§604. Final Syllables

The Quantity of Final Syllables is as follows:—

a. Monosyllables ending in a vowel are long: as, mē, tū, hī, nē.

• The attached particles -nĕ, -quĕ, -vĕ, -cĕ, -ptĕ, and rĕ- (rĕd-) are short; sē- (sēd-) and dī- are long. Thus, sēcēdit, sēditiō, exercitumquĕ rĕdūcit, dīmittō. But re- is often long in rēligiō ( relligiō), rētulī ( rettulī), rēpulī ( reppulī).

b. Nouns and adjectives of one syllable are long: as, sōl, ōs ( ōris), bōs, pār, vās ( vāsis), vēr, vīs.

Exceptions. cŏr, fĕl, lăc, mĕl, ŏs ( ossis), văs ( vădis), vĭr, tŏt, quŏt.

c. Most monosyllabic Particles are short: as, ăn, ĭn, cĭs, nĕc. But crās, cūr, ēn, nōn, quīn, sīn—with adverbs in c: as, hīc, hūc, sīc—are long.

d. Final a in words declined by cases is short, except in the ablative sin gular of the first declension; in all other words final a is long. Thus, eă stellă (nominative), cum eā stellā (ablative); frūstrā, vocā (imperative), posteā, trīgintā.

Exceptions. ēiă, ită, quiă, pută (suppose); and, in late use, trīgintă etc.

e. Final e is short: as in nūbĕ, dūcitĕ, saepĕ.

Exceptions.—Final e is long—

• In adverbs formed from adjectives of the first and second declension, with others of like form: as, altē, longē, miserē, apertē, saepissimē. So ferē, fermē.

  But it is short in benĕ, malĕ; īnfernĕ, supernĕ.

• In nouns of the fifth declension: as, fidē (also famē), faciē, hodiē, quārē ( quā rē).
• In Greek neuters plural of the second declension: as, cētē; and in some other Greek words: Phoebē,Circē, Andromachē, etc.

• In the imperative singular of the second conjugation: as, vidē.

  But sometimes cavĕ, habĕ, tacĕ, valĕ, vidĕ (cf. § 629. b. 1).

f. Final i is long: as in turrī, fīlī, audī.

Exceptions.—Final i is common in mihi, tibi, sibi, ibi, ubi; and short in nisĭ, quasĭ, sīcutĭ, cuĭ (when making two syllables), and in Greek vocatives: as, Alexĭ.

g. Final o is common: but long in datives and ablatives; also in nouns of the third declension. It is almost invariably long in verbs before the time of Ovid.

Exceptions. citŏ, modŏ ( dummodŏ), immŏ, profectŏ, egŏ, duŏ, cedŏ (the imperative); so sometimes octŏ, īlicŏ, etc., particularly in later writers.

h. Final u is long. Final y is short

i. Final as, es, os, are long; final is, as, ys, are short: as, nefās, rūpēs, servōs (accusative), honōs; hostĭs, amīcŭs, Tethy̆s.

Exceptions.—

• as is short in Greek plural accusatives: as, lampadăs; and in anăs.
• es is short in the nominative of nouns of the third declension (lingual) having a short vowel in the stem¹: as,mīlĕs (-ĭtis),obsĕs (-˘dis),—except abiēs,ariēs, pariēs, pēs; in the present of esse (ĕs, adĕs); in the preposition penĕs, and in the plural of Greek nouns: as,hērōĕs, lampadĕs.
• os is short in compŏs, impŏs; in the Greek nominative ending: as, barbitŏs; in the old nominative of the second declension: as,servŏs (later servus).
• is in plural cases is long: as in bonīs, nōbīs, vōbīs, omnīs (accusative plural).
• is is long in the verb forms fīs, sīs, vīs (with quīvīs etc.), velīs, mālīs, nōlīs, edīs; in the second person singular of the present indicative active in the fourth conjugation: as, audīs; and sometimes in the forms in -eris (future perfect indicative or perfect subjunctive).
• us is long in the genitive singular and nominative, accusative, and vocative plural of the fourth declension; and in nouns of the third declension having ū (long) in the stem: as, virtūs (-ūtis),incūs (-¯dis). But pecŭs, -ŭdis.

j. Of other final syllables, those ending in a single consonant are short Thus, amăt, amātŭr; dōnĕc, făc, procŭl, iubăr.

Exceptions. hīc (also hĭc); allēc; the ablatives illōc, etc.; certain adverbs in -c: as, illīc, istūc; liēn, and some Greek nouns: as, āēr, aethēr, crātēr.