LESSON XLIII
THE THIRD DECLENSION • Ī-STEMS
241. To decline a noun of the third declension correctly we must know whether or not it is an i-stem. Nouns with i-stems are
1. Masculines and feminines:
a. Nouns in -ēs and -īs with the same number of syllables in the genitive as in the nominative. Thus caedēs, caedis, is an i-stem, but mīles, mīlitis, is a consonant stem.
b. Nouns in -ns and -rs.
c. Nouns of one syllable in -s or -x preceded by a consonant.
2. Neuters in -e, -al, and -ar.
242. The declension of i-stems is nearly the same as that of consonant stems. Note the following differences:
a. Masculines and feminities have -ium in the genitive plural and -īs or -ēs in the accusative plural.
b. Neuters have -ī in the ablative singular, and an -i- in every form of the plural.
243. Masculine and Feminine I-Stems. Masculine and feminine i-stems are declined as follows:
| caedēs, f., slaughter | hostis, m., enemy | urbs, f., city | cliēns, m., retainer | ||
| Stems | caedi- | hosti- | urbi- | clienti- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bases | caed- | host- | urb- | client- | |
| Singular | terminations m. and f. |
||||
| Nom. | caedēs | hostis | urbs | cliēns[1] | -s, -is, or -ēs |
| Gen. | caedis | hostis | urbis | clientis | -is |
| Dat. | caedī | hostī | urbī | clientī | -ī |
| Acc. | caedem | hostem | urbem | clientem | -em (-im) |
| Abl. | caede | hoste | urbe | cliente | -e (-ī) |
- ↑ Observe that the vowel before -ns is long, but that it is shortened before -nt. Cf. §12.2,3.
