Lesson 10. Practice with the Second Declension

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We now practice the Second Declension more carefully, so that the forms become steady and familiar in the same way the First Declension forms became steady through repetition. The aim here is not to introduce new theory, but to make what we already know usable without hesitation. We step back and recall the basic principles that govern everything we have been doing.

A declension is the variation of words by cases. We have already watched this happen in front of us as we declined First Declension nouns such as Musa and Aeneas, and as we declined Second Declension nouns such as Liber, Vir, Dominus, and Templum. The forms change because the cases change, and the cases change because the noun is being used in different ways in speech.

We also remember that the declension of a noun is known by its Genitive singular ending. This is the sure sign by which we classify nouns. The First Declension is recognized by the Genitive singular ending -ae, or -es when the Nominative singular ends in -e, as we saw in Musa, Aeneas, Anchises, and Penelope. The Second Declension is recognized by the Genitive singular ending -i, as we saw in Liber, Vir, Dominus, and Templum. Once we see that ending, we know what set of forms belongs to that noun.

From this we learn an encouraging fact: although there are many Second Declension nouns, they are all declined like the few example nouns we have already mastered. Second Declension nouns that behave like Liber and Vir include puer meaning “boy,” pulcher meaning “handsome,” and magister meaning “teacher.” Second Declension nouns that behave like Dominus include mundus meaning “world,” filius meaning “son,” unigenitus meaning “only-begotten,” agnus meaning “lamb,” and discipulus meaning “student.” Second Declension nouns that behave like Templum include principium meaning “beginning,” verbum meaning “word,” and caelum meaning “heaven.” When we see that these nouns have Genitives ending in -i, we know that they must be declined with the Second Declension endings.

If we take several nouns of the Dominus type and decline them, we see immediately that they carry the same endings throughout. In the singular number we have hic dominus, domini, domino, dominum, O domine, a domino. Alongside it we can place hic filius, filii, filio, filium, O fili, a filio. We can place hic mundus, mundi, mundo, mundum, O munde, a mundo. We can place hic discipulus, discipuli, discipulo, discipulum, O discipule, a discipulo. In the plural number these take the standard masculine plural forms: domini, dominorum, dominis, dominos, O domini, a dominis; filii, filiorum, filiis, filios, O filii, a filiis; mundi, mundorum, mundis, mundos, O mundi, a mundis; discipuli, discipulorum, discipulis, discipulos, O discipuli, a discipulis. When we see this repeated, the point becomes unmistakable: if we know the forms of Dominus, we already know the forms of every noun like it. The Genitive singular ending in -i is the sign that places them all in the same family.

There are several special points that we must keep firmly in mind as we practice the Second Declension. First, we learn the stem of a noun from the Genitive singular, not from the Nominative. This is critical. The noun Liber does not have the stem liber-. Its stem is libr-, and we know this by looking to the Genitive form Libri. The endings are attached to libr-, not to liber-. This habit—learning the stem from the Genitive—must become automatic, because it will be essential throughout Latin.

Second, when the Nominative singular ends in -us, the Vocative singular normally ends in -e, as we see in Dominus and O Domine. Yet we must also remember that there are special Vocatives such as O fili from filius, and that some nouns do not change in the Vocative in the expected way, as in O Deus. These details matter because they are points where careless habit produces error.

Third, in Neuter nouns, the Nominative, Accusative, and Vocative are always the same. This rule is not confined to the Second Declension, but it is especially clear here. In the singular, Templum is Templum in the Nominative, Templum again in the Accusative, and O Templum in the Vocative. In the plural, Templa is Templa in the Nominative, Templa again in the Accusative, and O Templa in the Vocative. This is the fixed behavior of Neuter nouns. Fourth, we remember that all Second Declension nouns ending in -um are of the Neuter gender, and thus automatically follow this Neuter rule.

When we are comfortable with Second Declension substantives, we then apply the same discipline to adjectives. The principle is the same as before: when an adjective is used with a substantive, it must agree with that substantive in gender, number, and case. Here we practice that agreement with a Second Declension adjective, verum meaning “true,” used with a Neuter Second Declension noun, verbum meaning “word.”

In the singular number we say verbum verum meaning “a true word” as a subject, and we also say verbum verum meaning “a true word” as a direct object, because in Neuter nouns the Nominative and Accusative are identical. We say verbi veri meaning “of a true word.” We say verbo vero meaning “to a true word.” We say O verbum verum meaning “O true word.” We say a verbo vero meaning “from a true word.” In the plural number we say verba vera meaning “true words” as a subject, and again verba vera meaning “true words” as a direct object, because the Neuter Nominative and Accusative plural are also identical. We say verborum verorum meaning “of true words.” We say verbis veris meaning “to true words.” We say O verba vera meaning “O true words.” We say a verbis veris meaning “from true words.” Here we see agreement in action: the noun and adjective move together through each case, each taking the form required by its declension, and together they present one grammatical idea.

This lesson is therefore a lesson of strengthening. We are not collecting new material. We are learning to recognize Second Declension nouns by their Genitive singular ending in -i, to recall their stems from their Genitives, to apply the special Vocative rule for nouns in -us and the special Neuter rule for nouns in -um, and to make adjectives agree with substantives in gender, number, and case. When these habits are fixed, the Second Declension will no longer feel like a set of facts we are trying to remember, but like a natural system we can use.

Memory Work

1. How many different terminations are found in the Nominative case of the Second Declension?
Four: -er, as hic Liber (a book); -ir, as hic Vir (a man); -us, as hic Dominus (a Lord); -um, as hoc Templum (a Temple).

2. How are Second Declension nouns with Nominative in -er and -ir declined?
As hic Liber and hic Vir: with Genitive in -i; Dative in -o; Accusative in -um; Vocative like the Nominative; Ablative in -o. In the plural, Nominative in -i; Genitive in -orum; Dative in -is; Accusative in -os; Vocative like the Nominative; Ablative in -is.

In short: -er/-ir, -i, -o | -um, -er/-ir, -o | -i, -orum, -is | -os, -i, -is.

3. Decline the Second Declension noun hic Liber. (State the case name, the Latin form and the English.)
Singulariter: Nominativo, hic Liber, a Book; Genitivo, Libri, of a Book; Dativo, Libro, to a Book; Accusativo, Librum, a Book; Vocativo, O Liber, O Book; Ablativo, a Libro, from a Book. Pluraliter: Nominativo, Libri, Books; Genitivo, Librorum, of Books; Dativo, Libris, to Books; Accusativo, Libros, Books; Vocativo, O Libri, O Books; Ablativo, a Libris, from Books.

In short: Liber, Libri, Libro | Librum, O Liber, a Libro | Libri, Librorum, Libris | Libros, O Libri, a Libris.

Note: The stem of the noun Liber is Libr-, so endings are not added to liber but libr-.

4. How are Second Declension nouns with Nominative in -us declined?
Nouns that end in -us have the Nominative in -us, as Dominus, a Lord; Vocative, O Domine, O Lord, except Deus, O Deus, O God.

In short: -us, -i, -o | -um, -e, -o | -i, -orum, -is | -os, -i, -is.

5. Decline the Second Declension noun hic Dominus. (State the case name, the Latin form and the English.)
Singulariter: Nominativo, hic Dominus, a Lord; Genitivo, Domini, of a Lord; Dativo, Domino, to a Lord; Accusativo, Dominum, a Lord; Vocativo, O Domine, O Lord; Ablativo, a Domino, from a Lord. Pluraliter: as Liber.

In short: Dominus, Domini, Domino | Dominum, O Domine, a Domino | Domini, Dominorum, Dominis | Dominos, O Domini, a Dominis.

6. How are Second Declension Proper nouns with Nominative in -ius declined?
Proper Nouns that end in -ius, have the Vocative in -i, as Antonius, O Antoni. To this we may add filius (a son), O fili.

In short: -ius, -i, -o | -um, -i, -o | -i, -orum, -is | -os, -i, -is.

7. How are Second Declension nouns with Nominative in -eus declined?
Nouns that end in -eus, have the Vocative in -eu, as Orpheus, O Orpheu.

In short: -eus, -i, -o | -um, -eu, -o | -i, -orum, -is | -os, -i, -is.

8. How are Second Declension nouns with Nominative in -um declined?
As hoc Templum: with Genitive in -i; Dative in -o; Accusative and Vocative like the Nominative; Ablative in -o. In the plural, Nominative in -a; Genitive in -orum; Dative in -is; Accusative and Vocative like the Nominative; Ablative in -is.

In short: -um, -i, -o | -um, -um, -o | -a, -orum, -is | -a, -a, -is.

9. Decline the Second Declension noun hoc Templum. (State the case name, the Latin form and the English.)
Singulariter: Nominativo, hoc Templum, a Temple; Genitivo, Templi, of a Temple; Dativo, Templo, to a Temple; Accusativo, Templum, a Temple; Vocativo, O Templum, O Temple; Ablativo, a Templo, from a Temple. Pluraliter: Nominativo, Templa, Temples; Genitivo, Templorum, of Temples; Dativo, Templis, to Temples; Accusativo, Templa, Temples; Vocativo, O Templa, O Temples; Ablativo, a Templis, from Temples.

In short: Templum, Templi, Templo | Templum, O Templum, a Templo | Templa, Templorum, Templis | Templa, O Templa, a Templis.

10. What is special about Second Declension nouns ending in -um?
All Second Declension nouns ending in -um are of the Neuter gender.

11. What special rules apply to the declension of Neuter Nouns?
Neuter Nouns, in any declension, have three cases alike in both numbers: the Nominative, the Accusative and the Vocative, which always end in -a in the Plural, except for the words ambo and duo, which end in -o.

12. Summary of the Second Declension:

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