3rd declension nouns

§18. Latin Nouns of the Third Declension

1. What is 3rd declension in Latin?
2. How do you know if a noun is third declension?
3. What are the 3rd declension endings in Latin?
4. What gender are most 3rd declension nouns?

What is 3rd declension in Latin?

The third declension is a category of nouns in Latin and Greek with broadly similar case formation — diverse stems, but similar endings. Sanskrit also has a corresponding class (although not commonly termed as third), in which the so-called basic case endings are applied very regularly.

How do you know if a noun is third declension?

You can identify third declension nouns by their genitive singular ending '-is'. To decline a third declension noun: find the genitive singular, which will end '-is' remove the '-is', leaving you with the stem.

What are the 3rd declension endings in Latin?

The usual genitive ending of third declension nouns is -is. The letter or syllable before it usually remains throughout the cases. For the masculine and feminine, the nominative replaces the -is ending of the singular with an -es for the plural. (Remember: neuter plural nominatives and accusatives end in -a.)

What gender are most 3rd declension nouns?

Those are the endings used for the masculine and feminine gender, but third declension includes all three genders, unlike first declension in which most of the nouns are feminine, or second declension in which most of the nouns are masculine or neuter.