In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy’s Latin Grammar course, we are happy to provide students the opportunity to study the famous Latin Grammar of the Jesuit schoolmaster Emmanuel Alvarez. The translation of this text is available only in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, by headmaster William C. Michael.
In this lesson, we will begin the study of the gender of Latin nouns. The title of this chapter in Alvarez’s Grammar is, “De Generibus Nominum Paulo Difficilioribus”, which means “Of the Gender of Nouns Least Difficult”. To complete the objectives of this lesson, complete the following tasks:
- Study the lesson for mastery.
- Memorize the rules in the lesson.
- Complete the lesson assessment.
Lesson
The text of this lesson is provided below, with notes following. If you have any questions on this lesson, please post them on the course support forum in the Study Center.
In the past, when Latin was the active language of the Church and the State, students had to learn to speak and write in Latin. To do this, they had to memorize the rules for the gender of nouns so that they would know which forms to use when they wrote or spoke. In our generation, Latin is no longer an active language in the Church or State, and it is not necessary to learn all that is necessary for speaking and writing in Latin. While our lessons will allow us to pursue that knowledge if we wish, we do not need to learn Latin for such use. It is sufficient for us to learn to read and interpret written Latin texts. Therefore, the rules in this lesson do not need to be memorized, but used for reference.
Genera nominum partim ex significatione partim ex terminatione, sed praecipue usu noscuntur.
Translation: The gender of nouns partly by signification (meaning), partly by termination (ending), but principally by use are known.
l. De Generibus Nominum Quae ex Significatione Cognoscuntur
Translation: Of the Genders of Nouns which are known from (their) Signification.
Praeceptum I. De Masculinis
Quae maribus solum tribuuntur mascula sunto:
Mascula censentur specie depicta virili;
Nouns which to males alone are attributed are masculine:
Masculine are judged with the male kind (are) depicted;
The proper names of men (Aeneas, Catilina, Julius, Cicero, etc.) and of those things which are depicted in the male kind (Michael, Asmodeus, Pan, Aquilo, Boreas, etc.) — the names of angels, demons, gods and winds — are masculine.
Et quibus appositum tantum tribuisse virile
Credibile est veteres, ceu latro, praesul, haruspex.
And nouns for which apposed only to be attributed of the male
credibile (the) ancients as, latro (thief), praesul (president), haruspex (priest).
Praeceptum II. De Foemininis et Neutris
Foemineum dices, quod foemina sola reposcit:
Jungito foemineis muliebri praedito forma.
Feminine you may call, which a female only claims:
You shall join to feminine nouns with a feminine form
Proper names of women and of those things which are depicted of the female kind and the rest of the names of goddesses, muses, nymphs, sirens and of the furies are feminine.
7. Quaeque adjectivum tantum muliebre requirunt.
And which adjective only require with a female (thing).
8 – Quae neutro apposito gaudent, neutralia sunto.
And so appellative (common) nouns, which with feminine nouns alone agree (mulier, nutrix)
Praeceptum III. De Communibus
9. Est commune duum, sexum quod claudit utrumque
10. Articulo gemino, veluti bos, fortis et hostis,
11. Antistes, juvenis, vates, patruelis, et infans,
12. Affinis, miles cum cive, cliente, sacerdos
13. Et comes atque canis, sus, dux auctorque parensque,
14. Municipi conjux, adolescens, augur adhaerent.
Praeceptum IV. De Nominibus Generis Omnis
15. Est commune trium, generi quod convenit omni.
Praeceptum V. De Mensibus, Montibus et Fluviis.
16. In maribus menses, montes fluviosque repone.
Praeceptum VI. De Insulis, Regionibus, Urbibus, Navibus, Poematibus.
17. lnsula foeminea est, regio, urbs, cum nave poesis.
Praeceptum VII. De Arboribus
18. Foeminea est arbor: neutrum cum subere robur,
19. Adde acer atque siler, sed mas oleaster habetur.
Praeceptum VIII. De Plurali Numero et Notis Literarum
20. Plurale A neutrum est, I mas, ut Susa, Philippi.
21. Trade notas neutro et vocem pro nomine sumptam.
22. Et verbum quodvis nuda pro voce repostum.
lI. De Generibus Nominum Quae ex Terminatione Cognoscuntur
Praeceptum IX. De Generibus, Quae ex Terminatione Cognoscuntur
A finita
23. Foemineum A primae est, veluti panthera, sagitta.
24. Hadria mas aequor, mammona, cometa, planeta.
25. Sed neutris junges cum pascha manna latinis.
26. Nomen in A ternae neutrum est, ceu stigma, toreuma.
E finita
27. E latiale petit neutrum, velut acre, monile:
28. Femineum est aloe Rhodopeque et cetera graeca.
I, O et U finita
29. I neutris tribue, O maribus, ceu pugio, gummi.
30. Foemineis verbale in IO, caro, talio, dentur,
31. Portio, DO, GO finita, ut dulcedo, propago,
32. Testudo; verum neutris adscribito pondo;
33. Harpago mas, udo, cudo, ordo, cardo ligoque.
34. U neutris junge, ut tonitru cornuque geluque.
C, D, L et T finita
35. C, D da neutris, testes tibi lac, id et alec.
36. L, T sit neutrum; hic mugil sal solque reposcunt.
UM finita
37. UM neutris junges, hominum si propria demas.
AN, IN, ON finita
38. AN, IN, ON mas: haec cum sindone poscit aedon,
39. Queis adde alcyonem: neutris da cuncta secundae.
EN finita
40. EN dabitur neutris: sed hymen, ren mascula sunto
41. Et splen atque lien, atagen cum pectine, lichen.
AR finita
42. Postulat AR neutrum ceu par cum nectare, calcar.
ER finita
43. ER maribus dona: laver hoc, tuber, siler optant,
44. Uber, iber, spinther, laser, cicer atque papaver,
45. Ver, siser atque piper, cum verbere necte cadaver.
OR finita
46. OR maribus servit: muliebris demitur arbor:
47. Accedunt neutris cor, ador cumque aequore marmor.
UR finita
48. Exigit UR neutrum: hic furfur, cum vulture turtur.
AS finita
49. Foemineum AS: neutrum vas, vasis fasque nefasque:
50. Mascula sunt elephas, adamas, as atque tiaras
51. Cumque vade ac reliquis, flectit quae prima Pelasgum.
ES finita
52. Est ES foemineum: demuntur mascula fomes,
53. Pes, trames, termes, gurges cum poplite, caespes,
54. Vepres et palmes, stipes, limes pariesque,
55. Pleraque graeca, meri nomen quibus adde diei.
56. Hippomanes neutris, panaces, cacoethes adhaeren.
IS finita
57. IS dato foemineis: maribus da postis, aqualis.
58. Caulisque et vectis callisque et pulvis et ensis,
59. Glis, lapis et follis cucumisque et collis et unguis.
60. Et sanguis, piscis cum fascis et axis et amnis
61. Et vermis, torris, fustis eum vomere, mensis,
62. Mugilis atque orbis, cenchris cum casse, canalis:
63. Nis quoque finita, ut funis, compostaque ab asse.
OS finita
64. Mascula in OS sunto: dos, cos, muliebris et arbos:
65. Da chaos atque melos neutris, os, Argos eposque.
US Secundae et Quartae Declinationis
66. Nomen in US mas est seu quartae sive secundae:
67. Porticus haec et vannus acusque et carbasus. alvus
68. Et colus et ficus pomum (mas morbus habetur),
69. Adde humus atque manus idusque tribusque domusque.
70. Nomen in OS graecum, quod in US vertere Latini,
71. Masculeis partim datur, ut paradisus et isthmus:
72. Partim foemineis, veluti diphthongus, eremus.
73. ln neutris numera virus pelagusque profundum.
US Tertiae Declinationis
74. Postulat US neutrum, quoties id tertia flectit:
75. Mas lepus et mus, pus graecum compostaque junges;
76. Est muliebre palus, subscus, pulcherrima virtus
77. Atque salus pecudisque pecus, quibus additur incus,
78. Quaeque sibi servus juvenisque senexque jugarunt.
79. Sit quoque foemineum lagopus herba. volucris. .
AES, AUS, BS, MS, NS, PS, RS finita
80. AES tibi sit neutrum; laus, fraus muliebria sunto.
81. S dato foemineis, si consona ponitur ante:
82. Esto virile rudens, fons, pons, seps letifer anguis,
83. Mons, dens atque chalybs: assis quibus addito partes,
84. Et polysyllaba PS, forceps dematur adunca.
X finita
85. X dato foemineis: sunt mas fornixque calixque
86. Grex, spadix, bombyx, tradux phoenixque calyxque
87. Et coccyx et Eryx, volvox atque unce creata:
88. AX, EX finitum polysyllabon esto virile;
89. Foemineum tamen est fornax alexque, supellex,
90. Queis addes vibex, forfex cum smilace, carex.
Praeceptum X. De Adiectivis Quae Fiunt Substantiva
91. Mobile fit fixum, si fixum mente subaudis,
92. Unde genus capit, ut sonipes oriensque tonansque:
93. Mobile fit neutrum, ni fixum mente subaudis.
Praeceptum XI. De VI Terminationis
94. Respicimus fines non significata frequenter:
95. Hinc Praeneste, Reate petunt hoc, Tibur et Hispal
96. Et Caere: hic Sulmo Narboque: haec Allia flumen,
97. Mons Oeta haec, haec Ossa volunt, haec Trinacris Aetna.
Praeceptum XII. De Nominum in Generibus Immutatione
98. Respicit interdum nomen generale poeta,
99. Unde sibi merito genus inferiora capessunt:
100. Sic volucrem sequitur bubo: sic flumen Iader.
Praeceptum XIII. Nomina Variorum Generum
101. Haec modo foemineis, maribus modo juncta videbis
102. Cum silice et limax necnon cum torque phaselus,
103. Scrobs, serpens, anguis cum corbe diesque rubusque,
104. Grossus, adeps, atomus, poteris queis addere finis.
105. Da modo masculeis, neutris modo vulgus et Anxur.
Praeceptum XIV. Nomina fere Masculina, raro Foeminina
106. Mascula bubo, silex, funis cumque obice, varix,
107. Calx, specus et cortex, imbrex, margo atque palumbes
108. Et pumex, pulvis sunt et muliebria vati.
Praeceptum XV, Nomina fere Foeminina, raro Masculina
109. Est muliebris onyx, volucris, stirps, talpa, cupido,
110. Dama, penus, linter, grus, lynx et clunis et ales,
111. Interdum haec generi vates junxere virili.
Praeceptum XVI. De Genere Epicoeno
112. Articulo sexum quae complectuntur utrumque
113. Uno, epicoena vocant Graii, promiscua Nostri,
114. Hic lepus, haec vulpes seu mas seu foemina poscunt.
Summary
In this lesson, we have studied a number of irregular adjectives as regards the formation of comparatives and superlatives.
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