Latin Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstratives hic, ille and iste

These are used both as pronouns which act as slightly emphatic versions of the English third person personal pronouns and as adjectives corresponding roughly to English this and that. Frequently in later Latin, and occasionally in Classical Latin, they also function as a definite article.

hic, haec, hoc. dem. adj. this. pnn. he (emph.), this.

	Singular			Plural
	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	hic	haec	hoc	hi	hae	haec
Gen.	huius	huius	huius	horum	harum	horum
Dat.	huic	huic	huic	his	his	his
Acc.	hunc	hanc	hoc	hos	has	haec
Abl.	hoc	hac	hoc	his	his	his

hic, haec, hoc

In all singular forms and in the neuter plural nominative-accusative form, an epideictic particle -c is added to the case ending. When this particle follows an m, the m changes to an n. (In particular, humc, hamc become hunc, hanc.)
The nominative, genitive, and dative singular forms take irregular endings.
The nominative-accusative form of the neuter plural takes the ending -ae(c) instead of the usual -a.

ille, illa, illud. dem. adj. that. pnn., he (emph.), that.

	Singular			Plural
	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	ille	illa	illud	illi	illae	illa
Gen.	illius	illius	illius	illorum	illarum	illorum
Dat.	illi	illi	illi	illis	illis	illis
Acc.	illum	illam	illud	illos	illas	illa
Abl.	illo	illa	illo	illis	illis	illis

le, la.

The demonstrative pronoun ille, illa, illud is declined like a first and second declension adjective except for irregularities in the nominative, genitive and dative singular.

iste, ista, istud. dem. adj. that [indicating contempt or anger.] pnn. he(emph.).

	Singular			Plural
	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	iste	ista	istud	isti	istae	ista
Gen.	istius	istius	istius	istorum	istarum	istorum
Dat.	isti	isti	isti	istis	istis	istis
Acc.	istum	istam	istud	istos	istas	ista
Abl.	isto	ista	isto	istis	istis	istis

The demonstrative pronoun iste, ista, istud is declined like ille, illa, illud.

The demonstrative idem

idem, eadem, idem. dem. adj./pnn. the same.

	Singular			Plural
	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	idem	eadem	idem	eidem	eaedem	eadem
Gen.	eiusdem	eiusdem	eiusdem	eorundem	earundem	eorundem
Dat.	eidem	eidem	eidem	eisdem	eisdem	eisdem
Acc.	eundem	eandem	idem	eosdem	easdem	eadem
Abl.	eodem	eadem	eodem	eisdem	eisdem	eisdem

The suffix -dem is indeclinable. These are declined like is, ea, id, the third personal pronouns. Some of the endings shift before the suffix, in particular -md- becomes -nd-.

The emphatic pronoun ipse

ipse, -a, -um. emph., oneself.

The emphatic pronoun ipse is declined like ille.

It's meaning is not reflexive, but emphatic. The following examples highlight the difference:

reflexive: Mary bought groceries for herself.
emphatic: Mary herself bought groceries.

The heteroclite endings

The ending -ius in the genitive singular and the ending -i in the dative singular are called heteroclite endings. They also appear as endings for a handful of first and second declension adjectives which are sometimes also used as pronouns. These adjectives include:

alius, -a, -ud. adj., other. (gen. sing.=alterius).
alter, -era, -erum. adj., the other.
nullus, -a, -um. adj., no, none.
solus, -a, -um. adj., alone, sole.
totus, -a, -um. adj., whole, entire.
ullus, -a, -um. adj., any.
unus, -a, -um. adj., one.

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Last updated: Monday, 15 September, 1997.