The eight cases

Cases

Meaning
"It names"; in short, when the noun (or adjective) is declined in this

Nominative Case, is just named and it occupies the subject position in the
sentence. For example: "man eats".
It adds "to/toward"; that is, when the noun (or adjective) is declined

Accusative in this Case occupies the place of Direct Object. For example: "they
eat man".
It adds "by/through/by means of/with"; that is, when the noun (or

Instrumenta
adjective) is declined in this Case appears as an "instrument" of the
l
verb. For example: "they grow by man"

It adds "to/for"; that is, when the noun (or adjective) is declined in

Dative

this Case occupies the place of Indirect Object. For example: "we
give food to man". In this case "man" is the Indirect Object, and
"food" is the Direct Object of the verb.
It adds "from/because of/due to"; that is, when the noun (or

Ablative

adjective) is declined in this Case indicates an origin or else an

instrument. For example: "they come from man", or else, "from
man everything is generated".

Genitive

It adds "of"; that is, when the noun (or adjective) is declined in this
Case gives a sense of belonging to. For example: "the cat of man".
It adds "in/on"; that is, when the noun (or adjective) is declined in

Locative

this Case gives a sense of location. For example: "virtues live in

man".
It adds "oh!/eh!/hey!"; that is, when the noun (or adjective) is

Vocative

declined in this Case gives a sense of invocation or calling. For

example: "Oh man, wake up!", and also "hey man, come closer!"

The simple chart of terminations for masculine nouns ending in "a"

is as follows:
Terminations for nouns ending in "a" vowel
Cases

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

au

Accusative

am

au

Instrumental

ena

bhym

ai

Dative

ya

bhym

ebhya

Ablative

bhym

ebhya

Genitive

asya

ayo

nm

Locative

ayo

eu

Vocative

au

Let us see an actual example now, by using the word "iva"

("Auspicious"; an epithet of the Supreme Being)
Declining a word ending in "a" vowel
Cases

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

iva

ivau

iv

Accusative

ivam

ivau

ivn

Instrumental

ivena

ivbhym

ivai

Dative

ivya

ivbhym

ivebhya

Ablative

ivt

ivbhym

ivebhya

Genitive

ivasya

ivayo

ivnm

Locative

ive

ivayo

iveu

Vocative

iva

ivau

iv

And now, just in case you have gotten lost among so many words, I
am placing one more chart with the possible translations of all these
declensions for the noun "iva".

Translation
Cases

Singular

Nominative the Auspicious One

Accusative

to the Auspicious
One

Dual
the two Auspicious

to the two Auspicious

Plural
the Auspicious (3 or
more)
to the Auspicious (3 or
more)

by/through/by means by/through/by means by/through/by means

Instrumenta
of/with the
l

Auspicious One

Dative

Locative

Vocative

Auspicious

(3 or more)
to/for the Auspicious (3

One

or more)

to the Auspicious
One

Genitive

of/with the Auspicious

to/for the Auspicious to/for the two

from/because of/due

Ablative

of/with the two

of the Auspicious
One

Auspicious
from/because of/due
to the two Auspicious

of the two Auspicious

from/because of/due to
the Auspicious (3 or
more)
of the Auspicious (3 or
more)

in/on the Auspicious in/on the two

in/on the Auspicious (3

One

Auspicious

or more)

Oh Auspicious

Oh two

Oh Auspicious (3 or

One!/eh, Auspicious Auspicious!/eh, two

more)!/eh, Auspicious

One!

(3 or more)!

Auspicious!