CHAPTER 9: THE SECOND AND THIRD PRINCIPAL PARTS

 

1.  Previously you learned that the dictionary form (DF) is the first principal part. 

2.  The DF is also the form that a noun takes when it does some action.

 

Exercise 1

Which noun is doing the action in the following sentences?

1.  The boy kicked the rock.

2.  She went home.

3.  A bird was feeding on the lawn.

4.  The doctor inspected the patient’s appendix curiously.

5.  The guests sat down quickly.

 

2.  The second principal part is the form taken by a noun when it is MARKED as the possessor of something.

Definition 1.  Marked means that the ending has been changed.

Definition 2.  Possessor refers to the owner of something.

 

Exercise 2

Which noun or pronoun is marked as the possessor of something in the following sentences?

1.  He saw his friend.

2.  Tim’s car was stolen.

3.  The thief stole the boys’ hats.

4.  Their dog was found that afternoon.

5.  The dog stole her hat.

 

3.  The second principal part is used in Latin to group nouns into declensions. 

Definition.  A declension is a group of nouns which take (mostly) the same endings.

Note.  If you know the second principal part, you know which declension a noun belongs to.

 

DECLENSION	2ND PRINCIPAL PART
1st	ae
2nd	ī
3rd	is
4th	ūs
5th	ēī

 

Exercise 3

To which declension does each noun belong?  Do as many as you need.

1.  Absyrtus, Absyrtī, m., Absyrtus

2.  Acastus, Acastī, m., Acastus

3.  aciēs, aciēī, f., line of battle

4.  Acrisius, Acrisiī, m., Acrisius.

5.  Admēta, Admētae, f., Admeta

6.  adulēscēns, adulēscentis, m., young man

7.  adulēscentia, adulēscentiae, f., youth

8.  adventus, adventūs, m., approach, arrival

9.  Aeacus, Aeacī, m., Aeacus

10.  aedis, aedis, f., sing. temple, plur. house

11.  Aeētēs, Aeētae, m., Aeetes

12.  annus, annī, m., year

13.  Aeolia, Aeoliae, f., Aeolia

14.  Aeolus, Aeolī, m., Aeolus

15.  āēr, āeris, m., air

16.  aes, aeris, n., copper, bronze

17.  Aeson, Aesonis, m., Aeson

18.  aestās, aestātis, f., summer

19.  aetās, aetātis, f., age

20.  antrum, antrī, n., cave

21.  Aetna, Aetnae, f., Etna

22.  ager, agri, m., field, land

23.  āgmen, agminis, n., band, column

24.  ala, alae, f., wing

25.  Alcmēna, Alcmēnae, f., Alcmena

26.  aliquantum, aliquantī, n., somewhat

27.  Alpēs, Alpium, f. plur., Alps

28.  aper, aprī, m., wild boar

29.  āmentia, āmentiae, f., madness

30.  amīcus, amīcī, m., friend

31.  amor, amōris, m., love

32.  amphora, amphorae, f., jar, bottle

33.  ancora, ancorae, f., anchor

34.  Andromeda, Andromedae, f., Andromeda

35.  anguis, anguis, m. and f., serpent, snake

36.  anima, animae, f., breath, soul, life

37.  animus, animī, m., mind; heart; spirit, courage

 

4.  The DF is translated by its definition.  E.g., the DF oppidum is translated as “[a or the] town.” 

 

5.  The 2^nd principal part of a noun is translated by putting “of” in front of the the dictionary content.  E.g., the meaning of oppidī is “of town.”

Often –’s sounds more natural.

 

Exercise 4

Translate the first two principal parts of Exercise 3.

6.  The third principal part is the gender of the noun.  In the lexical entry, m. = masculine, n. = neuter, f. = feminine and c. = common (masculine or feminine). 

Ex1.  Looking at animus, animī, m., we see that the gender of animus is masculine.

Ex2.  Looking at anima, animae, f., we see that the gender of anima is feminine.

Ex3.  Looking at āgmen, agminis, n., we see that the gender of āgmen is neuter.