01/05/93



                             CHAPTER 14

           "I-Stem Nouns of the Third Declension; Ablative
                of Means, Manner, and Accompaniment"

THIRD DECLENSION NOUNS

As you learned in Chapter 7, the thematic vowel of the third
conjugation case endings tends to be a short "-e-".  You also saw
that the short "-e-" has a habit of turning into an "-i-".  Let's
take a look at the third declension endings again.  Remember,
part of the problem of nouns which belong to the third declension
is that their stem -- that is, the root to which the case endings
are added -- may be a substantially different form from the
nominative singular.  You must look at the dictionary listing for
the genitive singular to get the true stem of the noun.  (And
don't forget the laws of the neuter nouns: (1) the accusative is
always the same as the nominative; and (2) the nominative plural
ending is a short "-a-".)  Decline the following nouns:

         homo, -inis (m)      virtus, -tutis (f)           tempus,
-oris (n)

N/V.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Gen.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Dat.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Acc.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Abl.     _______________        _______________
_______________


N/V.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Gen.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Dat.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Acc.     _______________        _______________
_______________

Abl.     _______________        _______________
_______________

     As you can see, masculine, feminine and neuter nouns of the
third declension use the same case endings.  The only exceptions
are the accusative singular and the nominative and accusative
plural of neuter nouns.  But this is what neuter nouns do, no
matter what declension they belong to: they obey the laws of the
neuter.  So really, the neuter nouns of the third declension use
the same endings as third declension masculine and feminine
nouns.  The only differences are where neuter nouns are obeying
their own peculiar laws.

THIRD DECLENSION I-STEM NOUNS

There is a class of nouns in the third declension which does not
maintain this regularity.  We call this class of third declension
nouns the "i-stems" because an "-i-" turns up in some unexpected
places in the case endings.  Basically, i-stem nouns use the same
endings as the normal, non-i-stem third declension nouns.  But in
a couple of places, i-stem nouns differ.  What is more, i-stem
masculine and feminine nouns don't behave the same way neuter
i-stem nouns behave.  So you're going to have to learn three
things in this chapter:

     (1)   how to recognize whether a third declension noun is an
           i-stem noun;
     (2)   how to decline masculine and feminine i-stem nouns;
     (3)   how to decline neuter i-stem nouns.

     First off: how can you tell whether a noun is an i-stem noun
of the third declension?  The dictionary doesn't tell you
explicitly whether a noun is i-stem or not because there are ways
to tell simply by looking at the normal dictionary entries for a
noun: the nominative case, the genitive case (including the
stem), and the gender.

NEUTER I-STEMS

Let's start with the easiest.

I.   Rule for Detecting Neuter i-stem Nouns

     (a)   If a third declension noun is neuter, and
     (b)   if its nominative case ends in "-al", "-ar", or "-e",
           THEN the noun is a neuter i-stem.

This is fairly easy.  You look up a noun and the dictionary tells
you this: "animal, -is (n)".  "Animal" is the nominative case.
The next entry tells you the genitive, from which you spot any
stem changes and learn the declension of the noun.  The "-is"
entry tells you there are no stem changes and that the noun is
third declension (since "-is" is the genitive ending in the third
declension).  The final entry is, of course, the gender, and for
"animal" it's neuter.  Therefore, you have a neuter noun of the
third declension whose nominative ends in "-al".  So the noun is
an i-stem.  Simple, isn't it.  So if you remember this rule,
you'll be able to spot, from the dictionary entry alone, all
neuter i-stem nouns of the third declension: if it's a neuter
noun which ends in "-al", "-ar", or "-e", then it's an i-stem.
And how do neuter i-stems decline?  They differ from non-i-stem
nouns in four cases:

     (1)     the ablative singular is a long "-i" instead of the
             normal short "-e";
     (2,3)   the nominative (and therefore the accusative) plural
             is "-ia" instead of just plain "-a";
     (4)     the genitive plural is "-ium" instead of "-um".

Let's have a look.  Decline the following neuter i-stem nouns,
and compare them to a regular neuter noun of the third declension
"corpus, -oris (n)":

      corpus, -oris     animal, -is      mare, -is         exemplar,
-is

N/V.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Gen.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Dat.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Acc.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Abl.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________


N/V.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Gen.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Dat.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Acc.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________

Abl.  ____________     ____________    ____________
____________


MASCULINE AND FEMININE I-STEMS

Masculine and feminine i-stems are both easier and more
complicated at the same time.  On the one hand, there is only one
case where the masculine and feminine i-stems differ from the
regular non-i-stems.  On the other hand, the detection process is
more exquisite.  First the detection.

    There are two different rules for establishing whether a
masculine or feminine third declension noun is an i-stem.  But
you can get all the information you need by looking at the
standard dictionary entry.  Here are the two rules.

I.  The Parisyllabic Rule (the Equal Syllable Rule)

    (a)  If a masculine or feminine noun ends in an "-is" or an
         "-es" in the nominative singular, and
    (b)  if the nominative singular and the genitive singular
         have the same number of syllables,
         THEN the noun is an i-stem of the masculine and feminine
         type.

Let's go right along to the second rule; after that I'll show you
some examples.

II. The Double Consonant Rule

    (a)  If a masculine or feminine noun ends in an "-s" or an
         "-x", and
    (b)  if its stem ends with two consonants,
         THEN the noun is an i-stem of the masculine and feminine
         type.

    Let's look at an example of both these rules.  You see this
noun in the dictionary:  "civis, civis (m)".  Is it an i-stem?
Well, it's a masculine noun of the third declension.  It's not
neuter, so you don't have to worry about whether the nominative
ends in an "-al", "-ar", or "-e".  But you do have to run it
through the two rules for masculine and feminine nouns.  (The
Parisyllabic and the Double Consonant rules apply ONLY to
masculine and feminine nouns.)  The nominative ends in an "-s",
so you have to pursue the double consonant rule a little farther.
Look at the stem: it's "civ-".  Does its stem end with two
consonants?  No, so "civis" fails the second provision of the
Double Consonant rule.

    Now try to run it through the Parisyllabic rule.  The
nominative ends in "-is", which is the first provision of the
rule, so you have to go on.  Provision (b) of the Parisyllabic
rule also applies to "civis", since the nominative and the
genitive cases have the same number of syllables.  So, according
to the Parisyllabic rule, "civis" is an i-stem noun of the
masculine an feminine type.

    Another noun:  "ars, artis (m)".  Follow the steps
carefully.  Is this an i-stem?  Why or why not?  Of course it is.
It ends in "-s" or "-x" in the nominative (provision (a) of the
Double Consonant rule), and its stem, "art-", ends in a double
consonant.  It fulfills both provision of the Double Consonant
rule, so it is an i-stem.

    So how do masculine and feminine i-stem nouns decline?  The
only case where they differ from the non-i-stem nouns is in the
genitive plural, where the i-stems insert an "-i-" before the
normal "-um" ending of the third declension.  And that's it.
Decline the following nouns.

         homo, -inis (m)        ars, artis (m)          civis, civis
(m)

N/V.    ________________       ________________
________________

Gen.    ________________       ________________
________________

Dat.    ________________       ________________
________________

Acc.    ________________       ________________
________________

Abl.    ________________       ________________
________________


N/V.    ________________       ________________
________________

Gen.    ________________       ________________
________________

Dat.    ________________       ________________
________________

Acc.    ________________       ________________
________________

Abl.    ________________       ________________
________________


    This may seem like a lot to remember (and it probably is),
but try to work slowly through these drills; be deliberate and
logical.  You'll be surprised at how quickly these rules stick.
Which of these nouns are i-stems?  If any is an i-stems, indicate
which rule applies to it.

                         I-STEM (YES/NO)           RELEVANT RULE

ignis, ignis (f)           __________
_________________________

dens, dentis (m)           __________
_________________________

civitas, -tatis (f)        __________
_________________________

rex, regis (m)             __________
_________________________

opus, operis (n)           __________
_________________________

tempus, -oris (n)          __________
_________________________

nox, noctis (f)            __________
_________________________

moles, molis (f)           __________
_________________________

urbs, urbis (f)            __________
_________________________

sol, solis (m)             __________
_________________________

hostis, hostis (m)         __________
_________________________

dux, ducis (m)             __________
_________________________

orator, -toris (m)         __________
_________________________

finis, finis (m)           __________
_________________________

gens, gentis (f)           __________
_________________________

laus, laudis (f)           __________
_________________________

genus, generis (n)         __________
_________________________

veritas, -tatis (f)        __________
_________________________

aetas, -tatis (f)          __________
_________________________


USES OF THE ABLATIVE: MANNER, ACCOMPANIMENT, MEANS

Way back when I promised you that we'd someday have to start
cleaning up the ablative case.  Today is that day; but this is
going to be just a start, and just a review.  The ablative case
can be used either with a governing preposition or without one.
If the ablative case completes the meaning of a preposition, then
the ablative itself poses no real problem as far as the
translation goes.  You simply translate the preposition and then
the noun:

           de veritate    =     about truth
           e civitate     =     from the city
           sub mari       =     under the sea
           in Graecia     =     in Greece
           cum meo filio  =     with my son

In other words, the fact that the noun itself is in the ablative
case presents no difficulties.  It's in the ablative case because
that is the case required by the preposition which is governing
it.

     A noun can be in the ablative case, however, without a
preposition; when it is, the noun takes on a special meaning that
is derived from the ablative case itself.  As the weeks go by
you'll be collecting a list of the uses of the prepositionless
ablative case.  Up to this point, you have only one use of the
ablative case without a preposition: it's the Instrumental
Ablative (also called the "Ablative of Means").  Do you remember
this one:

           "Veritatem oculis animi videre possumus".

Here you have the noun "oculis" in the ablative plural without a
preposition, so, as far as you know, this must be an Instrumental
Ablative (or Ablative of Means).  An Instrumental Ablative shows
with what thing the action of the verb is performed, and there as
many ways we can translate it into English.  We can say,

           "We can see truth with the eyes of the soul".
           "We can see truth by the eyes of the soul".
           "We can see truth by means of the eyes of the soul".
           "We can see truth through the eyes of the soul".

Although each of these translations in English have their own
feel and association of meanings, they are all legitimate
translations of the Latin Instrumental Ablative.  Use your own
native English sense to tell you which translation to use, but
remember the essential meaning of the Latin Instrumental
Ablative: it shows with what thing the action of the verb is
performed.


CUM + ABLATIVE = ABLATIVE OF MANNER OR ACCOMPANIMENT

One use of the ablative with a preposition needs a little further
examination.  You probably remember that the preposition "cum" +
ablative" means "with" in the sense of accompaniment.  This use
of the ablative is fairly straight forward, because it works like
English.

           Veniam cum amicis meis ad nostram patriam.
           Invenietis eum cum nostro filio.
           Tyrannus erit ibi cum ducibus.

But "cum" + ablative can also mean something that boarders on our
adverbs.  Well call it the "Ablative of Manner", because it gives
you some information about how or in what manner the action was
completed.  And words which tell you how the action was performed
are adverbs.

     Now let's pause a second.  Don't get this confused with the
Ablative of Means.  The Ablative of Means will answer the
question "With what" the action is performed; the Ablative of
Manner tells you "In what manner" the action is being performed.
Study these examples.  Where would the English be representing a
Latin Ablative of Manner, where an Ablative of Means, where an
Ablative of Accompaniment?

           "She saw the fire with her binoculars".
           "Dogs run with their legs".
           "He drove the nail in with his hammer".
           "He drove the nail in with great haste".
           "He drove the nail in with indifference".
           "They put the wall up with great speed".

     So how does the Ablative of Manner approach the adverb?
What is another way to say "with great haste"?  We could say
"very hastily", and "hastily" is an adverb.  How about "with
indifference"?  "Indifferently".  But some of the Ablative of
Manner have no nice one-word adverbial equivalent.  For example,
what would the adverb for "with great speed" be?  The Ablative of
Manner affords the writer the opportunity to elaborate on the
manner in which the action is being performed in a way a simple
adverb does not.  Now let's look at some examples in Latin.
Remember, translate them into idiomatic English.

1.   Cum celeritate id fecit.


       _______________________________________________________

2.   Cum civibus istis nos non iungemus.


       _______________________________________________________

3.   Cum cura cucurrimus.


       _______________________________________________________

4.   Gessimus civitatem cum sapientia.


       _______________________________________________________

5.   Tyrannus civitatem pecunia cepit.


       _______________________________________________________


VOCABULARY PUZZLES

vis, vis (f)    In the singular it means "power"; in the plural it
                means "strength".  A very strange noun, with a
                very strange declension.  As you can tell it's
                third declension and it should be an i-stem noun.
                (The Parisyllabic rule.)  In the singular it's odd
                but somewhat predictable; but in the plural it
                changes stems: from "v-" to "vir-".  Pay
                attention, though; it's easy to mix up the plural
                of "vis" with the 2nd declension noun "vir, -i,
                (m)".  Look it over; and write down the plural of
                "vir" next to it in the plural.  Even though, as
                you can see, none of the forms of the two words
                are identical, still students always confuse them.
                Believe me: you must work a little to keep the two
                straight.

           SINGULAR             PLURAL               PLURAL OF vir,
-i

     N/V.   vis                 vires                  viri
     Gen.   vis                 virium                 virorum
     Dat.   ---                 viribus                viris
     Acc.   vim                 vires                  viros
     Abl.   vi                  viribus                viris

