Dictionary formensis, ensis(masculine)
Translation
sword, blade
Test yourself on ensis
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | ensis | enses |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | ensis | enses |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | ensem | enses |
| Genitiveof | ensis | ensium |
| Dativeto, for | ensi | ensibus |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | ense | ensibus |
Examples
.
The sword was in the king's hand.
.
He defeated the enemy with the sword.
strinxit .
He drew his sword and went into battle.
lucebant.
The soldiers' swords were gleaming in the sun.
.
No one came into the camp without a sword.
Ensis, ensis is third declension masculine and an i-stem, so genitive plural ensium. The nominative in -is tempts people into treating it as feminine; it is not. Beyond that the declension is unremarkable.
What matters about ensis is register. It is the poets' sword. Prose writes gladius; Virgil, Ovid and Lucan write ensis, partly because ense and ensem scan where gladio and gladium do not. So finding ensis in a text tells you something about the writer's ambitions before it tells you anything about the weapon. Later Latin verse and hymnody keep the habit. It left almost nothing to the Romance languages, which took their swords from spatha instead - French epee, Spanish espada, Italian spada.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
(1)Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
Latin · Free printables
ensis: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "ensis" (sword, blade): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 7, lesson 12: ensis, rectus, brevis and 11 more words.