VARIABLE NOUNS
[*] 104.
Many nouns vary either in Declension or in Gender.
[*] 105.
Nouns that vary in Declension are called heteroclites.
1
[*] a.
Colus (F.),
distaff;
domus (F.),
house (see
§ 93), and many names of plants in
-us, vary between the Second and Fourth
Declensions.
[*] b.
Some nouns vary between the Second and Third: as,
iūgerum
,
-ī,
-ō, ablative
-ō or
-e, plural
-a,
-um,
-ibus;
Mulciber, genitive
-berī and
-beris;
sequester, genitive
-trī and
-tris;
vās
,
vāsis
, and (old)
vāsum
,
-ī (§ 79.
e).
[*] c.
Some vary between the Second, Third, and Fourth: as,
penus
,
penum
, genitive
penī
and
penoris
, ablative
penū.
[*] d.
Many nouns vary between the First and Fifth (see § 98.
c).
[*] e.
Some vary between the Third and Fifth. Thus,
requiēs
has genitive
-ētis, dative
wanting, accusative
-ētem or
-em, ablative
-ē (once
-ēte);
famēs, regularly of the third declension, has
ablative
famē (§ 76. N. 1), and
pūbēs
(M.) has once dative
pūbē
(in
Plautus).
[*] f.
Pecus
varies between the Third and Fourth, having
pecoris
, etc., but also nominative
pecū
, ablative
pecū; plural
pecua, genitive
pecuum
.
[*] g.
Many vary between different stems of the same declension: as,
femur (N.), genitive
-oris, also
-inis (as from †
femen
);
iecur (N.), genitive
iecinoris,
iocinoris
,
iecoris;
mūnus
(N.), plural
mūnera
and
mūnia
.
[*] 106.
Nouns that vary in Gender are said to be
heterogeneous.
2
[*] a.
The following have a masculine form in
-us and a
neuter in
-um:
balteus
,
cāseus
,
clipeus
,
collum
,
cingulum
,
pīleus,
tergum
,
vāllum
, with many others of rare occurrence.
[*] b.
The following have in the Plural a different gender from that of the
Singular:—
|
balneum (N.), bath;
|
balneae (F.), baths (an
establishment). |
|
caelum (N.), heaven;
|
caelōs
(M. acc., Lucr.). |
|
carbasus (F.), a sail;
|
carbasa
(N.) (-ōrum),
sails.
|
|
dēlicium (N.),
pleasure;
|
dēliciae (F.),
pet.
|
|
epulum (N.), feast;
|
epulae (F.), feast.
|
|
frēnum (N.), a
bit;
|
frēnī
(M.) or frēna
(N.), a bridle.
|
|
iocus (M.), a jest;
|
ioca
(N.), iocī (M.),
jests.
|
|
locus (M.), place;
|
loca
(N.), locī (M., usually topics, passages in
books). |
|
rāstrum (N.), a
rake;
|
rāstrī
(M.), rāstra (N.),
rakes.
|
[*] Note.--Some of these nouns are
heteroclites as well as heterogeneous.
[*] 107.
Many nouns are found in the Plural in a peculiar sense:—
|
aedēs
, -is (F.),
temple;
|
aedēs
, -ium, house.
|
|
aqua (F.), water;
|
aquae, mineral springs, a
watering-place.
|
|
auxilium (N.), help;
|
auxilia, auxiliaries.
|
|
bonum (N.), a good;
|
bona, goods,
property.
|
|
carcer (M.), dungeon;
|
carcerēs,
barriers (of race-course). |
|
castrum (N.), fort;
|
castra, camp.
|
|
comitium (N.), place of
assembly;
|
comitia, an election
(town-meeting). |
|
cōpia (F.),
plenty;
|
cōpiae,
stores, troops.
|
|
fidēs (F.),
harp-string;
|
fidēs, lyre.
|
|
fīnis (M.),
end;
|
fīnēs,
bounds, territories.
|
|
fortūna (F.),
fortune;
|
fortūnae,
possessions.
|
|
grātia (F.),
favor (rarely, thanks); |
grātiae,
thanks (also, the Graces). |
|
hortus (M.), a gardon;
|
hortī,
pleasure-grounds.
|
|
impedīmentum
(N.) hindrance;
|
impedīmenta,
baggage.
|
|
littera (F.), letter (of
alphabet); |
litterae, epistle,
literature.
|
|
locus (M.), place
[plural
loca
(N.)]; |
locī,3
topics, places in books.
|
|
lūdus (M.),
sport;
|
lūdī, public
games.
|
|
mōs (M.),
habit, custom;
|
mōrēs,
character.
|
|
nātālis (M.),
birthday;
|
nātālēs,
descent, origin.
|
|
opera (F.), work;
|
operae, day-laborers
(“hands”). |
| [
ops
,] opis (F.),
help (§ 103. f. 1); |
opēs,
resources, wealth.
|
|
pars (F.), part;
|
partēs, part
(on the stage), party.
|
|
rōstrum (N.), beak of
a ship;
|
rōstra, speaker's
platform.
|
|
sāl (M. or N.),
salt;
|
salēs,
witticisms.
|
|
tabella (F.), tablet;
|
tabellae, documents,
records.
|
