Expressions of Place and the Locative Case

In Latin, certain nouns are expressed without a preposition. These nouns will not use a preposition when expressing motion to (Accusative), motion from (Ablative) or position (a new case called the Locative). The nouns belong to the following categories:

Names of cities and towns (Roma, Brundisium, Athenae, etc.)
Names of small islands (most of the islands in the Mediterranean were considered small)
- In this case, it is easier to list islands that would not belong to this category because they were considered large. Those islands are:
  - Britannia, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Sardinia, Sicilia
Three special nouns: domus, rus, humus
- domus, domus (domi), f. - home
- rus, ruris, n. - countryside, farm
- humus, humi, m. - ground

Locative Case

There were six major cases presented in Latin I. There is a seventh minor case called the Locative Case (abbreviated Loc), which is used with the noun types above to express position (in, at). For all declensions except for 1st and 2nd, the ablative forms are used for the locative.

The locative case can only be plural for nouns that have no singular forms (Athenae, Pompeii, etc.). Otherwise, a prepositional phrase will be used for plural examples of position (in domibus = in the homes, etc.). Because of this, the locative is a highly specialized and relatively rare case.

**Locative Endings Chart**
	Singular	Plural
1st Declension	ae	is
2nd Declension	i	is
domus, domi	domi	N/A
All Other Declensions	use ablative form	use ablative form

Examples

Let's look at a few Latin sentences that show these expressions of place. Remember, for any of the nouns in those categories, you will not see a preposition in front of the noun. Pay attention for these expressions as you read Latin!

**Expressions of Place - Example Sentences**
Motion TO/TOWARDS	Motion FROM	Locative
Octavius exercitum Romam misit. Octavius sent an army to Rome. Rus moveramus. We had moved to the country. Ulysses Ithacam iter faciebat. Ulysses was traveling to Ithaca.	Exercitus Athenis iter facient. The armies will march from Athena. Agricolae frumenta humo capiunt. The farmers are taking the grain from the ground. Herculaneo navigavistis. You (pl) sailed from Herculaneum.	Mater domi mansit. Mother stayed at home. Agrippa dextrum cornu Romae collocavit. Agrippa stationed the right wing of the army in Rome. Nocte Pompeiis cenaveramus. We had dined at night in Pompeii.