancaster Center for Classical Studies
910 Marietta Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603