/cu:rat\, _he (she, it) cares for_, with acc.
/properat\, _he (she, it) hastens_

_70._ Latin nouns are divided into five declensions.

The declension to which a noun belongs is shown by the ending of
the genitive singular. This should always be learned along with the
nominative and the gender.

_71._ The nominative singular of nouns of the Second or _O_-Declension
ends in -us, -er, -ir, or -um. The genitive singular ends in
-i:.

_72._ Gender. Nouns in -um are neuter. The others are regularly
masculine.

_73._ Declension of nouns in -_us_ and -_um_. Masculines in -us and
neuters in -um are declined as follows:

dominus (BASE domin-), pi:lum (BASE pi:l-),
m., _master_ n., _spear_

TERMINATIONS TERMINATIONS
SINGULAR
Nom. do'minus[1] -us pi:lum -um
Gen. domini: -i: pi:li: -i:
Dat. domino: -o: pi:lo: -o:
Acc. dominum -um pi:lum -um
Abl. domino: -o: pi:lo: -o:
Voc. domine -e pi:lum -um

PLURAL
Nom. domini: -i: pi:la -a
Gen. domino:'rum -o:rum pi:lo:'rum -o:rum
Dat. domini:s -i:s pi:li:s -i:s
Acc. domino:s -o:s pi:la -a
Abl. domini:s -i:s pi:li:s -i:s

[Footnote 1: Compare the declension of /domina\ and of /dominus\.]

_a._ Observe that the masculines and the neuters have the same
terminations excepting in the nominative singular and the nominative
and accusative plural.

_b._ The vocative singular of words of the second declension in
-us ends in -e, as /domine\, _O master_; /serve\, _O slave_.
This is the most important exception to the rule in Sec. 56.a.

_74._ Write side by side the declension of /domina\, /dominus\, and
/pilum\. A comparison of the forms will lead to the following rules,
which are of great importance because they apply to all five
declensions:

_a._ The vocative, with a single exception (see Sec. 73.b), is
like the nominative. That is, the vocative singular is like the
nominative singular, and the vocative plural is like the nominative
plural.

_b._ The nominative, accusative, and vocative of neuter nouns are
alike, and in the plural end in -a.

_c._ The accusative singular of masculines and feminines ends in
-m and the accusative plural in -s.