To complete this lesson, complete the following tasks:
- Study the lesson for mastery.
- Complete all assigned memory work.
- Complete the lesson comprehension questions.
- Complete the lesson assessment.
Lesson
In lesson 03, we learned of the genders used in Latin. We learned of the three principal genders (Masculine, Feminine and Neuter) and the other genders drawn from them (Common of two, Common of three, Doubtful, Epicene). In this lesson, we will study how the genders of Latin nouns are to be known.
This lesson is taken not from Alvarez’s Latin Grammar (our normal course text), but from William Lily’s Latin Grammar, which was published in the 16th century in England. William Lily was a schoolmaster who worked for John Colet, who was personal tutor to the children of St. Thomas More. This old Grammar is of great importance to Catholic students and greatly simplifies the rules of Gender in Latin nouns.
Note: Portions of rules in bold print should be memorized.
I. The General Rules for Proper SUBSTANTIVE Nouns
1. The proper names of the male kind–of gods, men, floods, months and winds–are of the Masculine gender.
First, of Gods, as: Mars, Martis (god of war); Bacchus, Bacchi (god of wine); Apollo, Apollinis (god of wisdom); Secondly, of men, as: Cato, Catonis (Cato); Virgilius, Virgilii (Virgil). Thirdly, of floods, as: Tibris, Tibris (the Tiber); Orontes, Orontis (the Orontes). Fourthly, of months, as: October, Octobris (October). Fifthly, of winds, as: Lybs, Lybis (west southwest wind); Notus, Noti (the south wind); Auster, Austri (the south wind).
2. The proper names of the female kind–of goddesses, women, cities, regions and islands–are of the Feminine gender.
First of the goddesses, as: Iuno, Iunonis (Iuno); Venus, Veneris (Venus). Secondly, of Women, as: Anna, Annae (Ann); Philotis, Philotis (Philot). Thirdly, of Cities, as: Elis, Elis; Opus, Opuntis. Fourthly, or Regions, as: Graecia, Graeciae (Greece); Persis, Persidis (Persia). Fifthly, of Islands, as: Creta, Cretae (Crete); Britannia, Britanniae (Britain); Cyprus, Cypri (Cyprus). But the names of certain cities are to be excepted.
But the names of some cities are excepted, as, first: hic Sulmo, Sulmonis; hic Agragas, Agragantis; second, hoc Argos, Argeos; hoc Tybur, Tyburis; hoc Praeneste, Praenestis; thirdly, hic et hoc Anxur, Anxuris.
II. The General Rules for Common Substantive Nouns
1. Common nouns of Trees, are of the feminine gender, as: haec Alnus, Alni (alder tree); haec Cypressus, Cypressi (cypress); haec Cedrus, Cedri (cedar). Except, first, hic Pinus, Pini (pine tree); hic Oleaster, Oleastri (wild olive), which are Masculine; second, hoc Siler, Sileris (osser); hoc Suber, Suberis (cork); hoc Thus, Thuris (frankincense); hoc Robor, Roboris (an oak); hoc Acer, Acris (maple), which are Neuter.
2. The names, firstly, of flying things, as Passer, Passeris (sparrow); Hirundo, Hirundinis (swallow); secondly, of wild beasts, as Tigris, Tigridis (tiger); Vulpes, Vulpis (a fox); and thirdly, of fishes, as: Ostrea, Ostreae (shell fish); Coetus, Coetus (whale), under which names both genders are signified, are Epicene gender.
But here it is to be noted, that of all the Nouns before mentioned, every Noun, whether Greek or Latin, ending in -UM or being undeclined (e.g., nihil), is of the Neuter gender.
III. Special RuleS for Common Substantive Nouns
In part 4 of lesson 03, we learned that Latin nouns are divided into five different declensions and that these declensions are identified by the nominative and genitive singular forms of all nouns. We will begin the study of these declensions in our next lesson. When we study the declensions, we will find that in some nouns, the Genitive singular form has the same number of syllables as the Nominative form, and in other nouns, the Genitive singular form will have more syllables than the Nominative. This, we learn here, reveals to us the gender of these nouns, as the rules below explain.
1. A Noun not increasing in syllables in the Genitive case is the Feminine gender, as caro, carnis (flesh); capra, caprae (goat); nubes, nubis (cloud).
2. A Noun is the Feminine gender, whose next to last syllable, of the Genitive case, increasing in syllables, is long, as: pietas, pietatis (piety); virtus, virtutis (virtue).
3. A Noun is of the Masculine gender, whose next to last syllable, of the Genitive case, increasing in syllables, is short, as: sanguis, sanguinis (blood).
IV. GENERAL RULES FOR ADJECTIVE NOUNS
Please note that the rules above apply to Substantive nouns, and those below to Adjective nouns.
1. Adjectives of one termination are all three genders, as hic, haec & hoc felix (happy); hic, haec & hox audax (bold).
2. If Adjectives have two terminations, the first is the Common gender, and the other is the Neuter, as: hic & haec omnis, hoc omne (all).
3. If Adjectives have three terminations, the first is Masculine, the second is Feminine and the third is Neuter, as: sacer, sacra, sacrum (holy).
SUMMARY
In this lesson, we have learned four sets of helpful rules for identifying the gender of Latin Substantive and Adjective nouns. As you study these rules, please be sure to remember the nouns to which they apply: I. General rules for Proper Nouns, II. General Rules for Common Nouns, III. Special Rules for Common Nouns, IV. General Rules for Adjective nouns.
