ginlindzey

Ok.  I have a confession.  I really only make my students learn 1st, 2nd, and 3rd declension cold.  I've been a real wimp about 4th and 5th in the past.  I was going to step up my game, but first wanted to look at all the sentences with all the words in 4th or 5th declension in recent (and the upcoming) stages.  I'm going to try copying in what I found:

4^th Declension

portus, portūs (m) – harbor

• Alexandrīa magnum portum habet. (17: Quīntus dē Alexandrīā/MS)
• prope portum est īnsula.(17: Quīntus dē Alexandrīā/MS)
• facile est nāvibus ad portum pervenīre, quod in hācīnsulā est pharus ingēns.(17: Quīntus dē Alexandrīā/MS)
• multae nāvēs in portū Alexandrīae sunt.(17: Quīntus dē Alexandrīā/MS)
• ille tabernam prope portum Alexandrīae possidēbat. (17: tumultus I)
• tandem ad portum Alexandrīae pervēnimus. (17: tumultus I)

tumultus,tumultūs (m) – riot

• (just as titles)

manus, manūs (f) – hand

• [Salvius] manūs ad servum extendit et veniam petīvit. (13: coniūrātiō)
• [Eutychus] valdē sūdābat, et manūs in capillīs servī tergēbat. (18: in officīnā Eutychī II)
• [fēlēs sacra] in manūs Clēmentis īnsiluit. (18: prō tabernā Clēmentis)

impetus, impetūs (m) – attack

• subitō latrōnēs, quī īnsidiās parāverant, impetum fēcērunt. (17: mercātor Arabs)
• taurus, animal ferōx, impetum in hoc aedificium fēcit. (13: Salvius fundum īnspicit)
• ille impetūs nostrōs diūtius vītāvit. (18: Clēmēns tabernārius)

gemitus, gemitūs (m) – groan

• Barbillus, simulatque eum cōnspexit, magnum gemitum dedit. (17: ad templum)

situs, sitūs (m) – position, site

• taberna, quam Barbillus mihi offerēbat, optimum situm habēbat, optimum lucrum. (18: taberna)

domus, domūs (m) – home

• quondam, ubi ā templō, in quō cēnāverat, domum redībat, amīcum cōnspexit accurrentem. (18: prō tabernā Clēmentis)

5^th Declension

rēs, reī (f) – thing, matter, story

• tum Vārica, postquam hanc rem nārrāvit, clāmāvit, “Loquāx! Anti-Loquāx! dominus advenit.” (13: Bregāns)
• marītus eī rēs pretiōsās semper dat. (14: Rūfilla)
• in tablīnō, ubi dominus labōrat, sunt multae rēs pretiōsae. (14: Domitilla cubiculum parat II)
• multī Rōmānī Cogidubnō rēs pretiōsās dabant. (15: m.s.)
• Salvius, quī rem spectābat, per viam prōcessit. (15: ad aulam)
• Belimicus, prīnceps Canticus, postquam Dumnorix in certāmine nāvālī vīcit, rem graviter ferēbat. (16: Belimicus ultor)
• “nunc rem intellegere possum,” mercātor sibi dīxit. “hoc mōnstrum, sīcut pīca, rēs fulgentēs colligere solet.” (17: mercātor Arabs)

diēs, diēī (m) – day

• “lacrimō quod miserrima sum,” ancilla coquō respondit. “tōtum diem labōrāvī.” (14: Domitilla cubiculum parat)

effigiēs, effigiēī (f) – likeness, statue

• in lectō erat effigiēs cērāta. Quīntus effigiem agnōvit. (15: caerimōnia)
• “bona est effigiēs!” inquit. “imperātor Claudius est!” (15: caerimōnia)
• fabrī perītissimī, quī ex Ītaliā veniunt, effigiem quotannīs faciunt. (15: caerimōnia)
• rēx, postquam ad effigiem advēnit, vīnum lībāvit. (15: caerimōnia)
• tum sacerdōtēs, quī prope effigiem stābant, victimās ad rēgem dūxērunt. (15: caerimōnia)
• effigiem ex ātriō portāvērunt. prīncipēs, quī effigiem portābant, ad rogum magnā cum dignitāte prōcessērunt. (15: caerimōnia)
• effigiem in rogum posuērunt. (15: caerimōnia)
• flammae, quae effigiem iam tangēbant, cēram liquābant. omnēs effigiem intentē spectābant. (15: caerimōnia)
• subitō aquila ex effigiē ēvolāvit. (15: caerimōnia)

In all of these cases, you really don't need to know 4th or 5th declension endings to read/understand the sentences. Either the word is in the nominative (no big deal) or in an accusative singular form that looks like a 2nd or 3rd, or is preceded by a preposition so the unusual ablative singular ending (if it is ablative) doesn't matter because we are taking our cue from the preposition.  OR an adjective in agreement is helping out.  In the phrase effigiēs cērāta, I can tell that effigies is nominative singular feminine from the adjective.  Or that other old disambiguation technique of subject/verb agreement.  We can tell that manūs is accusative plural because the verb in the sentences in which the word appears is 3rd person singular.

Anyway. Just food for thought.  I just wish I had a good 4th or 5th declension mnemonic or song.  I'll search for one tomorrow via google.