History of the Latin case system

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A careful study of the declensions of Latin will reveal that originally there were only two patterns of ending; those of the first and second declension and those of the third declension. It was common for some words to borrow endings from the other set of endings which is why we see words like animabus in place of animis. This process also likely helped to give birth to the fourth and fifth declensions. Also note that all adjectives follow either the pattern of the first and second declensions or that of the third. The pattern of the first and second declensions as seen in Old Latin clearly show a mutual origin with the first and second declensions of Ancient Greek.

	First declension, land						Second declension, word
	Greek		Old Latin		Classical Latin		Greek		Old Latin		Classical Latin
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	chora	chorai	terra	terrai	terra	terrae	logos	logoi	logos	logoi	logus	logi
Vocative	chora	chorai	terra	terrai	terra	terrae	loge	logoi	loge	logoi	loge	logi
Accusative	choran	choras	terram	terras	terram	terras	logon	logous	logom	logos	logum	logos
Genitive	choras	choron	terras	terrom	terrae	terrarum	logou	logon	logoi	logom	logi	logorum
Dative	chora	chorais	terrai	terrais	terrae	terris	logoi	logois	logoi	logois	logo	logis
Ablative	——	——	terrad	terris	terrā	terris	——	——	logod	logois	logo	logis

However, we see that in the third declension, even cognates between Greek and Latin have very different endings in Latin. This probably shows that the third declension is a Latin-specific development, though this has yet to be proved completely.^{[citation needed]}

	leon, –is lion
	Greek	Old Latin	Classical Latin
Nominative	Leon	Leon	Leo
Vocative	Leon	Leon	Leo
Accusative	Leonta	Leonem	Leonem
Genitive	Leontos	Leonis	Leonis
Dative	Leonti	Leonei	Leoni
Ablative	——	Leoneid	Leone
Nominative	Leontes	Leones	Leones
Vocative	Leontes	Leones	Leones
Accusative	Leontas	Leones	Leones
Genitive	Leonton	Leonom	Leonum
Dative	Leousi	Leonebos	Leonibus
Ablative	——	Leonebus	Leonibus

As seen here, the Greek and Latin are somewhat similar, but are more different than they are similar. It is likely that if these declensions ever were the same in the past that they began to separate far sooner than the first and second declensions.^{[citation needed]} New words being brought into Latin were usually put into the third declension.