Hildegard of Bingen

On the Elements

Latin Grammar: Third-Declension Adjectives

Aqua vero facit aerem agilem et velocem in volando et fertilem in sudando, ita quod ille dat terre fecunditatem, cum rorem ex se super eam emittit. Aer quoque est quasi pallium terre, quia estum et frigus ab ea depellit, cum illam temperat et cum terre rorem infusione sua immittit. Terra autem est velut spongia et materia, que attrahit et suscipit fecunditatem ab illo, quoniam, si terra non esset, er officium suum, quo terram fecundat, non haberet.

Third-Declension Adjectives
Adjectives such as tardus and magnus are called first and second declension adjectives. In addition to this type, Latin has third declension adjectives, which decline like third declension I-stem nouns. As you may remember, third declension adjectives can come in three different varieties:

  • those with one ending in the nominative singular
  • tthose with two endings
  • those with three endings

The phrase aerem agilem et velocem is from the passage above. Using a grammar as reference if necessary, conjugate the phrase in the cases and numbers requested below.

  Case/number Phrase
1. nominative singular
2. dative singular
3. genitive plural
4. accusative singular
5. dative plural
6. genitive singular
7. ablative singular
8. accusative plural


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