Ch 4 · Lesson 18Latin · Chapter 4 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
The fifth declension: res and dies
, ; dies, : genitive -ei, nearly all feminine, and only and dies have a full plural. , the state, is one of them.
The short version
The fifth declension is small, feminine and mostly
, ,
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Genitive singular in -ei, and nearly everything in it is feminine: , , , , , with plural , , , . Only and dies decline right through the plural, has no plural at all, and dies is usually masculine but turns feminine when it means an appointed day. is the other oddity worth knowing: half fourth declension, half second, and keeping a locative on top.
The fifth declension: res and dies
Spotted by a genitive in -ei. Nearly all feminine, with the main exception:
| Case | res | dies | Plural of dies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | | | |
| Acc | | | |
| Gen | | | |
| | | |
| Abl | | | |
Only and decline right through the plural. , hope, appears in the plural only as , and , faith, has no plural at all.
is gloriously vague: thing, matter, affair, situation, property. It is the noun a Roman reached for where English needs a whole phrase:
| Latin | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| the public thing | the state |
| things done | deeds, history |
| new things | revolution |
| the nature of things | nature, the universe |
Both halves of decline: , of the state; , about the state.
is masculine ( , this day), and always masculine in the plural. It turns feminine for an appointed day: , on the appointed day.
Going further: The fourth declension: manus and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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