31.03.24: 3rd declension nouns in context [2]; genitive and dative

[3] Genitive: indicates the possessor; very often conveys the English preposition ‘of’

[i] All genders in the singular end in -is

[ii] All genders in the plural end in -um or -ium; again, don’t be distracted at the moment as to why that happens. There is enough to learn in the 3rd declension without going down side roads.

frāter, frātris [3/m]: brother

cūstōs, cūstōdis [3/m]: guard

• num cūstōs [nominative] ¦ frātris meī [genitīve] sum (Vulgate) │ Am I my brother’s keeper? = Am I the keeper ¦ of my brother?

It may have changed, but my own matriculation card for university was written in Latin:

cīvis, cīvis [3/m or f]: citizen

ūniversitās, ūniversitātis [3/f]: university

• CĪVIS ¦ ŪNIVERSITĀTIS GLASGUĒNSĪS: a citizen ¦ of the unversity of Glasgow

nox, noctis [3/f]: night

• Antōnius … hōrā noctis quārtā sē in castra sua ad Mutinam recēpit. (Cicero) │ At the fourth hour of the night, Antony withdrew … to his camp at Mutina.

odor, odōris [3/m]: smell; scent

flōs, flōris [3/m]: flower

• odor flōris: the scent of the flower
• odor flōrum: the scent of the flowers

infāns, infantis [3/ m or f]: infant

• Audīrēs … īnfantium quirītātūs (Pliny) │ You could hear … the plaintive cries of infants

[4] Dative: the dative indicates the indirect object i.e. the person or thing to whom / which something is, for example, given or said

[i] all genders in the singular end in -ī

[ii] all genders in the plural end in -ibus

sacerdōs, sacerdōtīs [3/m or f]: priest; priestess

• Abiathar quoque sacerdōtī dīxit rēx … (Vulgate) │ And the king also said to the priest Abiathar …

urbs, urbis [3/f]: city

orbis, orbis [3/m]: world

• Urbī et orbī (Papal address) │ to the city (of Rome) and to the world

ovis, ovis [3/f] sheep

• Iūlia ovibus herbam dat. │Julia gives grass to the sheep.