Editing Latin (section)

=== Nouns ===
{{Main|Latin declension}}
A regular Latin noun belongs to one of five main declensions, a group of nouns with similar inflected forms. The declensions are identified by the genitive singular form of the noun.
* The first declension, with a predominant ending letter of ''a'', is signified by the genitive singular ending of ''-ae''.
* The second declension, with a predominant ending letter of ''us'', is signified by the genitive singular ending of ''-ī''.
* The third declension, with a predominant ending letter of ''i'', is signified by the genitive singular ending of ''-is''.
* The fourth declension, with a predominant ending letter of ''u'', is signified by the genitive singular ending of ''-ūs''.
* The fifth declension, with a predominant ending letter of ''e'', is signified by the genitive singular ending of ''-eī''.

There are seven Latin noun cases, which also apply to adjectives and pronouns and mark a noun's syntactic role in the sentence by means of inflections. Thus, [[Latin word order|word order in Latin]] is not as important as it is in English, which is less inflected. The general structure and word order of a Latin sentence can therefore vary. The cases are as follows:

# [[Nominative case|Nominative]] – used when the noun is the [[Subject (grammar)|subject]] or a [[predicate nominative]]. The thing or person acting: the girl ran: {{lang|la|puella cucurrit}}, or {{lang|la|cucurrit puella}}
# [[Genitive case|Genitive]] – used when the noun is the possessor of or connected with an object: "the horse of the man", or "the man's horse"; in both instances, the word ''man'' would be in the [[genitive case]] when it is translated into Latin. It also indicates the [[partitive]], in which the material is quantified: "a group of people"; "a number of gifts": ''people'' and ''gifts'' would be in the genitive case. Some nouns are genitive with special verbs and adjectives: The cup is full of wine. ({{lang|la|Pōculum plēnum vīnī est.}}) The master of the slave had beaten him. ({{lang|la|Dominus servī eum verberāverat.}})
# [[Dative case|Dative]] – used when the noun is the indirect object of the sentence, with special verbs, with certain prepositions, and if it is used as agent, reference, or even possessor: The merchant hands the [[stola]] to the woman. ({{lang|la|Mercātor fēminae stolam trādit.}})
# [[Accusative case|Accusative]] – used when the noun is the direct object of the subject, as the object of a preposition demonstrating place to which, and sometimes to indicate a duration of time: The man killed the boy. ({{lang|la|Vir puerum necāvit.}})
# [[Ablative case|Ablative]] – used when the noun demonstrates separation or movement from a source, cause, [[agent (grammar)|agent]] or [[instrumental case|instrument]] or when the noun is used as the object of certain prepositions, and to indicate a specific place in time.; adverbial: You walked with the boy. ({{lang|la|Cum puerō ambulāvistī.}})
# [[Vocative case|Vocative]] – used when the noun is used in a direct address. The vocative form of a noun is often the same as the nominative, with the exception of second-declension nouns ending in {{lang|la|-us}}. The {{lang|la|-us}} becomes an {{lang|la|-e}} in the vocative singular. If it ends in {{lang|la|-ius}} (such as {{lang|la|fīlius}}), the ending is just {{lang|la|-ī}} ({{lang|la|filī}}), as distinct from the nominative plural ({{lang|la|filiī}}) in the vocative singular: "Master!" shouted the slave. ({{lang|la|"Domine!" clāmāvit servus.}})
# [[Locative case|Locative]] – used to indicate a location (corresponding to the English ''in'' or ''at''. It is far less common than the other six cases of Latin nouns and usually applies to cities and small towns and islands along with a few common nouns, such as the words {{lang|la|domus}} 'house', {{lang|la|humus}} 'ground', and {{lang|la|rus}} 'country'. In the singular of the first and second declensions, its form coincides with the genitive ({{lang|la|Roma}} becomes {{lang|la|Romae}} 'in Rome'. In the plural of all declensions and the singular of the other declensions, it coincides with the ablative ({{lang|la|Athēnae}} becomes {{lang|la|Athēnīs}}, 'at Athens'. In the fourth-declension word {{lang|la|domus}}, the locative form, {{lang|la|domī}} 'at home' differs from the standard form of all other cases.

Latin lacks both definite and indefinite [[article (grammar)|articles]] so {{lang|la|puer currit}} can mean either 'the boy is running' or 'a boy is running'.