Learning Latin: Noun Cases
by Latin nouns (and adjectives) change their endings to indicate how they are used in a sentence.
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There are six basic cases in Latin: the Nominative, Vocative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative, and Ablative.
The nominative case is primarily the subject case: Puella amat puerum (The girl loves the boy). Puella does the action and the boy receives the action.
The accusative case functions as either the direct object or, often, the object of certain prepositions.
Puer amat puellam. (The boy loves the girl.)
Puer ambulat ad puellam. (The boy walks toward the girl.)
The vocative case is used for direct address: Puella, ama me (Girl, love me).
The genitive case shows possession: Amicus puellae est pulcher (The girl’s male friend is handsome).
The dative case can show possession, but it is normally indirect object and often accompanies words that express giving: Puer donum puellae dat (The boy gives the girl a gift).
The ablative case is often used prepositionally: Puer a puella ambulat (The boy walks away from the girl). n.b. the “a” in puella is “long” in the ablative singular.
You will notice that the endings for “puella” change based upon how the word is meant to be used. This is a seemingly useless element, other than making it very clear that every speaking Roman had to exercise a great degree of intellect just to form a sentence.
The reason for the changing of endings is the relative freedom of syntax, or word order, that Latin employs. Where a word falls in a sentence can express meaning beyond the regular denotation. In a sense, freedom of syntax allows emotion and artistry to reign in such a way that English cannot comprehend.
This is why Latin is difficult for modern English speakers: it demands a specificity that permits a certain freedom. It may turn your brain inside out, but once you begin to master this ancient tongue you may find yourself better able to appreciate art, philosophy, and poetry.
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