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Rh The Dative Plural.

(1) When the nominative plural ends in or a consonant, the dative plural ends in.

(2) When the nominative plural ends in, the dative plural is formed by changing the into.

(3) When the nominative plural ends in, the dative plural is formed by adding.

Vocative Plural. (1) When the dative plural ends in, the vocative plural is formed by dropping the of the dative.

(2) In all other cases it is like the nominative plural.

III. The Declensions. The number of declensions is not quite settled: it is very much a matter of convenience. Five is the number usually reckoned.

The declensions are known by the inflection of the genitive singular.

THE FIRST DECLENSION. All the nouns of the first declension are masculine, and end in a broad consonant.

The genitive singular is formed by attenuating the nominative. In most nouns of the 1st declension this is done by simply placing an after the last broad vowel of the nominative.