03.04.24: review of 3rd declensions nouns (final); notes on i-stem nouns

DĒ POTESTĀTE RŌMĀNĀ

[Chesnutt: the Road to Latin (1933)]

In principiō Rōma erat parva urbs. Bellō potestātem augēbat. Prīmō proeliō cum gentibus proximīs gerēbantur. Virtūs gentium proximārum erat magna sed Rōmānī erant victōrēs. Tandem Rōma erat domina Italiae. Trāns mare habitābant Carthāginiēnsēs. Erant hostēs Rōmānōrum. Magnam classem habēbant; itaque mare regēbant. Magnum numerum nāvium longārum habēbant et bellum amābant. Erant longa bella inter Rōmānōs et Carthāginiēnsēs; magna erat caedēs. Tandem Rōmānī erant victōrēs; itaque Rōma erat domina maris. Tum in Asiā et in Galliā et in Britanniā bella gerēbantur. Tandem Asia, Gallia, Britannia in Rōmae potestāte erant. Sīc terrā marīque potestās Rōmāna erat maxima.

Vocabulary

(a) 3rd declension nouns

caedēs, caedis [3/f]: slaughter, massacre

classis, -is [3/f]: fleet

gēns, gentis [3/f]: race, tribe

nāvis, -is [3/f]: ship

• nāvis longa: warship

potestās, potestātis [3/f]: power, ability

(b) other words

augeō, augēre [2]: increase

Carthāginiēnsis: Carthaginian; the spelling is sometimes with a /k/: Karthāginiēnsis

Notes

When learning any language there are features that are more important than others. There is a risk, which I have experienced too, of becoming dragged down by lengthy explanations of comparatively minor points which simply interrupts the flow of learning. The information below refers to a particular feature of 3rd declension nouns. At the end, there are three points summarised.

I stress this from my own experience.

Choice #1: I would suggest that, for the moment, you read through the information, note the summaries and leave it at that.

Choice #2: If you do want to look at this in greater depth, I have posted a file - i-stem nouns - which explains it all in detail, and no grammar book will be able to explain it any more concisely than the information in that file. But the explanations - especially if you’re still finding your way around Latin - can seem daunting, full of complex terms and difficult to remember.

When I started, I made the wrong choice and, in the end, abandoned the explanations until I had become more familiar with the language. Only then, did I look at it more closely.

Following on from the text above and other recent ones:

We’re focusing on three specific points.

Point One

flōs, flōris [3/m]: flower

homō, hominis [3/m]: man; in the plural hominēs most often refers to people

spectātor, spectātōris [3/m]: spectator

From recent texts:

• odor ¦ flōrum: the scent ¦ of the flowers
• Multitūdō hominum ¦ in Rōmae viās properābat: A crowd ¦ of people ¦ hurried into the streets of Rome.
• Clāmōrēs spectātōrum ¦ Circum Maximum complent: The shouts ¦ of the spectators ¦ fill the Circus Maximus.

That’s the genitive plural, the case that expresses possession and English ‘of’, and you can see that the 3rd declension ending is -um.

Now look at these ones from recent texts:

• cīvīs, -is [3/m or f]: citizen
• gēns, gentis [3/f]: tribe; race
• īnfāns, īnfantis [3/m or f]: infant
• urbs, urbis [3/f]: city
• iūra ¦ cīvium : the rights ¦ of citizens
• virtūs ¦ gentium: the courage ¦ of the races
• quirītātūs ¦ īnfantium: the plaintive cries ¦ of infants

Rōma est maxima ¦ urbium: Rome is the largest ¦ of the cities

ruīnae ¦ urbium: the ruins ¦ of cities

** Point One: sometimes the genitive plural of 3rd declension nouns ends in -um, and sometimes -ium **

Point Two

From recent texts:

caput, capitis [3/n]

corpus, corporis [3/n]

iūs, iūris [3/n]: right

mare, maris [3/n]: sea

They’re all neuter nouns.

• Iūra [nominative plural] … dīligenter servābantur: Rights … were carefully protected.
• Super capita et corpora [accusative plural] … reliquae quadrīgae volant: The remaining chariots fly over the heads and bodies ….

Here we have nominative and accusative plural of 3rddeclension nouns ending in -a

Now look at this one from a recent text:

• Maria Italiam ferē circumstant: The seas almost surround Italy.

** Point two: sometimes the nominative and accusative of 3rd declension neuter nouns end in -a, and sometimes -ia. **

Point Three

ōs, oris [3/n]: mouth

mare, maris [3] sea

From a recent text:

• Urbs Rōma ab ōre flūminis Tiberis nōn longē abest: The city of Rome is not far away from the mouth of the River Tiber.

3rd declension noun in the ablative case; the ending is -e

Now look at these ones from recent texts:

• terrā marīque: by land and by sea
• Ā marī paucae nāvēs Rōmam veniunt: Few ships come from the sea to Rome.

** Point three: sometimes the ablative singular of 3rd declension nouns ends in -e and sometimes -ī **

Summary

1. Point One: sometimes the genitive plural of 3rddeclension nouns ends in -um, and sometimes -ium

2. Point two: sometimes the nominative and accusative of 3rd declension neuter nouns end in -a, and sometimes -ia.

3. Point three: sometimes the ablative singular of 3rd declension nouns ends in -e and sometimes -ī

For the moment, as I said at the beginning, leave it at that. It is enough when reading simply to be able to recognise those endings.

____________________

In the beginning Rome was a small town. It increased its power by war. The first battle was fought the neighboring nations. The courage of the neighbouring nations was great, but the Romans were the victors. At last Rome was the mistress of Italy. The Carthaginians lived across the sea. They were the enemies of the Romans. They had a great fleet; therefore they ruled the sea. They had a large number of long ships and loved war. There were long wars between the Romans and the Carthaginians; the slaughter was great. At last the Romans were the victors, and so Rome was the mistress of the sea. Wars were then waged in Asia, in Gaul, and in Britain. At last Asia, Gaul, and Britain were under the power of Rome. Thus Roman power on land and sea was the greatest.