3rd Declension Nouns
(Lesson 40)
Latin II
Dec. 2-6, 2013
Third Declension Nouns!
• Latin has 5 declensions of nouns.
• Declensions are groups of nouns which share
the same endings.
3rd declension nouns
• Third declension is the largest declension of
nouns!
• Third declension includes masculine, feminine,
and neuter nouns, plus a sub-group called “istem nouns.”
• Both masculine and feminine 3rd declension
nouns use the same chart.
3rd declension nouns
• Third declension nouns are identified by the
–is ending in the genitive singular.
pax, pacis (f.)
lex, legis (f.)
salus, salutis (f.)
dux, ducis (m.)
3rd Declension Endings
Singular
Nominative*
Genitive
Dative
Accusative
Ablative
---is
-i
-em
-e
Plural
-ēs
-um
-ibus
-ēs
-ibus
* There are several nominative endings, so they’re not
listed on the chart. Whatever the first form of the word is
in your vocabulary list…that’s the nominative.
Step 1 – Find the noun stem
The noun stem is found by dropping the genitive singular ending from the noun.
Dictionary entry of a noun:
pax,
Nominative
singular
pacis, f.
peace
Genitive Gender
singular
Meaning
pacis – is = pac
Noun Stem
Let’s Find Stems for 3rd Declension!
•
•
•
•
•
•
dux, ducis
homo, hominis
lex, legis
miles, militis
pax, pacis
salus, salutis
•
•
•
•
•
•
duchominlegmilitpacsalut-
Let’s Find Stems for 3rd Declension!
•
•
•
•
•
•
dux, ducis
homo, hominis
lex, legis
miles, militis
pax, pacis
salus, salutis
•
•
•
•
•
•
duchominlegmilitpacsalut-
Step 2: Add the case endings to the noun stem.
Singular
Plural
Nominative dux
Genitive
duc
duc
duc
duc
duc
duc
Accusative duc
Ablative
duc
Dative
dux, ducis (m.)
is
em
duc
Note that the
lovely nominative
form will appear
once on the chart,
then
disappear…like a
ibus
briefly-lived
ibusbug.

e
es
es
i
um
Your Turn!
• Decline any 1 of your third declension
vocabulary nouns on the whiteboard.
Nouns and Adjectives
• The adjectives you have learned thus far are
called “1st/2nd declension adjectives”
• bonus, bona, bonum
• Therefore, they do not use 3rd
declension endings!
bonus, bona, bonum
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
bonus
boni
bono
bonum
bono
Feminine forms use 1st
declension endings.
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
bonum
boni
bono
bonum
bono
boni
bonorum
bonis
bonos
bonis Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
bona
bonorum
bonis
bona
bonis
Masculine forms use 2nd
declension endings.
bona
bonae
bonae
bonam
bonā
bonae
bonarum
bonis
bonas
bonis
Neuter forms use 2nd
declension neuter
endings.
Nouns and Adjectives
• But what if you need to use a 1st/2nd
declension adjective to describe a 3rd
declension noun?!?!
Nouns and Adjectives
• Remember our old abbreviation G-N-C?
• Nouns and adjectives agree in gender,
number, and case.
• They DO NOT have to agree in declension!
• This means: often nouns and adjectives have
endings that AGREE but AREN’T SPELLED the
same way.
Nouns and Adjectives
• Let’s say we want to decline the pair of words
“a good law.”
• lex, legis (f.)---law
• bonus, BONA, bonum---good
• So, a good law is a “lex bona”
• Let’s see what it looks like…
Lex Bona
Singular
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
lex
legis
legi
legem
lege
bona
bonae
bonae
bonam
bonā
Plural
leges bonae
legum bonarum
legibus bonis
leges bonas
legibus bonis
Your Turn!
• Decline “pax magna” on a single chart on the
whiteboard.
• Decline “dux bonus” on a single chart on the
whiteboard. “Dux” is masculine so “bonus” is
masculine---use 2nd declension endings on
“bonus.”
Your Turn!
• Decline “pax aequa” on a single chart
• Complete WB Ex. “C” pages 147-148
• Add it to your declension practice from
yesterday!
Practice!
• Complete textbook page 282, Ex. A
• Write the LATIN and ENGLISH
• Add to your previous exercises and turn in
everything to the box.  Gratias!