t soldier_ (pedestrian)
/pe:s, pedis\,[A] m., _foot_ (pedal)
/pri:nceps, pri:ncipis\, m., _chief_ (principal)
/re:x, re:gis\, m., _king_ (regal)
/summus, -a, -um\, _highest, greatest_ (summit)
/virtu:s, virtu:tis\, f., _manliness, courage_ (virtue)

[Footnote A: Observe that /e\ is _long_ in the nom. sing, and
_short_ in the other cases.]

_230._ Bases and Stems. In learning the first and second declensions
we saw that the different cases were formed by adding the case
terminations to the part of the word that did not change, which we
called the /base\. If to the base we add -a: in the first declension,
and -o in the second, we get what is called the /stem\. Thus /porta\
has the base port- and the stem porta:-; /servus\ has the base
serv- and the stem servo-.

These stem vowels, -a:- and -o-, play so important a part in the
formation of the case terminations that these declensions are named from
them respectively the _A_- and _O_-Declensions.

_231._ Nouns of the Third Declension. The third declension is called
the Consonant or _I_-Declension, and its nouns are classified according
to the way the _stem_ ends. If the last letter of the stem is a
consonant, the word is said to have a _consonant stem_; if the stem ends
in -i-, the word is said to have an i-_stem_. _In consonant stems
the stem is the same as the base. In_ i-_stems the stem is formed by
adding_ -i- _to the base._ The presence of the /i\ makes a difference
in certain of the cases, so the distinction is a very important one.

_232._ Consonant stems are divided into two classes:

I. Stems that add -s to the base to form the nominative singular.
II. Stems that add no termination in the nominative singular.

CLASS I

_233._ Stems that add -s to the base in the nominative singular are
either masculine or feminine and are declined as follows:

pri:nceps, mi:les, m., lapis,
m., _chief_ _soldier_ m., _stone_
BASES OR
STEMS pri:ncip- mi:lit- lapid-

SINGULAR TERMINATIONS
M. AND F.
Nom. pri:nceps mi:les lapis -s
Gen. pri:n'cipis mi:litis lapidis -is
Dat. pri:n'cipi: mi:liti: lapidi: -i:
Acc. pri:n'cipem mi:litem lapidem -em
Abl. pri:n'cipe mi:lite lapide -e

PL