Bennett's New Latin Grammar is a book, now in the public domain, written by the famous Charles E. Bennett. I have made this version available online. Of course there may be errors, so use at your own risk.
FOURTH DECLENSION.
48. Nouns of the Fourth Declension end in -us Masculine, and -ū Neuter. They are declined as follows: -
| Frūctus, m., fruit. | Cornū, n., horn. | |||
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | |
| Nom. | frūctus | frūctūs | cornū | cornua |
| Gen. | frūctūs | frūctuum | cornūs | cornuum |
| Dat. | frūctuī | frūctibus | cornū | cornibus |
| Acc. | frūctum | frūctūs | cornū | cornua |
| Voc. | frūctus | frūctūs | cornū | cornua |
| Abl. | frūctū | frūctibus | cornū | cornibus |
49. 1. Nouns in -us, particularly in early Latin, often form the Genitive Singular in -ī, following the analogy of nouns in -us of the Second Declension; as, senātī, ōrnātī. This is usually the case in Plautus and Terence.
2. Nouns in -us sometimes have -ū in the Dative Singular, instead of -uī; as, frūctū (for frūctuī).
3. The ending -ubus, instead of -ibus, occurs in the Dative and Ablative Plural of artūs (Plural), limbs; tribus, tribe; and in dis-syllables in -cus; as, artubus, tribubus, arcubus, lacubus. But with the exception of tribus, all these words admit the forms in -ibus as well as those in -ubus.
4. Domus, house, is declined according to the Fourth Declension, but has also the following forms of the Second: -
domī (locative), at home;
domō, from home;
domum, homewards, to one's home;
domōs, homewards, to their (etc.) homes
5. The only Neuters of this declension in common use are: cornū, horn; genū, knee; and verū, spit.
50. The following nouns in -us are Feminine: acus, needle; domus, house; manus, hand; porticus, colonnade; tribus, tribe; Īdūs (Plural), Ides; also names of trees (§ 15, 2).
FIFTH DECLENSION.
51. Nouns of the Fifth Declension end in -ēs, and are declined as follows: -
| Diēs, m., day. | Rēs, f., thing. | |||
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | SINGULAR. | PLURAL. | |
| Nom. | diēs | diēs | rēs | rēs |
| Gen. | diēī | diērum | rĕī | rērum |
| Dat. | diēī | diēbus | rĕī | rēbus |
| Acc. | diem | diēs | rem | rēs |
| Voc. | diēs | diēs | rēs | rēs |
| Abl. | diē | diēbus | rē | rēbus |
52. 1. The ending of the Genitive and Dative Singular is -ĕī, instead of -ēī, when a consonant precedes; as, spĕī, rĕī, fidĕī.
2. A Genitive ending -ī (for -ĕī) is found in plēbī (from plēbēs = plēbs) in the expressions tribūnus plēbī, tribune of the people, and plēbī scītum, decree of the people; sometimes also in other words.
3. A Genitive and Dative form in -ē sometimes occurs; as, aciē.
4. With the exception of diēs and rēs, most nouns of the Fifth Declension are not declined in the Plural. But aciēs, seriēs, speciēs, spēs, and a few others are used in the Nominative and Accusative Plural.
53. Nouns of the Fifth Declension are regularly Feminine, except diēs, day, and merīdiēs, mid-day. But diēs is sometimes Feminine in the Singular, particularly when it means an appointed day.
DEFECTIVE NOUNS.
54. Here belong -
1. Nouns used in the Singular only.
2. Nouns used in the Plural only.
3. Nouns used only in certain cases.
4. Indeclinable Nouns.
55. Many nouns, from the nature of their signification, are regularly used in the Singular only. Thus: -
1. Proper names; as, Cicerō, Cicero; Italia, Italy.
2. Nouns denoting material; as, aes, copper; lac, milk.
3. Abstract nouns; as, ignōrantia, ignorance; bonitās, goodness.
4. But the above classes of words are sometimes used in the Plural. Thus: -
a) Proper names, - to denote different members of a family, or specimens of a type; as, Cicerōnēs, the Ciceros; Catōnēs, men like Cato.
b) Names of materials, - to denote objects made of the material, or different kinds of the substance; as, aera, bronzes (i.e. bronze figures); ligna, woods.
c) Abstract nouns, - to denote instances of the quality; as, ignōrantiae, cases of ignorance.
56. Here belong -
1. Many geographical names; as, Thēbae, Thebes; Leuctra, Leuctra; Pompejī, Pompeii.
2. Many names of festivals; as, Megalēsia, the Megalesian festival.
3. Many special words, of which the following are the most important: -
|
angustiae, narrow pass. arma, weapons. dēliciae, delight. dīvitiae, riches. Īdūs, Ides. indūtiae, truce. īnsidiae, ambush. majōrēs, ancestors. |
mānēs, spirits of the dead. moenia, city walls. minae, threats. nūptiae, marriage. posterī, descendants. reliquiae, remainder. tenebrae, darkness. verbera, blows. |
Also in classical prose regularly -
|
cervīcēs, neck. fidēs, lyre. |
nārēs, nose. vīscerā, viscera. |
57. 1. Used in only One Case. Many nouns of the Fourth Declension are found only in the Ablative Singular as, jussū, by the order; injussū, without the order; nātū, by birth.
2. Used in Two Cases.
a. Fors (chance), Nom. Sing.; forte, Abl. Sing.
b. Spontis (free-will), Gen. Sing.; sponte, Abl. Sing.
3. Used in Three Cases. Nēmō, no one (Nom.), has also the Dat. nēminī and the Acc. nēminem. The Gen. and Abl. are supplied by the corresponding cases of nūllus; viz. nūllīus and nūllō.
4. Impetus has the Nom., Acc., and Abl. Sing., and the Nom. and Acc. Plu.; viz. impetus, impetum, impetū, impetūs.
5.
a. Precī, precem, prece, lacks the Nom. and Gen. Sing.
b. Vicis, vicem, vice, lacks the Nom. and Dat. Sing.
6. Opis, dapis, and frūgis, - all lack the Nom. Sing.
7. Many monosyllables of the Third Declension lack the Gen. Plu.: as, cor, lūx, sōl, aes, ōs (ōris), rūs, sāl, tūs.
58. Here belong -
|
fās, n., right. īnstar, n., likeness. māne, n., morning. |
nefās, n., impiety. nihil, n., nothing. secus, n., sex. |
1. With the exception of māne (which may serve also as Ablative, in the morning), the nouns in this list are simply Neuters confined in use to the Nominative and Accusative Singular.
59. These are nouns whose forms are partly of one declension, and partly of another. Thus: -
1. Several nouns have the entire Singular of one declension, while the Plural is of another; as, -
| vās, vāsis (vessel); | Plu., vāsa, vāsorōum, vāsīs, etc. |
| jūgerum, jūgerī (acre); | Plu., jūgera, jūgerum, jūgeribus, etc. |
2. Several nouns, while belonging in the main to one declension, have certain special forms belonging to another. Thus: -
a) Many nouns of the First Declension ending in -ia take also a Nom. and Acc. of the Fifth; as, māteriēs, māteriem, material, as well as māteria, māteriam.
b) Famēs, hunger, regularly of the Third Declension, has the Abl. famē of the Fifth.
c) Requiēs, requiētis, rest, regularly of the Third Declension, takes an Acc. of the Fifth, requiem, in addition to requiētem.
d) Besides plēbs, plēbis, common people, of the Third Declension, we find plēbēs, plēbĕī (also plēbī, see § 52, 2), of the Fifth.
60. Heterogeneous nouns vary in Gender. Thus: -
1. Several nouns of the Second Declension have two forms, - one Masc. in -us, and one Neuter in -um; as, clipeus, clipeum, shield; carrus, carrum, cart.
2. Other nouns have one gender in the Singular, another in the Plural; as, -
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. |
| balneum, n., bath; | balneae, f., bath-house. |
| epulum, n., feast; | epulae, f., feast. |
| frēnum, n., bridle; | frēnī, m.(rarely frēna, n.), bridle. |
| jocus, m., jest; | joca, n. (also jocī, m.), jests. |
| locus, m., place; | loca, n., places; locī, m., passages or topics in an author. |
| rāstrum, n., rake; | rāstrī, m.; rāstra, n., rakes. |
a. Heterogeneous nouns may at the same time be heteroclites, as in case of the first two examples above.
61. The following nouns have one meaning in the Singular, and another in the Plural: -
| SINGULAR. | PLURAL. |
| aedēs, temple; | aedēs, house. |
| auxilium, help; | auxilia, auxiliary troops. |
| carcer, prison; | carcerēs, stalls for racing-chariot. |
| castrum, fort; | castra, camp. |
| cōpia, abundance; | cōpiae, troops, resources. |
| fīnis, end; | fīnēs, borders, territory. |
| fortūna, fortune; | fortūnae, possessions, wealth. |
| grātia, favor, gratitude; | grātiae, thanks. |
| impedīmentum, hindrance; | impedīmenta, baggage. |
| littera, letter (of the alphabet); | litterae, epistle; literature. |
| mōs, habit, custom; | mōrēs, character. |
| opera, help, service; | operae, laborers. |
| (ops) opis, help; | opēs, resources. |
| pars, part; | partēs, party; rôle. |
| sāl, salt; | sălēs, wit. |