3rd DECLENSION ADJECTIVES

GM 13

• Introduction

• Three groups of 3rd declension adjectives

• Paradigm

• Examples of use

• Textbook

Content

Introduction

• Latin adjectives are divided into two groups.

• Adjectives from the first group use exclusively endings from the 1st and the 2nd declension. This group is already known to you - see lesson 6 (adjectives).

• The second group of adjectives use solely endings from the 3rd declension parisyllabics.

• There are no adjectives which would use endings from remaining declensions (4th and 5th).

1st and 2nd declension adjectives

• Let us review: if we connect a noun and an adjective belonging to a different declension, the adjective will not reproduce the ending of given noun.

• Instead the adjective will adopt (1) gender, (2) grammatical case, and (3) grammatical number of the noun.

• Therefore: chronic pain which utilise an adjective (chronic) belonging to the 1st and 2nd decl. group and noun (pain) from the 3rd decl. will be inflexed:

pain chronic

dolordolorisdoloremdoloredoloresdolorumdoloresdoloribus

chronicuschronicichronicumchronicochronicichronicorumchronicoschronicis

For the adjective we have three possible sets of endings following paradigms musculus (M), vena (F), intestinum (N).

Dolor is a masculine and therefore we have to choose from those three the proper paradigm for masculine gender: musculus.

3rd declension adjectives• 3rd declension adjectives are divided internally to 3

groups called:

• one-termination adjectives

• two-termination adjectives

• three-termination adjectives

• the number refers to amount of separate endings for gender in Nom. Sg. case thus one-termination adj. have only one ending common for all three genders; two-termination have one ending for M/F and the other for N, etc.

Comments

• Does it mean that we have three separate paradigms for all the sub-groups of adjectives according the 3rd declension? Thankfully no ...

• The three subgroups differ virtually only in one position: Nom. Sg.

• In all other grammatical cases a single paradigm brevis, e will be sufficient.

Paradigm brevis, e

M/F N M/F N

Nom. brev -is brev -e brev -es brev -ia

Gen. brev -is brev -ium

Acc. brev -em brev -e brev -es brev -ia

Abl. brev -i brev -ibus

Neutral endings in Nom. and Acc. cases are similar (marked red in singular).Yellow marked endings differ form standard imparisyllabic paradigm dolor and caput.

masculine and adjective

musculus brevismusculi brevismusculum brevemmusculo brevi

musculi brevesmusculorum breviummusculos brevesmusculis brevibus

Demonstration

feminine and adjective

operatio brevisoperationis brevisoperationem brevemoperatione brevi

operationes brevesoperationumbreviumoperationes brevesoperationibus brevibus

neutrum and adjective

coma brevecomatis breviscoma brevecomate brevi

comata breviacomatum breviumcomata breviacomatibus brevibus

Endings are similar because the adjective has only one set for

both genders.

Paradigm acer, acris, acre

M F N M F N

Nom. acer acr -is acr -e acr -es acr -ia

Gen. acr -is acr -ium

Acc. acr -em acr -e acr -es acr -ia

Abl. acr -i acr -ibus

Three-termination adjectives have the three separate endings only in Nom. Sg. the rest corresponds with the paradigm brevis.

Paradigm felix

M/F N M/F N

Nom. felix felic -es felic -ia

Gen. felic -is felic -ium

Acc. felic -em felix felic -es felic -ia

Abl. felic -i felic -ibus

• One-termination adjectives have the only one ending in Nom. Sg. for all the genders the rest corresponds with the paradigm brevis.

• Accusative of neutrals must follow Nom.

Textbook

• For related grammar and vocabulary see p. 166 - 169.