CHAPTER 16

Third Declension Adjectives

OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, students should be
able to:
1.Distinguish among third declension adjectives of
one ending, two endings, and three endings.
2.Recognize, form, and translate third declension
adjectives.
3.Distinguish among adjectives used as
attributives, objective complements, and
predicate nominatives.
4.State the rule for adjective word order.

ADJECTIVES
Latin has two major categories of adjectives. You are
already familiar with 1st/2nd declension forms such as
magnus, -a, -um and pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum,
as well as the subcategory of ius adjectives (unus,
una, unum).
These adjectives are declined as all other 1st and 2nd
declension nouns, depending on the gender of the noun
which they modify; in other words, they will only use
1st/2nd declension endings.

ADJECTIVES

If a 1st/2nd declension adjective modifies a

feminine noun, it will use 1st declension endings.
If a 1st/2nd declension adjective modifies a
masculine noun, it will use 2nd declension
masculine endings.
If a 1st/2nd declension adjective modifies a neuter
noun, it will use 2nd declension neuter endings.

ADJECTIVES

Note that the declension number of the NOUN does not affect the
declensional pattern of the adjective; even if the noun which an
adjective modifies is a 3rd declension noun, you will still use either
1st or 2nd declension endings, depending on the gender of the
noun.
the great woman nom. sing. fem. magna femina
the great friend nom. sing. masc. magnus amicus
the great war nom. sing. neut. magnum bellum
the great citizen nom. sing. fem. magna civis
the great sea nom. sing. neut. magnum mare
of the good king gen. sing. masc. bon regis
to the good kings dat. pl. masc. bonis regibus

THIRD DECLENSION
ADJECTIVES
Adjectives that do not belong to the category of 1 st/2nd
declension adjectives are known as 3 rd declension
adjectives.
The other major group of adjectives is known as the 3 rd
declension adjectives.
Adjectives of this category generally have third
declension i-stem forms and are declined exactly like 3rd
declension i-stem nouns, except that :

Abl sing (all genders) = -i

Gen pl (all genders) = -ium
Nom/Acc pl (neuters) = -ia
All 3rd declension adjectives are considered to be i-stems.

THIRD DECLENSION
ADJECTIVES

3rd declension adjectives are generally

subdivided into three kinds, according to
the number of spellings in the nominative
singular (how many nominative singular
forms exist for each adjective).
Adjectives of this category differ from one
another in only one respect the different
nominative singular forms.

THIRD DECLENSION
ADJECTIVES
There are three major categories of 3 rd declension adjectives:
adjectives of three endings or three termination adjectives
have THREE distinct forms of the nominative singular that
differentiate for each of the three genders (acer, acris, acre;
celer, celeris, celere)
adjectives of two endings or two termination adjectives
have a single nominative form for both masculine and feminine,
and another for the neuter (fortis, forte; omnis, omne)
adjectives of one ending or one termination adjectives
does not differentiate the genders at all in the nominative
singular (potens; audax). Note that this termination will
generally provide you with the genitive singular form as well as
the nominative in your vocabulary list; this is to help you decline
it according to the required case, number and gender.

THIRD DECLENSION
ADJECTIVES

Examples:
3-ending adjectives
ex: acer, acris, acre sharp, keen
celer, celeris, celere swift, quick
2-ending adjectives (the largest category)
ex: fortis, forte strong, brave
dulcis, dulce sweet
1-ending adjectives
ex: potens, gen potentis powerful
senex, gen . senis, old, aged

First a quick review of

i-stems
I-Stem Nouns
M or F

cvis

mare

cvis

maris

cv

mar

Acc

cvem

mare

Abl

cve

mar

cvs

maria

cviu
m

mariu
m

cvibu
s

marib
us

Adjs. Of 2 Endings

Adjectives of 2 endings

M&F

These decline just like a 3rd

declension i-stem

fortis

forte

fortis

fortis

fort

fort

fortem

forte

fort

fort

forts

fortia

fortium

fortium

fortibus

fortibus

forts

fortia

fortibus

fortibus

One set of forms for m

& f, one set for nt.
EXCEPT there is an i in
the abl. Sing. of m & f
forms too
These words end in -is
in both masculine and
feminine, so rather than
repeat it twice (like
fortis, fortis, forte),
we memorize the two
different endings and
know that the first

2 forms

Adjs. Of 3 Endings

Adjectives of 3 Endings
These work just like adjs.
of 2 endings, only they
differentiate between the
m and f in the nom sing.
Other than the nom sing,
they are just like adjs of 2
endings
These adjectives always
end in -er in the
masculine, -is in the
feminine, and -e in the
neuter. Drop the -is ending
from the gen to get the
stem, cr-, and decline
like a third declension I-

M or F

N
cer,

cris

cre

cris

cris

cr

cr

Acc

crem cre

Abl

cr

cr

crs

cria

criu
m

criu
m

cribu cribu
s
s

Adjs. of 1 ending

Adjectives of 1 ending
Equal opportunity
adjectives
do not discriminate
between the genders
note the -ia of the
neuter plural nom and
acc.
We say these have
one ending because
the nominative shares
the same ending in all
three gendersin this
case, potns. Since
that doesn't help us
figure out the stem,

M or F

potns

potens

potentis potentis

potent

potent

Acc

potente
m

potens

Abl

potent

potent

potent
s

potentia

potentiu potentiu
m
m
potentib potentib

USING THIRD DECLENSION

ADJECTIVES

Remember that an adjective, regardless of its

declension, must agree with the word it modifies in
gender, case, number. The declensional pattern of
endings which an adjectives uses, however, is part of
the vocabulary entry 3rd declension adjectives will use
3rd declension endings NO MATTER what the declension
of the noun being modified. It is not the endings that
need to agree, but the case number and gender.
3rd declension adjectives can be used with a noun of
any declension, just as 1st/2nd declension adjectives may
be used with 3rd declension nouns.

USING THIRD DECLENSION

ADJECTIVES
3rd declension adjectives function in the same ways as other adjectives:

They can modify nouns; this is also known as the attributive use,
as it designates certain attributes to the noun in questionit tells
us more about the noun. (omnes agricolae all the farmers)
They can serve as predicate nominatives. (Viri erant acres. The
men were fierce.) describes the subject with a form of the verb
sum
They can function as objective complements; an objective
complement is a noun, pronoun, or adjective which follows a direct
object and renames it or tells what the direct object has become.
So, it describes the result of the action of the verb (Virtus viros
fortes fecit. Virtue made the men brave.)
They can function as substantive adjectives.used in place of a
noun (Fortuna fortes adiuvat. Fortune helps the brave.)

USING THIRD DECLENSION

ADJECTIVES
1) omnes amici mei nom. pl. masc. all my friends
2) fortis vir nom. sing. masc. the brave man
3) acris regina nom. sing. fem. the fierce queen
4) breve bellum nom. sing. neut.
5) dulces puellae

6) in potent animo
7) ingent mar
8) omnium urbium
9) celer puero
10)potentium copiarum

PRACTICE AND REVIEW

Fortes viri et feminae

ante aetatem nostram
vivebant.
Eos centum senes
miseros ab Italia trans
maria difficilia heri
mittebat.
Illi duo viri omnes
cupiditates ex se
eiecerunt, nam naturam
corporis timuerunt.

PRACTICE AND REVIEW

Celer rumor per ora auresque

omnium sine mora currebat.
Vis belli acerbi autem vitam
eius paucis horis mutavit.
Quinque ex nautis se ex aqua
traxerunt seque Caesari
potenti commiserunt.
Caesar non poterat suas
copias cum celeribus copiis
regis iungere.
Themistocles omnes cives
olim appellabat et nomina