THE CASES

1. THE CASES

2. NOMINATIVE • Subject of a sentence • Caecilius aquam bibit • Complement (i.e. used after a verb acting like an `equals’ sign) • Petrus est senātor • Singular and plural endings are: • 1st decl: - a and –ae • 2nd decl: - us and –ī (neuter nouns: -um and -a) • 3rd decl: -??and –ēs (neuter nouns:? and –(i)a) • 4th decl: - usand –ūs (neuter nouns:u and –ua) • 5th decl: - ēs and –ēs

3. VOCATIVE • Used for addressing someone and almost always exactly the same as the nominative except in the 2nd declension where e is used in the singular. The e is dropped after i. • Marce, ad fenestram ambulā • Iūlia, surge. • Caecilī, mēcum venī • The particle `ō’ is often placed in front (as in very formal English) • Ō Caesar, nōs servā!

4. ACCUSATIVE • Used for the direct object of the verb • Servus aquam bibit. • Mīles amīcum videt. • Metella mercātōrem vocat. • Also for length of time or distance • Paulus sex mēnsēs Rōmae habitāvit • Quattuor chiliometra ambulāvimus • (In poetry) Used with a participle or adjective to refer to the affected part of the thing or person described • Arbor tremefacta comam nūtat (`The tree, made to tremble in its foliage, sways’) • Singular and plural endings • 1st decl: -am and -ās • 2nd decl: -um and –ōs (neuter nouns: -um and -a) • 3rd decl: –em and –ēs (neuter nouns:?? and –(i)a) • 4th decl: –um and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua) • 5th decl: –em and –ēs

5. ACCUSATIVE (contd.) • For motion towards (normally with a preposition such as ad, but on its own with names of cities and small islands, and with rūs, domum) • Ad urbem contendimus • Rūs īre volumus • As subject in an accusative and infinitive clause used in reported statements. The accusative here is simultaneously both the object of the main verb and subject of the infinitive. • Caesar dīxit Gallōs superātōs [esse] • Putāsne mē stultum fuisse? • In exclamations and wishes, where a verb governing the accusative has to be understood. • Ō mē miserum! [equivalent to Mē miserum spectāte!] • Novum annum fēlīcem! [equivalent to Novum annum fēlīcem tibi exoptō1]

6. GENITIVE • Showing possession • Grumiō est servus Caeciliī • Showing a relationship of part to whole • Sex amīcorum meōrum sunt in tabernā • In an adjective-noun phrase describing another noun • Marīa est fēmina maximae sapientiae • Expressing value • Mihi tantī est (It is worth so much to me) • Singular and plural endings • 1st decl: -ae and -ārum • 2nd decl: -ī and ōrum • 3rd decl: -is and –(i)um • 4th decl: -ūs and –uum • 5th decl: -eī and -ērum

7. GENITIVE (contd.) • Although recordor (remember) almost always takes the accusative, the synonymous verb meminī and also oblīvīscor (forget) take when the genitive when the meaning is to think (or not think) of someone with special attention or interest. For simple retention or non-retention in the mind, the accusative is used . The genitive construction is therefore commoner with a personal object. • Carissima, tuī nunquam oblīvīscar! • Semper amīcōrum nostrōrum meminisse dēbēmus.

8. DATIVE • Used for indirect object or person for whom something is done • Deīs multa dōna dedērunt • Metella Quīntō togam emit • Also used for a person affected or involved • Necesse est mihi cum Caesare manēre • Difficile est mercātōrī in vīllā dormīre • Tibi est puella laudanda. • Singular and plural endings • 1st decl: -ae and -īs • 2nd decl: -ō and -īs • 3rd decl: -ī and –ibus • 4th decl: -uī and –ibus • 5th decl: -eī and -ēbus

9. DATIVE (contd.) • Used with certain adjectives such as cārus (dear), grātus (pleasing), benignus (kind) • Haec terra grāta est deīs • Baucis et Philēmōn advenīs erant benignī • Used with many verbs including especially verbs formed from a preposition plus simple verb (e.g. appropinquō (approach), crēdō (believe, trust), imperō (order), invideō (envy), parcō (spare), pāreō (obey), resistō (resist)). This is really a special case of the dative of involvement. • Graeciae appropinquābāmus • Nōlī Salviō crēdere! • Mīlitēs imperātōrī pārēre dēbent

10. DATIVE (contd.) • The `Double Dative’ construction involves one dative for the role or function the subject plays and another for the person affected: • Hic liber ūsuī est mihi. • Rōmānī odiō erant Hannibalī • Quīntus impedimentō erat Salviō • Nāvēs magnō erant praesidiō Athēnīs. • Fabius salūtī erat patriae suae.

11. ABLATIVE • Used to indicate the accompanying circumstances of an action, including the starting point or location or the means of doing something. Often used with a preposition • Lupus insilvā habitat • Marcus et Quīntus Graecum gladiīs pulsāvērunt • Ab urbe discēdimus • Quīntā hōrā cēnāmus • Magnā cum diligentiā labōrāvit • Singular and plural endings • 1st decl: -ā and -īs • 2nd decl: -ō and -īs • 3rd decl: -e (less often –ī) and –ibus • 4th decl: -ū and -ibus • 5th decl: -ē and - ēbus

12. USES OF ABLATIVE • Place where (with in, sub etc.) • in Britanniāin Britain • Accompaniment (with cum) • cum amīcīs meīs ambulābam I was walking with my friends • Personal agent (with ā/ab) • lūna ab mīlitibus vidētur The moon is seen by the soldiers • Place from which (with ā/ab, dē, ē/ex except with names of cities and small islands, rūre, domō) • Marcus ab urbe ad vīllam currit Marcus runs from the city to the villa • Sextus Londiniō profectus est Sextus set off from London

13. USES OF ABLATIVE • Manner (indicating how something is done, usually, but not always, with cum) • magnā (cum) difficultātewith great difficulty • Separation (with or without ā/ab or ē/ex) • Rhēnus flūmen Gallōs (ā) Germānīs dīvidit The Rhine divides the Gauls from the Germans • Cause (= because of; with or without ā/ab, dē or ē/ex) • (ex) vulnere dolēbatHe was in pain from his wound

14. USES OF ABLATIVE • Time when • mēnse Septembrī ad scholam redībit In September he will return to school • Time within which • ad Centrālem decem minūtīs perveniēmus We will reach Central within ten minutes • Means (= by, with) • Mīles hostem gladiō vulnerāvit The soldier wounded the enemy with his sword

15. USES OF ABLATIVE • Comparison • Rōmaōlim maior erat Londiniō Rome was once bigger than London • Degree of difference • Rōmaōlim multō maior eratLondīniō Rome was once much bigger than London • Description (in a noun-adjective phrase) • Erat vir magnā fortitūdine He was a man of great courage

16. USES OF ABLATIVE • Respect (= according to, with regard to) • Meā sententiā, Graecī vincēbunt In my opinion, the Greeks will win • With some verbs (e.g. fruor (enjoy),potior (take posession), ūtor (use), careō (lack, be without), vescor (feed on), fungor (perform) ) • Fruēbāmur fēstō Nātīvitātis We were enjoying Christmas • Ablative absolute • Hostibus superātīs, ad castra revēnimus When the enemy had been defeated, we returned to camp • Iōhanne canente, omnēs aurēs tēxērunt While John was singing, all covered their ears

17. USES OF ABLATIVE • With a number of adjectives (contentus,dignus, indignus, frētus (relying on), orbus (deprived of), praeditus (endowed with)): • Dēlectāmenta sunt pretiōsa sed digna pretiō The pleasures are costly but worth the cost • Contenta erat verbīs eius She was content with his words • To express the price at which something was bought or sold etc. • Librum illum tribus sēstertiīs vēndidī I sold that book for three sesterces Fundum parvō [pretiō] ēmī I bought the farm at a low price

18. LOCATIVE • This case is used only with names of cities and small islands and with the nouns domus (home), humus (ground) and rūs (coutryside) to indicate location: • Petrus Londiniī nātus est • Rūrī habitāre iūcundum est • Multī philosophī Athēnīs discipulōs docent • Singular and plural endings • 1st decl: -ae and -īs • 2nd decl: -ī and -īs • 3rd decl: -e or –ī and –ibus