declension
/dɪˈklɛnʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
declinatio — a turning aside, inflection
Overview
Meaning Now
- The inflection of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles in certain languages to indicate their grammatical case, number, and gender.
- A class of nouns or other words grouped by the similarity of their inflectional patterns.
- A descent, decline, or deterioration.
Literal older meaning
a bending down or aside
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
declensioun
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originates from the Latin 'declinare', meaning 'to bend away'. In Roman grammar, it was metaphorically applied to the 'bending' or modification of a word's ending to express its relationship within a sentence. It contrasts with 'conjugation', which applies to the inflection of verbs.
Evolution
- Latin
declinatio
“a turning aside or deviation”
- Old French
declinaison
“grammatical inflection”
- Middle English
declensioun
“the process of inflecting a noun”
- Early Modern English
declension
“grammatical category or period of decline”
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
away or down
clin-
root
to lean or slope
-tion
suffix
denoting an action or state
Related across languages
French
déclinaison
declension
Spanish
declinación
declension
Related words
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Related to declension
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.