Latin word of the day: caverna, ae

Latin word of the day: caverna, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Meaning in English: cave, grotto, vault, chamber

Nominative singular: caverna
Nominative plural: cavernae
Genitive singular: cavernae
Genitive plural: cavernarum
Dative singular: cavernae
Dative plural: cavernis
Accusative singular: cavernam
Accusative plural: cavernas
Ablative singular: caverna
Ablative plural: cavernis
Vocative singular: caverna
Vocative plural: cavernae

Latin word of the day: incola, ae

Latin word of the day: incola, ae

Part of speech: noun

Declension: first

Gender: masculine or feminine

Meaning in English: native inhabitant

Nominative singular: incola

Nominative plural: incolae

Genitive singular: incolae

Genitive plural: incolarum

Dative singular: incolae

Dative plural: incolis

Accusative singular: incolam

Accusative plural: incolas

Ablative singular: incola

Ablative plural: incolis

Vocative singular: incola

Vocative plural: incolas

I can't insert macrons over letters on this blog. However, I'd like to remind myself that what distinguishes the ablative singular from the nominative and vocative singular is the presence in the ablative singular of a bar above the final 'a', indicating that it is a long 'a'. 

The word 'lemma' keeps coming up. The dictionary says this means the citation form of a word, when the word has multiple forms. For example, the English word 'to go' has derivative forms of 'went', 'going', 'gone', etc., but the 'lemma', or citation form, the one you'd look for in a dictionary, is 'go'. 

Punishment

I got the genitive plural wrong on my last Latin post. Therefore, the punishment will be to decline ten first declension nouns. 

Calm down. :) It's not a real punishment. It's just practice. It's fun. 

Why study Latin? (I'd rather not think of myself as studying Latin. That adds too much emotional weight and high expectations to the situation. I'd rather say I'm just looking at Latin, for the time being. Maybe later, I will study it. 

Here's the thing: I tried to study Latin in university, but I gave up after one semester. I realize now that I didn't know how to study. I didn't understand the value of memorization and (much maligned these days but nevertheless extremely valuable) rote learning. Valuable because if something is memorized, known by heart, or practiced until it's second nature, your brain is freed up to focus on that which you don't know.

I could be wrong. But that is what has worked for me. Much more so than learning from a purely analytical point of view and trying to re-invent the wheel with each new sentence or with each new problem.

1. Terra, ae (land, ground)

Nominative singular: terra

Nominative plural: terrae

Genitive singular: terrae

Genitive plural: terrarum

Dative singular: terrae

Dative plural: terris

Accusative singular: terram

Accusative plural: terras

Ablative singular: terra

Ablative plural: terris

Vocative singular: terra

Vocative plural: terrae

2. Calumnia, ae (sophistry, false speech)

Nominative singular: calumnia

Nominative plural: calumniae

Genitive singular: calumniae

Genitive plural: calumniarum

Dative singular: calumniae

Dative plural: calumniis

Accusative singular: calumniam

Accusative plural: calumnias

Ablative singular: calumnia

Ablative plural: calumniis

Vocative singular: calumnia

Vocative plural: calumniae

3. Anima, ae (spirit)

Nominative singular: anima

Nominative plural: animae

Genitive singular: animae

Genitive plural: animarum

Dative singular: animae

Dative plural: animis

Accusative singular: animam

Accusative plural: animas

Ablative singular: anima

Ablative plural: animis

Vocative singular: anima

Vocative plural: animae

4. Distantia, ae (distance)

Nominative singular: distantia

Nominative plural: distantiae

Genitive singular: distantiae

Genitive plural: distantiarum

Dative singular: distantiae

Dative plural: distantiis

Accusative singular: distantiam

Accusative plural: distantias

Ablative singular: distantia

Ablative plural: distantiis

Vocative singular: distantia

Vocative plural: distantiae

5. Epistula, ae (letter)

Nominative singular: espistula

Nominative plural: epistulae

Genitive singular: epistulae

Genitive plural: epistularum

Dative singular: epistulae

Dative plural: epistulis

Accusative singular: epistulam

Accusative plural: epistulas

Ablative singular: epistula

Ablative plural: epistulis

Vocative singular: epistula

Vocative plural: epistulae

6. Fabula, ae (story, tale)

Nominative singular: fabula

Nominative plural: fabulae

Genitive singular: fabulae

Genitive plural: fabularum

Dative singular: fabulae

Dative plural: fabulis

Accusative singular: fabulam

Accusative plural: fabulas

Ablative singular: fabula

Ablative plural: fabulis

Vocative singular: fabula

Vocative plural: fabulae

7. Ara, ae (altar, shelter)

Nominative singular: ara

Nominative plural: arae

Genitive singular: arae

Genitive plural: ararum

Dative singular: arae

Dative plural: aris

Accusative singular: aram

Accusative plural: aras

Ablative singular: ara

Ablative plural: aris

Vocative singular: ara

Vocative plural: arae

8. Flamma, ae (flame)

Nominative singular: flamma

Nominative plural: flammae

Genitive singular: flammae

Genitive plural: flammarum

Dative singular: flammae

Dative plural: flammis

Accusative singular: flammam

Accusative plural: flammas

Ablative singular: flamma

Ablative plural: flammis

Vocative singular:: flamma

Vocative plural: flammae

9. Doctrina, ae (instruction)

Nominative singular: doctrina

Nominative plural: doctrinae

Genitive singular: doctrinae

Genitive plural: doctrinarum

Dative singular: doctrinae

Dative plural: doctrinis

Accusative singular: doctrinam

Accusative plural: doctrinas

Ablative singular: doctrina

Ablative plural: doctrinis

Vocative singular: doctrina

Vocative plural: doctrinae

10. Industria, ae (diligence)

Nominative singular: industria

Nominative plural: industriae

Genitive singular: industriae

Genitive plural: industriarum

Dative singular: industriae

Dative plural: industriis

Accusative singular: industriam

Accusative plural: industrias

Ablative singular: industria

Ablative plural: industriis

Vocative singular: industria

Vocative plural: industriae

I didn't re-read this. I hope I didn't make any mistakes. Because if I did...  haha.. :)

Latin word of the day: fera, ae

Latin word of the day: fera, ae

Part of speech: noun

Declension: first

Gender: feminine

Meaning in English: wild animal, beast

Nominative singular: fera

Nominative plural: ferae

Genitive singular: ferae

Genitive plural: ferarum

Dative singular: ferae

Dative plural: feris

Accusative singular: feram

Accusative plural: feras

Ablative singular: fera

Ablative plural: feris

Vocative singular: fera

Vocative plural: ferae

This word seems still to exist in English as 'feral', as in 'a feral animal'.

A book that is in the public domain, having been published in 1909, called 'Latin for Beginners', by an author named Benjamin L. D'ooge (downloadable from Project Gutenberg), has some great sentences using fera, ae (great in the sense of being able to see the word in the context of a sentence, rather than by itself). This sentence isn't from the book, but is modified from one of the sentences from the book:

Dea lunae feras silvarum amat. The goddess of the moon loves the beasts of the forests. 

Latin word of the day: insula, ae

Latin word of the day: insula, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: feminine
Meaning in English: island

Nominative singular: insula
Nominative plural: insulae
Genitive singular: insulae
Genitive plural: insularum
Dative singular: insulae
Dative plural: insulis
Accusative singular: insulam
Accusative plural: insulas
Ablative singular: insula
Ablative plural: insulis
Vocative singular: insula
Vocative plural: insulae

This word seems similar to English "peninsula".

First Declension Practice: audacia, ae

Practice word: audacia, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: feminine
Meanings in English: boldness, courage, insolence
Synonyms: audentia, ae; fortitudo, inis (this is a third declension noun)

Nominative singular: audacia
Nominative plural: audaciae
Genitive singular: audaciae
Genitive plural: audaciarum
Dative singular: audaciae
Dative plural: audaciis
Accusative singular: audaciam
Accusative plural: audacias
Ablative singular: audacia
Ablative plural: audaciis
Vocative singular: audacia
Vocative plural: audaciae

Latin Word of the Day: agripeta, ae

Latin word of the day: agripeta, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: masculine
Meaning in English: squatter (as in land)

Nominative singular: agripeta
Nominative plural: agripetae
Genitive singular: agripetae
Genitive plural: agripetarum
Dative singular: agripetae
Dative plural: agripetis
Accusative singular: agripetam
Accusative plural: agripetas
Ablative singular: agripeta
Ablative plural: agripetis
Vocative singular: agripeta
Vocative plural: agripetae

Latin Word of the Day: fiscella, ae

Latin word of the day: fiscella, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Meaning in English: a small wicker basket

Nominative singular: fiscella
Nominative plural: fiscellae
Genitive singular: fiscellae
Genitive plural: fiscellarum
Dative singular: fiscellae
Dative plural: fiscellis
Accusative singular: fiscellam
Accusative plural: fiscellas
Ablative singular: fiscella
Ablative plural: fiscellis
Vocative singular: fiscella
Vocative plural: fiscellae

There is apparently a related first declension noun with the same meaning: fiscina, ae.

Nominative singular: fiscina
Nominative plural: fiscinae
Genitive singular: fiscinae
Genitive plural: fiscinarum
Dative singular: fiscinae
Dative plural: fiscinis
Accusative singular: fiscinam
Accusative plural: fiscinas
Ablative singular: fiscina
Ablative plural: fiscinis
Vocative singular: fiscina
Vocative plural: fiscinae

This online dictionary looks pretty good.

Strange First Declension Noun: Galaxias, ae

A strange (at least to me) first declension noun because the nominative singular and the accusative singular are different (although one online dictionary said the standard accusative singular ending is also okay):

Latin word of the day: galaxias, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: masculine
Meaning in English: galaxy

Nominative singular: galaxias
Nominative plural: galaxiae
Genitive singular: galaxiae
Genitive plural: galaxiarum
Dative singular: galaxiae
Dative plural: galaxiis
Accusative singular: galaxian
Accusative plural: galaxias
Ablative singular: galaxia
Ablative plural: galaxiis
Vocative singular: galaxia
Vocative plural: galaxiae

Related word: Via Lactea.
Meaning in English: The Milky Way.

The Latin Wikipedia has this interesting sentence in its article on Via Lactea: "Via lactea, sive orbis lacteus est galaxias noster, in quo est systema solare, inde et Sol et Tellus."

Sive: on the other hand, or
Systema solare: Solar System
Inde: thence, from there
Sol: the Sun
Tellus: Earth

Latin Word of the Day: agna, ae

Latin word of the day: agna, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: feminine
Meaning in English: female lamb

Note: There is a similar second declension noun meaning male lamb.

Nominative singular: agna
Nominative plural: agnae
Genitive singular: agnae
Genitive plural: agnarum
Dative singular: agnae
Dative plural: agnis
Accusative singular: agnam
Accusative plural: agnas
Ablative singular: agna
Ablative plural: agnis
Vocative singular: agna
Vocative plural: agnae

Latin Word of the Day: Regina, ae

Latin word of the day: regina, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: feminine
Meaning in English: queen

Nominative singular: regina
Nominative plural: reginae
Genitive singular: reginae
Genitive plural: reginarum
Dative singular: reginae
Dative plural: reginis
Accusative singular: reginam
Accusative plural: reginas
Ablative singular: regina
Ablative plural: reginis
Vocative singular: regina
Vocative plural: reginae

Latin Word of the Day: Clepta, ae

Latin Word of the Day: clepta, ae
Part of speech: noun
Declension: first
Gender: masculine
Meaning in English: thief

Nominative singular: clepta
Nominative plural: cleptae
Genitive singular: cleptae
Genitive plural: cleptarum
Dative singular: cleptae
Dative plural: cleptis
Accusative singular: cleptam
Accusative plural: cleptas
Ablative singular: clepta
Ablative plural: cleptis
Vocative singular: clepta
Vocative plural: cleptae

The dictionary says this word isn't the source of English words such as kleptomania and kleptocracy. Rather, it says both clepta, cleptae and its English counterparts came from Greek.

First Declension Word Search

It's fun to have fun with it. But, I couldn't do it without making a mistake. That's all right!

Overview of First Declension Nouns

Nice overview of first declension nouns. She points out that the declension will be the same for first declension nouns whether they are masculine or feminine. 

Latin Word of the Day

Latin word of the day: apotheca, ae

Part of speech: noun

Declension: first

Gender: feminine

Meaning in English: storehouse, repository, warehouse

Nominative singular: apotheca

Nominative plural: apothecae

Genitive singular: apothecae

Genitive plural: apothecarum

Dative singular: apothecae

Dative plural: apothecis

Accusative singular: apothecam

Accusative plural: apothecas

Ablative singular: apotheca

Ablative plural: apothecis

Vocative singular: apotheca

Vocative plural: apothecae

"Apothecary" would seem to be derived from this word. Wiktionary says that "boutique" is also derived from this word. 

Latin Word of the Day: Abstinentia, ae

Latin word of the day: Abstinentia, ae
Meaning in English: Abstinence, fasting, self-restraint
Part of speech: Noun
Declension: First

Nominative singular: Abstinentia
Nominative plural: Abstinentiae
Genitive singular: Abstinentiae
Genitive plural: Abstinentiarum
Dative singular: Abstinentiae
Dative plural: Abstinentiis
Accusative singular: Abstinentiam
Accusative plural: Abstinentias
Ablative singular: Abstinentia
Ablative plural: Abstinentiis
Vocative singular: Abstinentia
Vocative plural: Abstinentiae

Latin Case System

At this YouTube link is a nice overview of the case system of Latin nouns, from Latin Tutorial.