CHAPTER 4: NORMAL BASE VS. OBLIQUE BASE

1.  Inspect the chart from Chapter 3. 

Declension	NORMAL CASE	Oblique cases
1st	a	ae, am, ā, ārum, īs, ās
2nd (us)	us	ī, ō, um, ōrum, īs, ōs
2nd (um)	um	ī, ō, um, a, ōrum, īs, ōs
2nd (r)	er	ī, ō, um, ōrum, īs, ōs
3rd consonant-stem	?	is, ī, em, e, ēs, um, ibus, īs
3rd i-stem	is, ēs, es	is, ī, em, ī, ēs, ium, ibus, īs
3rd neuter	?	is, ī, ?, e, a, um, ibus
4th (m/f)	us	ūs, uī, um, uum, ū, ibus
5th	ēs	eī, em, ē, ēs, ērum, ēbus

2.  Note that in the 3^rd declension consonant stems and neuter we find question marks on two of the three rows.  Those question marks are there because in those sub-classes there are no regular endings as we find in the 3^rd declension i-stem and all the other declensions.

3.  This is because 3^rd declension nouns have two kinds of base:  the normal base and the oblique base. 

4.  The normal base is the base used in the DF.

5.  The oblique base is used in oblique cases cases.

6.  Though the two are usually different, they are related.  Occasionally they are the same.

Ex.  The DF of infant is infans.  The oblique forms are infantis, infantī, infantem, infantī, infantēs, infantium, infantibus.  Clearly the DF base is infans and the oblique base is infant-. 

Exercise 1

Identify the normal and oblique bases of the following words.

1.  hortus hortī hortō hortum hortōrum hortīs hortōs

2.  mōnstrum mōnstrī mōnstrō mōnstrum mōnstrōrum mōnstrīs mōnstra

3.  rādīx rādīcis rādīcī rādīcem rādīce rādīcēs rādīcum rādīcibus

4.  caput capitis capitī caput capite capita capitum capitibus

5.  cōnsul cōnsulis cōnsulī cōnsulem cōnsule cōnsulēs cōnsulum cōnsulibus

Exercise 2

Identify the normal and oblique bases of the following words.

1.  homō hominis hominī hominem homine hominēs hominum hominibus

2.  cor cordis cordī corde corda cordum cordibus

3.  genus generis generī genus genere genera generum generibus

4.  imber imbris imbrī imbrem imbrī imbrēs imbrium imbribus

5.  turris turrī turrim turrem turrī turre turrēs turrium turribus turrīs

Exercise 3

Identify the normal and oblique bases of the following words.

1.  puerus puerī puerō puerum puerōrum puerīs puerōs

2.  māter mātrī mātrem mātre mātrēs mātrum mātribus

3.  sinus sinūs sinuī sinum sinū sinuum sinubus

4.  dux ducis ducī ducem ducēs ducum ducibus

5.  seriēs serieī seriēbus  seriē seriērum seriem

6.  animāl animālis animālī animālia animālium
animālibus

7.  arca arcae arcam arcā arcīs arcās

8.  avus avī avō avum avōrum avīs avōs

9.  tempestās tempestātī tempestātem tempestāte tempestātēs tempestātum tempestātibus

10.  nepōs nepōtī nepōtem nepōte nepōtēs nepōtum nepōtibus

Exercise 4

Using your knowledge of English, predict the oblique base.

1.  damnum (harm, injury)

2.  dēns (tooth)

3.  deus (god)

4.  discrīmen (crisis, peril, danger)

5.  discus (discus)

6.  dolor (pain, grief; anger)

7.  dracō (dragon, snake)

8.  dux (leader, commander)

9.  adulēscēns (young man)

10.  ars (art)

11.  bōs (cow)