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In this lesson, we continue our study of nouns by learning about the accidents of substantive nouns. An accident is something that happens to a noun, something that belongs to it without defining what the noun is. A noun remains the same noun even as these accidents change. Understanding these accidents is necessary for reading and writing Latin correctly, because they explain why nouns take different forms and how they relate to other words in speech.
There are six accidents that belong to a substantive noun: gender, number, case, declension, figure, and kind. In this lesson, our attention is focused on gender and number. These are among the first and most important accidents to understand, because they affect agreement with adjectives and pronouns and help us recognize how nouns function in sentences.
Gender is a distinction of sex, though in grammar it extends beyond biological sex alone. In English, we usually think in terms of three genders. Male persons and animals are masculine. Female persons and animals are feminine. Most things without life or sex are treated as neuter. This approach feels natural to English speakers, but it does not fully prepare us for the way gender works in Latin.
Some nouns may be either masculine or feminine. Words such as “parent” or “chicken” do not determine sex by themselves, but take their gender from the person or animal being referred to. Such nouns are called common-of-two, because they may belong to either of two genders.
There is also a special case that applies to noun adjectives. An adjective has no fixed gender of its own. Instead, it takes its gender from the substantive noun it modifies. If we speak of a wise man, the adjective “wise” is masculine. If we speak of a wise woman, it is feminine. If we speak of a wise thing, it is neuter. Because adjective nouns may be masculine, feminine, or neuter depending on the noun they describe, they are called common-of-three. This kind of gender belongs only to noun adjectives.
In classical languages, gender is more complex than in English. Things are not automatically neuter, but may be masculine or feminine. In Latin, for example, the word arbor, meaning “tree,” is feminine, while the word gladius, meaning “sword,” is masculine. The rules for determining gender will be studied later. For now, it is enough to understand that Latin gender must often be learned by memory and cannot always be guessed from meaning alone.
Latin uses certain pronouns as markers of gender. The masculine form is hic, the feminine form is haec, and the neuter form is hoc. When we see a noun accompanied by one of these words, the pronoun shows us the noun’s gender. If we see hic deus, we know that deus is masculine. If we see haec vita, we know that vita is feminine. If we see hoc verbum, we know that verbum is neuter.
When a noun is common-of-two, both hic and haec may be used with it. The noun parens, meaning “parent,” may be masculine or feminine depending on whom it refers to. Hic parens refers to a father, and haec parens refers to a mother. The noun itself remains the same, while the pronoun shows the gender.
Because adjective nouns are common-of-three, they may be marked by hic, haec, or hoc depending on the substantive they modify. The adjective prudens, meaning “wise,” is masculine in hic prudens, feminine in haec prudens, and neuter in hoc prudens. The adjective’s gender is determined entirely by the noun with which it agrees.
We also study the accident of number. Number is a note of quantity or multitude. It tells us whether a noun refers to one thing or to more than one thing. There are two numbers: singular and plural. The singular signifies one, and the plural signifies more than one.
This idea is already familiar from everyday speech. We say “boy” when we mean one boy, and “boys” when we mean more than one. In Latin, as in English, nouns change their form to show this difference. The word puer refers to one boy. The form pueri shows that more than one boy is meant. There are several ways in Latin to mark singular and plural, which we will learn in due course. For now, it is enough to understand clearly what singular and plural mean and to recognize the difference between them.
Memory Work
1. How many things happen to a Noun Substantive?
Six things happen to a Noun Substantive: Gender, Number, Case, Declension, Figure and Kind.
2. What is Gender?
Gender is a certain distinction of sex.
3. How many genders are there?
There are five genders:
1. the Masculine, before which is commonly put the pronoun hic, as hic dominus, a Lord;
2. the Feminine, before which is put haec , as haec ancilla, a handmaiden;
3. the Neuter, before which is commonly put the pronoun hoc, as hoc mancipium, a servant;
4. the Common-of-Two, before which is put both hic et haec, as hic et haec parens, a parent;
5. the Common-of-Three, before which is put hic, haec et hoc, as: hic, haec and hoc prudens, a wise person or thing. This gender belongs only to Noun Adjectives.
4. What is Number?
Number is a note of quantity or multitude.
5. How many numbers are there?
Two: Singular, which signifies one thing, as: puer, boy; Plural, which signifies many things, as: pueri, boys.
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