Declension (grammar)
The declination ( Latin declinare ' to bow' ) in the grammar of a language formally describes the rules according to which certain parts of speech (especially nouns , pronouns , adjectives and articles ) according to the grammatical categories case (case), number (number) and gender ( Gender) change shape. Not every language uses all of these categories. The words are declined . In addition to the conjugation of the verb , the declension is a form of inflection , the changeability of words or parts of speech.
A language can inflect all words according to a scheme and then have a declination (or a declination scheme), or it can inflect different words according to different schemes and then have several declensions. In languages that have inflection, the inflected languages , the role of a noun in a sentence is determined by the form of its declension.
Words that cannot be declined are called indeclinable, undeclinable, not declinable, or not declinable.
Example for the German language
| case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | the colorful ball | the colored balls |
| Genitive | of the colorful ball | of colorful balls |
| dative | the colorful ball | the colored balls |
| accusative | the colorful ball | the colored balls |