Chapter 5 Grammar

Question 1

What is special about the vocative singular of the 2nd declension masculine nouns?

Answer 1

While almost all other nouns are identical in the nominative and vocative singular, the vocative signular of the second declension masculine nouns have their own ending.

A good way to remember this is to think of Julius Caesar’s dying words when he saw his friend Brutus among his assassins:
et tū, Brūte? “You also, Brutus?”

Question 2

How do 2nd declension masculine nouns decline?

Answer 2

N: dominus, dominī
V: domine, domini
Acc: dominum, dominos
Dat: domino, dominis
Abl: domino, dominis
Gen: domini, dominorum

Question 2

How do almost all neuter 2nd declension nouns decline?

Answer 2

N: saxum saxa
V: saxum saxa
Acc: saxum saxa
D: saxō saxīs
Abl: saxō saxīs
Gen: saxī saxōrum

Question 3

For words that do not end in -us or -e, how do their endings differ?

Answer 3

apart from the nominative and vocative singular, all the other endings remain the same as for dominus