DEFECTIVE NOUNS

Many of these nouns, however, are used in the plural in some other sense.

The plural of a proper name may be applied to two or more persons or places, or even things, and so become strictly common:—

1. duodecim Caesarēs, the twelve Cæsars.
2. Galliae, the two Gauls (Cis- and Transalpine).
3. Castores, Castor and Pollux; Iovēs, images of Jupiter.

The plural of names of things reckoned in mass may denote particular objects: as, aera, bronze utensils, nivēs, snowflakes; or different kinds of a thing: as, āerēs, airs (good and bad).

The plural of abstract nouns denotes occasions or instances of the quality, or the like:—

1. quaedam excellentiae, some cases of superiority; ōtia, periods of rest; calōrēs, frīgora, times of heat and cold.

Some nouns are commonly or exclusively found in the Plural (plūrālia tantum). Such are—

1. Many names of towns: as, Athēnae (Athens), Thūriī, Philippī, Vêiī.
2. Names of festivals and games: as, Olympia, the Olympic Games; Bacchānālia, feast of Bacchus; Quīnquātrūs, festival of Minerva; lūdī Rōmānī, the Roman Games.
3. Names of classes: as, optimātēs, the upper classes; mâiōrēs, ancestors; līberī, children; penātēs, household gods; Quirītēs, citizens (of Rome).
4. Words plural by signification: as, arma, weapons; artūs, joints; dīvitiae, riches; scālae, stairs; valvae, folding-doors; forēs, double-doors; angustiae, a narrow pass (narrows); moenia, city walls.

Some nouns of the above classes (§ 101. 1-4), have a corresponding singular, as noun or adjective, often in a special sense:

1. As noun, to denote a single object: as, Bacchānal, a spot sacred to Bacchus; optimās, an aristocrat.
2. As adjective: as, Catō Mâior, Cato the Elder.
3. In a sense rare, or found only in early Latin: as, scāla, a ladder, valva, a door; artus, a joint.

Many nouns are defective in case-forms:

—

Indeclinable nouns, used only as nominative and accusative singular: fās, nefās, īnstar, nihil, opus (need), secus.

Nouns found in one case only (monoptotes):—

1. In the nominative singular: glōs (F.).
2. In the genitive singular: dicis, naucī (N.).
3. In the dative singular: dīvīsuī (M.) (cf. § 94. c).
4. In the accusative singular: amussim (M.); vēnum (dative vēnō in Tacitus).
5. In the ablative singular: pondō (N.); māne (N.); astū (M.), by craft; iussū, iniussū, nātū, and many other verbal nouns in -us (M.) (§ 94. c).
6. In the accusative plural: īnfitiās.

Nouns found in two cases only (diptotes):—

1. In the nominative and ablative singular: fors, forte (F.).
2. In the genitive and ablative singular: spontis (rare), sponte (F.).
3. In the accusative singular and plural: dicam, dicās (F.).
4. In the accusative and ablative plural: forās, forīs (F.) (cf. forēs), used as adverbs.

Nouns found in three cases only (triptotes):—

1. In the nominative, accusative, and ablative singular: impetus, -um, -ū (M.); luēs, -em, -ē (F.).
2. In the nominative, accusative, and dative or ablative plural: grātēs, -ibus (F).
3. In the nominative, genitive, and dative or ablative plural: iūgera, -um, -ibus (N.); but iūgerum, etc., in the singular (cf. § 105. b).

Nouns found in four cases only (tetraptotes):—

In the genitive, dative, accusative, ablative singular: diciōnis, -ī, -em, -e (F.).

Nouns declined regularly in the plural, but defective in the singular:—

1. Nouns found in the singular, in genitive, dative, accusative, ablative: frūgis, -ī, -em, -e (F.); opis, -ī (once only), -em, -e (F.; nominative Ops as a divinity).
2. Nouns found in the dative, accusative, ablative: precī, -em, -e (F.).
3. Nouns found in the accusative and ablative: cassem, -e (F.); sordem, -e (F.).
4. Nouns found in the ablative only: ambāge (F.); fauce (F.); obice (C.).

Nouns regular in the singular, defective in the plural:—

1. The following neuters have in the plural the nominative and accusative only: fel (fella), far (farra), hordeum (hordea), iūs, broth (iūra), mel (mella), murmur (murmura), pūs (pūra), rūs (rūra), tūs orthūs (tūra).
2. calx, cor, cōs, crux, fax, faex, lanx,lūx, nex, ōs (ōris), os (ossis),pāx, pix, rōs, sāl, sōl, vas (vadis), want the genitive plural.
3. Most nouns of the fifth declension want the whole or part of the plural (see § 98. a).

Nouns defective in both singular and plural:—

1. Noun found in the genitive, accusative, ablative singular; nominative, accusative, dative, ablative plural: vicis, -em, -e; -ēs, -ibus.
2. Noun found in the genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative singular; genitive plural wanting: dapis, -ī, -em, -e; -ēs, -ibus.