Lexical minimum: 3rd declension nouns

Masculine nouns

Among the third-declension masculine terms, names of musculoskeletal structures and organs stand out:

• trochanter, ēris m — trochanter.
• vomer, ĕris m — vomer.
• pes, pedis m — foot or crus (any similar structure).
• pollex, ĭcis m — thumb.
• stapes, ĕdis m — stapes (auditory ossicle in the ear).
• venter, ntris m — muscle belly (in classical Latin it meant "abdomen", hence the term "ventral" — anterior).
• vertex, ĭcis m — vertex, summit.
• urēter, ēris m — ureter.

There is also a group of words predominantly of Greek origin. For agreement with adjectives, their gender is not always strictly necessary to memorize, but for reference they belong to the masculine gender: coccyx, ygis m (coccyx), fornix, ĭcis m (fornix), larynx, ngis m (larynx), pharynx, ngis m (pharynx), and thorax, ācis m (thorax).

Feminine nouns

The feminine gender in the third declension is represented by an extensive list of vital organs, body regions, and anatomical formations. Many of them must be learned immediately with their genitive ending (Genitivus), as the word stem changes:

• Organs and body parts: auris, is f (ear), cervix, īcis f (neck, cervix), cutis, is f (skin), frons, frontis f (forehead), radix, īcis f (root).
• Vessels and glands: a. carōtis, tidis f (carotid artery), gl. parōtis, tĭdis f (parotid gland), bilis, is f (bile).
• Bone and joint structures: articulatio, ōnis f (joint), cartilāgo, ĭnis f (cartilage), pelvis, is f (pelvis), phalanx, ngis f (phalanx), symphysis, is f (symphysis).
• General concepts: basis, is f (base), cavĭtas, ātis f (cavity), extremĭtas, ātis f (extremity), pars, partis f (part), regio, ōnis f (region).

It is also worth noting appendix, īcis f — appendix or appendage, as well as meninx, ngis f — meninx (more frequently used in the plural — meninges).

Other terms and processes

The minimum vocabulary includes words denoting properties, periods of life, and movements:

• Properties and dimensions: asperĭtas (roughness), magnitūdo (magnitude).
• Periods and states: juventus (youth), senectus (old age), mors (death).
• Movements and anatomical divisions: flexio (flexion), rotatio (rotation), supinatio (supination, outward rotation), bifurcatio (bifurcation).

It is also important to memorize the terms dens (tooth), lens (lens), cuspis (cusp), iris (iris), and pubes (pubis).

Pelvic terminology

In anatomical terminology, it is important not to confuse names related to the pelvic region:

1. Pelvis — is the pelvis as a whole (bone ring). Example: pelvis renālis — renal pelvis.
2. Os coxae — hip bone (paired structure). The ancient word coxa was translated as "pelvis" or "hip" (hence articulatio coxae — hip joint).
3. The os coxae itself consists of fused bones: os ilium (ilium), os pubis (pubis), and os ischium (ischium).

Briefly: answers to topical questions

Class and exam questions

What else to study on this topic

• Genitive endings for words of Greek origin
• Declension of masculine terms (trochanter, pes, pollex)
• Declension of feminine terms ending in -io (articulatio, regio)
• Plural of third-declension nouns (meninges, phalanges)

Other topics in the section "Third declension feminine nouns"

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