LSP - 2 : Casus Nominativus

Different types of words change their endings for different reasons. Nouns change their endings to show what role they are playing in a sentence.

One of the most important roles a Noun can play in a sentence is to be the Subject of a Verb. The Subject of a Verb is the person or thing that is performing the Verb. In the sentence Hercules is the son of Alcmena, the Subject of is is Hercules. In the sentence Juno wants to kill Hercules, Juno is the Subject of wants.

When we want to show that a Noun is a Subject, we put a particular ending on it, and we say that it is in a particular Case. The Nominative Case (Casus Nominativus) is the Case of the Subject.

Here are some Nouns in the Casus Nominativus, along with an approximate English meaning : cūna (cradle), fīlius (son), scūtum (shield), serpēns (serpent).