I-Stems: Neuter Exceptions [4/8]

So, unfortunately, I stated earlier that the neuter i-stem class is entirely regular. In fact, a footnote in A&G reveals about ten exceptions.

These nouns are almost regular, except that with consonantal stems –al and –ar they also add the ending -e to the nominative and accusative singular. Note that because of this ending, the -ā- is long in all cases.

Where the singular is uncommon or does not exist, I have used the plural.

  • alveāre, alveāris, beehive
  • augurāle, augurālis, augur’s staff
  • capillāre, capillāris, pomade
  • cochlearē, cochleāris, spoon
  • collāre, collāris, collar
  • dentālia, dentālium, sharebeam of a plow (What?)
  • fōcāle, fōcālis, cravat (What?)
  • nāvāle, nāvālis, dock
  • penetrāle, penetrālis, inner shrine
  • rāmālia, rāmālium, twigs
  • scūtāle, scūtālis, thong of a sling
  • tibiālia, tibiālia, shin-length stockings

The Essential AG: 68n2

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2 comments on “I-Stems: Neuter Exceptions [4/8]

  1. CharlieJ says:

    2 things. First, this category may be at least partly explained by adjectives that became substantized. For example, the noun collus, colli means neck. Then an adjective was formed: collaris, collaris, collare – pertaining to the neck. From the neuter, collare, we get a substantive “thing pertaining to the neck, a collar.” So, this irregular -e ending is really just showing its roots as a neuter adjective. (It’s useful to remember that 3rd declension regular adjectives are i-stems.)

    Second, in your second paragraph I think you meant to write, add the ending -e to the nominative and accusative SINGULAR.

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