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.. :)