Introduction to Noun Declension / First Declension

INTRODUCTION TO NOUN DECLENSION / FIRST DECLENSION

First Declension

Latin groups its nouns into five families called “declensions.” Nouns within the same declension will follow the same paradigm (pattern of endings). Thus, all 1st declension nouns will follow the same pattern of endings as you decline the noun through each of case. Similarly, all 2nd declension nouns will follow their own pattern of endings, and so forth.
The first declension paradigm of endings (also printed on p. 2 of your textbook) is as follows:

singularplural

Nominative:-a-ae

Genitive:-ae-ārum

Dative:-ae-īs

Accusative:-am-ās

Ablative:-ā-īs

Now look at this paradigm of the sample first declension noun āmentia, madness. The endings will appear in boldfaced blue.

singularplural

Nominative:āmentiaāmentiae

Genitive:āmentiaeāmentiārum

Dative:āmentiaeāmentiīs

Accusative:āmentiamāmentiās

Ablative:āmentiāāmentiīs

Declining Nouns

To decline ANY Latin noun (or adjective), you need to follow a few simple steps.
STEP #1: Start with the noun in its genitive singular form
N.B. All Latin dictionaries list the nominative singular form and the genitive singular ending
If a dictionary includes a dot ( · ), it does that to show you where you can remove the nominative ending and add the genitive ending listed to decline the noun
SAMPLE ENTRY: gale·a, -ae, f. helmet
galea is the nominative singular form
the –ae next to it is the genitive singular ending
the ( · ) shows you that if you remove the nominative singular ending -a, you get gale-, and if you add the listed genitive singular ending -ae, you get galeae
TIP: In general, first declension nouns are very consistent, so removing the nominative singular and adding in the genitive -ae will work to produce the genitive singular form of the noun correctly
STEP #2: Remove the noun’s genitive ending
TIP: you may want to think of declining like a simple math problem.
Memorize this “formula” for declining:
(genitive form) –– (genitive ending) = the base of the noun
EXAMPLE: (galeae) –– (-ae) = gale-
STEP #3: Add an ending to the base of the noun.
Now that you have the base of the noun, you can change the noun to whatever case and number you want.

Nagging question: “Hmmmm….Why am I going to the trouble of forming the genitive singular of the noun only to take off the genitive ending? Isn’t that like putting on a coat just to take it right off again?” *whimper*
It may seem oddly redundant to do it this way now, but when you learn the other declensions in Latin, you will see why this works and why it needs to be done this way.
Scan the table below to see if you can understand why declining a noun from the genitive singular is the most accurate method. For which declension(s) does it really matter that you form the base by removing the genitive singular ending (and not just by removing nominative singular ending)?

Declension / Nom. sing. / Gen. sing. / Gen. ending / Base
1st (MF) / fēmina / fēminae / -ae / fēmin-
2nd (MF) / amīcus / amīcī / -ī / amīc-
2nd (Neuter) / rēgnum / rēgnī / -ī / regn-
3rd (M & F) / mīles / mīlitis / -is / mīlit-
3rd (Neuter) / caput / capitis / -is / capit-
4th (MF) / exitus / exitūs / -ūs / exit-
4th (Neuter) / genu / genūs / -ūs / gen-
5th (MF) / faciēs / faciēī / -ēī / faci-

Keep in mind that Latin dictionaries ALWAYS give you enough information to form a noun’s genitive singular.
For class, you will have to be able to spell a noun correctly in the nominative and genitive singular. On tests, I will ask you to give me a noun’s genitive singular, gender, and definition.