Latin Noun Declensions

Declensions in Latin

• Declensions group nouns by common endings.

First Declension

• "a" group (e.g., puella, femina).

• Accusative: "-am".

• Often feminine.

Second Declension

• "-us" group (e.g., seros, dominos).

• Accusative: "-um".

• Often masculine.

Third Declension

• Catch-all, no specific nominative ending (e.g., canis, leo).

• Accusative: "-em".

Identifying Declensions

• Sort by accusative ending.

• Noun belongs to one declension only.

Importance of Declensions

• Provide predictable patterns for case endings.

• Add structure and beauty to the language.