Declension - conjugation

From Hull AWE
Jump to: navigation, search

Almost all languages have inflections - changes (usually small) to the form of some words. These changes reflect either different functions in a sentence, e.g. the case of a noun or pronoun; or (slight) differences in the meaning of the word, for example in number, gender or person. In verbs, such inflections typically show in addition tense, aspect and voice. Typically, though not always, in European languages these changes involve a change in the ending of the word while the rest of the word - the stem - remains unchanged. (Inflection and 'to inflect' are derived from the Latin inflectere, which means 'to bend or alter'.) English is a relatively uninflected language: it does not involve the inflection of words to any great extent, unlike many other ancient and modern languages, such as Latin and Greek, German, Russian, and Arabic.

  • When we list systematically the different forms of a noun, pronoun, or adjective we are said to decline it. (from the Latin verb declinare, which means to bend away or inflect grammatically). The related noun declension means either the act of declining such a word or a systematic list of the different forms which the word can have. Here, as an example, is the declension (i.e., a systematic list of the different forms) of the Latin word hortus (= garden) in the singular:


Declension of hortus
Nominative case hortus 'garden' as subject of a verb
Vocative case horte used to address a garden: O garden
Accusative case hortum 'garden' as object of a verb
Genitive case horti used to indicate possession: of a garden
Dative case horto 'garden' as indirect object of the verb: to a garden
Ablative case horto by, with, or from a garden


For more on the different cases see Case in grammar. In Latin and in many other languages not all nouns have the same set of endings for the different cases, i.e., there are different declensions of nouns. In Latin there are in fact five declensions: hortus belongs to the second declension. In English, nouns 'do not decline' for anything other than number, for which the usual inflection is to add '-s'. Another way of expressing this is 'we do not decline nouns', other than for number; they are indeclinable), but pronouns still have inflections: see Table of personal pronouns. Adjectives in English only decline for comparison. In other languages, they show their number and gender: for example, a Latin adjective such as bonus 'good' is in the masculine singular form; its feminine singular equivalent is bona, and its plurals (in the nominative case) are boni (masculine), bonae (feminine) and bona (neuter]]


  • When we list systematically the different forms of a verb we are said to conjugate it. (from the Latin verb conjugare, which means 'to join together') The related noun conjugation means either the act of conjugating a verb or a systematic list of the different forms which the verb can have. Here, as an example, is the conjugation (i.e., a systematic list of the different forms) of the Latin verb laborare (to work) in the present tense:


Conjugation of present tense of laborare
First person singular laboro I work
Second person singular laboras you (singular) work
Third person singular laborat he or she works
First person plural laboramus we work
Second person plural laboratis you (plural) work
Third person plural laborant they work
.


In Latin and in many other languages not all groups of verbs have the same endings for the same uses; that is, there are different conjugations, or 'families', of verbs. In Latin there are in fact four conjugations; in French, there are three. (Modern French and Italian -er and -are conjugations are modern forms of the Latin verbs in -are (the first conjugation) as in laborare above; Fr -re and Italian -ere are like Latin -ere; and French -ir, Italian -ire, verbs are recognisably related to Latin -ire.)