06.03.24: introduction to the dative plural of 2nd declension nouns

7. In angulō hortī sunt ulmī. In ulmīs corvī nīdificant. Corvōs libenter spectō, cum circum nīdōs suōs volitant. Magnus est numerus corvōrum in hortō patruī meī; multī mergī super ōceanum volitant. Vōs, mergī,ter spectō, cum super ōceanum volitātis et praedam captātis. Ōceanus mergīs cibum dat. Patruum meum hortus et agellus dēlectant; in agellō sunt equī et vaccae et porcī et gallī gallīnaeque. Lȳdia gallōs gallīnāsque cūrat. Nōn procul ab agellō est vīcus, ubi rusticī habitant. Nōnnullī ex rusticīs agellum cum equīs et vaccīs et porcīs cūrant.

Vocabulary

angulus: angle, corner

ulmus: elm; although the noun ends in -us, it is feminine

corvus: crow

nīdificāre: to make nests

nīdus: nest

volitāre: to fly

mergus: sea gull

super: preposition + accusative; over

ōceanus: ocean; sea

praeda: prey

captāre: to catch

gallus: cock; rooster

gallīna: hen

rūsticus, -a, -um: pertaining to the country / rustic / rural; here the adjective is being used as a noun i.e. rusticī: people who live in the country

nōnnullī: some; Nōnnullī ex rusticīs: some of the country folk

Notes

[1] The dative plural of all 1st and 2nd declension nouns ends in -īs i.e. the same ending as the ablative plural

2nd declension

Ōceanus ¦ mergīs ¦ cibum dat. The ocean gives food ¦ to the seagulls.

1st declension

Magister ¦ puellīs ¦ fābulās narrat. The teacher tells stories ¦ to the girls.

Therefore, in this sentence - Magister ¦ discipulīs ¦ librōs dat (The teacher gives books to the pupils) - the reference could be to male pupils, female pupils or a mixed gender group. Only context will determine, if necessary, which gender is being referred to.

[2] Note again [i] the use of suus (see previous post) when the possessor is the subject of the sentence and [ii] cum used to mean ‘when’:

Corvōs libenter spectō, cum circum nīdōs suōs volitant.

I gladly watch the crows when they fly around their (own) nests.

Here is some more practice in identifying cases and their uses:

1. [i] In angulō ¦ [ii] hortī sunt [iii] ulmī.
2. Magnus est numerus ¦ corvōrum
3. Patruum meum hortus et agellus dēlectant.
4. Lȳdia gallōs gallīnāsque* cūrat.
5. Nōn procul ¦ ab agellō est vīcus

*Can you remember what the function is of -que attached to the end of a word?