Editing Latin grammar (section)

====1st and 2nd declensions====
Latin nouns are divided into different groups according to the patterns of their case endings. These different groups are known as ''declensions''. Nouns with ''-a'' in the nominative singular, like {{lang|la|puella}} "girl" are known as ''1st declension nouns'', and so on.

The following table shows the declension of {{lang|la|puella}} "girl" (1st declension), {{lang|la|dominus}} "lord, master" (2nd declension masculine), and {{lang|la|bellum}} "war" (2nd declension neuter):{{sfn|Kennedy|1962|pp=17-19}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Case
! colspan="2" |feminine
!
! colspan="2" |masculine
!
! colspan="2" |neuter
!
! rowspan="2" |Br
! rowspan="2" |GL
! rowspan="2" |Wh
|-
! class="unsortable" |''1 sg.''
! class="unsortable" |''1 pl.''
! class="unsortable" |
! class="unsortable" |''2 sg.''
! class="unsortable" |''2 pl.''
! class="unsortable" |
! class="unsortable" |''2n sg.''
! class="unsortable" |''2n pl.''
! class="unsortable" |
|-
| Nominative
| '''{{lang|la|puella|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|puellae|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|dominus|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|dominī|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|bellum|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|bella|italic=no}}''' || ||  1 || 1 || 1
|-
| Vocative
| '''{{lang|la|puella|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|puellae|italic=no}}''' ||  ||'''{{lang|la|domine|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|dominī|italic=no}}''' ||  ||'''{{lang|la|bellum|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|bella|italic=no}}''' ||  || 2 || 5 ||6 
|-
| Accusative
| '''{{lang|la|puellam|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|puellās|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|dominum|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|dominōs|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|bellum|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|bella|italic=no}}''' || || 3 || 4 || 4 
|-
| Genitive
| '''{{lang|la|puellae|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|puellārum|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|dominī|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|dominōrum|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|bellī|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|bellōrum|italic=no}}''' || || 4 || 2 || 2
|-
| Dative
| '''{{lang|la|puellae|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|puellīs|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|dominō|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|dominīs|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|bellō|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|bellīs|italic=no}}''' ||  || 5 || 3 || 3 
|-
| Ablative
| '''{{lang|la|puellā|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|puellīs|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|dominō|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|dominīs|italic=no}}''' || ||'''{{lang|la|bellō|italic=no}}''' || '''{{lang|la|bellīs|italic=no}}'''  || || 6 || 6 || 5 
|-
|}

1st declension nouns are usually feminine, except for a few referring to men, such as {{lang|la|agricola}} "farmer" or {{lang|la|poēta}} "poet". The nouns {{lang|la|fīlia}} "daughter" and {{lang|la|dea}} "goddess" have dative and ablative plural {{lang|la|fīliābus, deābus}}. The locative case ends in ''-ae'', pl. ''-īs'', e.g. {{lang|la|Rōmae}} "in Rome", {{lang|la|Athēnīs}} "in Athens".{{sfn|Kennedy|1962|p=17}}

2nd declension nouns in ''-us'' are usually masculine, but those referring to trees (e.g. {{lang|la|pīnus}} "pine tree") and some place names (e.g. {{lang|la|Aegyptus}} "Egypt") are feminine. A few 2nd declension nouns, such as {{lang|la|vir}} "man" and {{lang|la|puer}} "boy", lack endings in the nominative and vocative singular. In the 2nd declension, the genitive plural in some words is optionally ''-um'', especially in poetry:{{sfn|Allen|Greenough|Kittredge|Howard|1903|loc=§49}}{{sfn|Kennedy|1962|p=19}} {{lang|la|deum}} or {{lang|la|deōrum}} "of the gods", {{lang|la|virum}} or {{lang|la|virōrum}} "of men".

Neuter nouns such as {{lang|la|bellum}} "war" have ''-a'' in the nominative plural. In neuter nouns, the vocative and accusative are always the same as the nominative; the genitive, dative, and ablative are the same as the masculine. Most 2nd declension neuter nouns end in ''-um'' but {{lang|la|vīrus}} "poison" and {{lang|la|vulgus}} "crowd" end in ''-us''.