Latin for Beginners · Lesson XLV · Part 9: Third-declension adjectives, the fourth and fifth declensions
45. Adjectives of the third declension
Goal: Your child declines third-declension adjectives of three, two and one endings (ācer, omnis, pār) and makes them agree with nouns.
You'll need
- The book: the lesson pages, plus the special vocabulary at the back of the book
- A notebook and pencil
- Index cards for new words
What's in the book
Three classes of third-declension adjectives (§§ 250 to 253), with the paradigms of ācer, ācris, ācre (§ 254), omnis, omne (§ 255) and pār (§ 256), then the reading The Romans invade the Enemy's Country and six English sentences. Vocabulary on page 293.
The lesson, step by step
Warm up
Your child declines the i-stem noun hostis. Point out the -ī, -ium and -īs endings.
The new idea
Third-declension adjectives are almost all i-stems, so they decline like hostis and animal, with one difference: the ablative singular is -ī. They come in three kinds, by how many nominative forms they have:
ācer, ācris, ācre
omnis, omne
pār
Three endings (one per gender), two endings (masculine and feminine share one), and one ending (all genders alike).
Say the forms aloud
Decline omnis together: omnis, omnis, omnī, omnem, omnī; plural omnēs, omnium, omnibus, omnīs or -ēs, omnibus. The neuter goes omne, omnis, omnī, omne, omnī; plural omnia, omnium, omnibus, omnia, omnibus. Then try ācer and pār the same way, reading from the book.
Vocabulary
Page 293. Some of the words:
brevis, breve, short, brief
fortis, forte, brave (fortitude)
gravis, grave, heavy, severe, serious (grave)
omnis, omne, every, all (omnibus)
paucī, -ae, -a, few, only a few (paucity)
Latin to English
Read the story of the Roman attack one sentence at a time. Two of its sentences:
Summā vī omnēs properāvērunt.
Fortūna fortibus semper favet.
The last one is a famous proverb. Ask your child what it means in everyday English.
English to Latin
Write the six English sentences. Watch adjective agreement: same gender, number and case as the noun, even if the endings don't look alike.
Wrap-up
Your child declines ācer, ācris, ācre from memory. Memorize the three paradigms and the new words.
Afterwards
Plan two days. On the second, decline the book's practice phrases: a noun with a third-declension adjective, such as vir ācer.
Tip
A first- or second-declension noun can take a third-declension adjective (agricola fortis). Agreement means matching gender, number and case, not matching endings.
Answers to the book's problems
The story's sentences are not numbered; these follow the book's order. Once the Roman foot soldiers with swift horsemen were marching toward a city of the enemy. When they were not far away, they seized a farmer, who showed them a short and easy road. Now the Romans could see the high walls, strong towers and other works of the city. On the walls stood many chiefs. When the chiefs saw the Romans, they ordered the citizens to throw stones and other weapons from the walls. Then the brave soldiers could not be held back from battle, and the eager general ordered the signal to be given with the trumpet. All hurried with the greatest energy. The general intrusted all the baggage to Sextus, his lieutenant. Sextus placed the baggage on the top of the hill. The battle was severe and fierce, but the enemy were not equal to the Romans. Some were killed, others were captured. Among the captives were the mother and sister of the king. Few of the Romans were wounded by the enemy. The successful battle was pleasing to the Romans. Fortune always favors the brave.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.