VARIABLE NOUNS
[104] Many nouns vary either in Declension or in Gender.
[105] Nouns that vary in Declension are called heteroclites.
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[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, igerum, -, -, ablative - or -e, plural -a, -um, -ibus; Mulciber, genitive -ber and -beris; sequester, genitive -tr and -tris; vs, vsis, and (old) vsum, - ( 79. e).
[c]
Some vary between the Second, Third, and Fourth: as, penus, penum, genitive pen and penoris, ablative pen.
[d]
Many nouns vary between the First and Fifth (see 98. c).
[e]
Some vary between the Third and Fifth. Thus,requis has genitive -tis, dative wanting, accusative -tem or -em, ablative - (once -te); fams, regularly of the third declension, has ablative fam ( 76. N. 1), and pbs (M.) has once dative pb (in Plautus).
[f]
Pecus varies between the Third and Fourth, having pecoris, etc., but also nominative pec, ablative pec; 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; mnus (N.), plural mnera and mnia. [p. 44]
[106] Nouns that vary in Gender are said to be heterogeneous.
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[a]
The following have a masculine form in -us and a neuter in -um: balteus, cseus, clipeus, collum, cingulum, pleus, tergum, vllum, with many others of rare occurrence.
[b]
The following have in the Plural a different gender from that of the Singular:
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balneum (N.), bath;
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balneae (F.), baths (an establishment). |
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caelum (N.), heaven;
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caels (M. acc., Lucr.). |
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carbasus (F.), a sail;
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carbasa (N.) (-rum), sails.
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dlicium (N.), pleasure;
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dliciae (F.), pet.
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epulum (N.), feast;
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epulae (F.), feast.
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frnum (N.), a bit;
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frn (M.) or frna (N.), a bridle.
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iocus (M.), a jest;
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ioca (N.), ioc (M.), jests.
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locus (M.), place;
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loca (N.), loc (M., usually topics, passages in books). |
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rstrum (N.), a rake;
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rstr (M.), rstra (N.), rakes.
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NOTE.Some of these nouns are heteroclites as well as heterogeneous.
[107] Many nouns are found in the Plural in a peculiar sense:
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aeds, -is (F.), temple;
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aeds, -ium, house.
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aqua (F.), water;
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aquae, mineral springs, a watering-place.
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auxilium (N.), help;
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auxilia, auxiliaries.
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bonum (N.), a good;
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bona, goods, property.
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carcer (M.), dungeon;
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carcers, barriers (of race-course). |
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castrum (N.), fort;
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castra, camp.
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comitium (N.), place of assembly;
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comitia, an election (town-meeting). |
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cpia (F.), plenty;
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cpiae, stores, troops.
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fids (F.), harp-string;
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fids, lyre.
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fnis (M.), end;
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fns, bounds, territories.
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fortna (F.), fortune;
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fortnae, possessions.
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grtia (F.), favor (rarely, thanks); |
grtiae, thanks (also, the Graces). |
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hortus (M.), a gardon;
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hort, pleasure-grounds.
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impedmentum (N.) hindrance;
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impedmenta, baggage.
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littera (F.), letter (of alphabet); |
litterae, epistle, literature.
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locus (M.), place [plural loca (N.)]; |
loc,
56 topics, places in books.
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ldus (M.), sport;
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ld, public games.
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ms (M.), habit, custom;
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mrs, character.
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ntlis (M.), birthday;
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ntls, descent, origin.
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opera (F.), work;
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operae, day-laborers (hands). |
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ops, resources, wealth.
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pars (F.), part;
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parts, part (on the stage), party.
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rstrum (N.), beak of a ship;
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rstra, speaker's platform.
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sl (M. or N.), salt;
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sals, witticisms.
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tabella (F.), tablet;
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tabellae, documents, records.
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[p. 45]
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