tive, Objective with _by_, _from_, _in_,
_with_.

1. LOCATIVE. Vestiges of another case, the Locative (denoting place where),
occur in names of towns and in a few other words.

2. OBLIQUE CASES. The Genitive, Dative, Accusative, and Ablative are called
Oblique Cases.

3. STEM AND CASE-ENDINGS. The different cases are formed by appending
certain case-endings to a fundamental part called the Stem.[12] Thus,
_portam_ (Accusative Singular) is formed by adding the case-ending -m to
the stem porta-. But in most cases the final vowel of the stem has
coalesced so closely with the actual case-ending that the latter has become
more or less obscured. The _apparent case-ending_ thus resulting is called
a termination.

THE FIVE DECLENSIONS.

18. There are five Declensions in Latin, distinguished from each other by
the final letter of the Stem, and also by the Termination of the Genitive
Singular, as follows:--

DECLENSION. FINAL LETTER OF STEM. GEN. TERMINATION.
First a -ae
Second o -i
Third i / Some consonant -is
Fourth u -us
Fifth e -ei / -ei

Cases alike in Form.

19. 1. The Vocative is regularly like the Nominative, except in the
singular of nouns in -us of the Second Declension.

2. The Dative and Ablative Plural are always alike.

3. In Neuters the Accusative and Nominative are always alike, and in the
Plural end in -a.

4. In the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Declensions, the Accusative Plural is
regularly like the Nominative.

* * * * *

FIRST DECLENSION.

a-Stems.

20. Pure Latin nouns of the First Declension regularly end, in the
Nominative Singular, in -a, weakened from -a, and are of the Feminine
Gender. They are declined as follows:--

Porta, _gate_; stem, porta-.

SINGULAR.
CASES. MEANINGS. TERMINATIONS.
_Nom._ porta _a gate_ (as subject) -a
_Gen._ portae _of a gate_ -ae
_Dat._ portae _to_ or _for a gate_ -ae
_Acc._ portam _a gate_ (as object) -am
_Voc._ porta _O gate!_ -a
_Abl._ porta _with, by, from, in a gate_ -a

PLURAL.
_Nom._ portae _gates_ (as subject)