Traditional Latin Grammar Gender Rhymes & Phrases

(Consult a textbook or a grammar for complete rules and lists of exceptions)

For more mnemonic devices (including vocabulary) please take a look at:
Mnemonic Latin. Mnemonic hints for learning Latin vocabulary and grammar.

Nouns that are singular only:

Argentum, aurum, ferrum, plebs, justitia,

Ver, aevum, letum, sanguis, pueritia.

Nouns that are Plural only:

Manes, liberi, Penates,

Divitiae, cunae, nugae, grates,

With arma, munia, magalia,

And festive seasons, as Floralia.

Nouns of Common Gender

Common are to either sex:

Artifex and opifex,

Conviva, vates, advena,

Testis, civis, incola,

Parens, sacerdos, custos, vindex,

Adolescens, infans, index.

Judex, heres, comes, dux,

Princeps, municeps, conjux,

Obses, ales, interpres,

Auctor, exul; and with these

Bos, dama, talpa, tigris, grus,

Cavis and anguis, serpens, sus.

Gender in I Declension

Nouns denoting males in a

Are by meaning Mascula;

And added to the Males must be

Hadria, the Hadriatic Sea.

Feminina stand in us,

Alvus, arctus, carbasus,

Colus, humus, pampinus,

Vannus; names of Plants, as pirus;

Names of Jewels, as sapphires.

Neuter, pelagus and virus.

Vulgus Neuter commonly,

Rarely Masculine, we see.

Gender in III Declension

Substantives in do and go

Genus Femininum show.

But ligo, ordo, praedo, cardo,

Are Mascula; and Common margo.


Verbal Nouns in io call

Feminina, one and all:

Mascula  will only be

Things that you may touch or see,

(As curculio, vespertilio,

Pugio, scipio, and papilio,)

With the Nouns that number show,

Such as ternio, senio.


Echo Femininum name:

Caro (carnis) is the same.


Femininum call arbor;

Neuter aequor, marmor, cor.


Of the Substantives in os,

Feminina cos and dos:

While, of Latin Nouns, alone

Neuter are os (ossis), bone,

And os (oris), mouth: a few

Greek in os are Neuter too.


Many Neuters end in er,

Siler, acer, verber, ver,

Tuber, uber, and cadaver,

Piper, iter, and papaver.


Feminina, compes, teges,

Merces, merges, quies, seges,

Through their Genitives increase, –

With the Neuters reckon aes.


Many Nouns in is we find

To the Mascula assigned:

Amnis, axis, caulis, collies,

Clunis, crinis, fascis, follies,

Fustis, ignis, orbis, ensis,

Panis, pascis, postis, mensis,

Torris, unguis, and canalis,

Vectis, vermis, and natalis,

Lapis, sanguis, cucumis,

Pulvis, cases, Manes, glis.


Chiefly Mascula we view,

Sometimes Feminina too,

Callis, sentis, funis, finis,

Torquis, and, in poets, cinis.


Mascula are adamas,

Elephas, mas, gigas, as:

Vas (vadis) too as Male is known,

Vas (vasis) as a Neuter Noun.


Most are Mascula in ex:

Feminina, forex, lex,

Nex, supplex: Common, pumex,

Imbrex, obex, silex, rumex.


Mascula appear in ix,

Fornix, phonix, and calyx


Mascula are fons and mons,

Chalybs, hydrops, gryps, and pons,

Rudens, torrens, dens and cliens,

Fractions of the as, as triens;

Add to Mascula tridens,

Occidens and oriens,

Bidens (hoc): but bidens (sheep)

With the Feminina keep.


Mascula are found in es

Verres and acinaces.


Mascula are found in ur ,

Furfur, turtur, vultur, fur.


Feminina, some in us

Keep u long, as, servitus,

With juventus, virtus, salus,

Senectus, tellus, incus, palus.


Also pecus (pecudis)

Of the Female gender is.


Mascula are found in us

Lepus (leporis) and mus.


Mascula in l are mugil,

Consul, sal and sol, with pugil.


Mascula are ren and splen,

Pecten, delphin, attagen.


Feminina some in on;

Gorgon, sindon, halcyon.


Gender in IV Declension

Feminina, trees in us,

With tribus, acus, porticus,

Domus, nurus, socrus, anus,

Idus (iduum) and manus.


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